08/10/2018 / By RJ Jhonson
Cancer remains among the most serious diseases known to humankind – different forms of the disease kill millions of people around the world every year. Conventional medicine offers cytotoxic treatments that vary in effectiveness but not in their tendency to cause diverse and detrimental side effects. For this reason, researchers look to nature for treatments that are not just effective but are also safe.
A study funded by a grant from the International Foundation for Science, Sweden, and published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine examined Allium wallichii (AW) for anti-cancer properties. The plant is commonly found in Nepal where it is used as a natural medicine and spice.
The researchers prepared an aqueous extract of AW, which they tested to determine its phytochemical content, antioxidant capabilities, and antimicrobial properties. To determine AW’s anti-cancer abilities, they tested the extract on three cancer cell lines: PC3 (prostate cancer), MCF-7 (breast cancer), and HeLa (cervical cancer).
The extract was found to contain steroids, terpenoids, and flavonoids. It had moderate antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Test on cytotoxicity pointed to the extract having moderate anti-cancer effects, although the researchers attributed this to the use of extracts from the entire plant. They believe that the isolation of specific compounds could yield more positive outcomes.
Their findings led the researchers to conclude that AW could be a potential candidate as an anti-cancer treatment, thanks to its promising cytotoxicity.
Prevention is said to be better than cure, and when it comes to lowering one’s risk of developing cancer, nothing beats these time-tested methods:
Numerous studies have proven the ability of natural compounds and products to treat various types of cancer. These include:
Discover natural ways to fight cancer at AntiCancer.news.
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Tagged Under: Allium wallichii, alternative medicine, antibacterial, antioxidant, herbal cures, herbal medicine, natural cures, natural healing, natural medicine, natural treatment, Nepal, plant cures, plant medicine, remedies