Can Plants Be Used to Treat Cancer?

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the developed world. In 2014 in the UK there were over 350,000 new cancer cases and over 160,000 deaths from cancer — so researchers are constantly looking for new ways to combat the disease. Screening people at risk of certain types of cancer is one of the ways to improve the prognosis of the disease.

With chemotherapy and other treatments having unavoidable side effects — researchers are looking for other forms of treatment to help combat cancer without the unpleasant consequences. One avenue that has been explored is to use plants. Some plant molecules come under the label biomolecules — their analysis is discussed in the article, The use of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) columns in Biomolecule analysis.

Alliums — garlic and shallots

Allium plants play an important role in the diet of many cultures. Garlic and onions are used in many recipes in all parts of the world and they possess many other health benefits besides warding off vampires. Alliums are typically full of compounds like allyl sulphides and bioflavonoids which are thought to be beneficial in the fight against cancer and heart disease.

Research has been published from studies that looked at various types of allium and their role in cancer prevention. Several studies have considered the effect of organosulfur compounds on cancer cells. The studies show that the compounds have inhibitory effects on cancer cells in mice and a study by researchers at West Virginia University has suggested that garlic could be an effective therapy for bladder cancer.

Shallots have also been shown to have antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Researchers have also shown that extracts from shallots can have a positive effect on cancer cells and researchers have suggested that it could have some use in the treatment of cancer patients.

Turmeric

One of the main components in turmeric is curcumin — a natural phenol that is responsible for turmeric’s yellow colour and has been used in various cultures as a medicine for hundreds of years. Its anti-cancer properties have been studied on colon and breast cancer as well as brain tumours and lung metastases.

Its anti-cancer effect is attributed to its ability to induce apoptosis — induced biochemical changes that lead to a cell dying — in cancer cells whilst leaving healthy cells unaffected. A study in 2007 combined curcumin with chemotherapy and showed that this treatment killed more cancer cells than treatment with chemotherapy alone. Another study has shown that curcumin stopped the spread of breast cancer cells to other parts of the body.

However, we currently don’t know how safe curcumin is when used for medical reasons — it is fine when used in cooking. Some curcumin-containing food supplements that are available on the internet have caused liver damage. So, it seems that some plants could help in the fight against cancer — but obviously further studies are needed.