Chai Hu Bupleurum Root, Ⅲ
Chai Hu Bupleurum has shown itself to have many anti-cancer properties.
Many studies have been done, both in vitro (test tube) and in vivo (living organism) on various types of cancer demonstrating its ability to hinder cancer in multiple ways.
In the test tube, Chai Hu Bupleurum root was able to kill living cancer cells, including lung adenocarcinoma, as well as breast, colon, liver and ovarian cancer.4, 5, 6, 7
Extracts of Chai Hu Bupleurum, specifically from the variety B. scorzonerifolium, showed a dose-dependent ability to stop tumor cell growth of lung adenocarcinoma into surrounding tissues through apoptosis, which is the normal process a cell undertakes from life to death.8, 9, 10
Gastric ulcers were induced in animals. The active ingredients in Chai Hu Bupleurum were found to reduce the effect of these ulcers and increase healing rates. In fact, the effects of these active ingredients were comparable to sucralfate, which is a prescription medication used to treat peptic ulcer disease.1, 11, 12, 13
What’s also extremely interesting is that an ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Chai Hu Bupleurum root were discovered to have an anti- H. pylori action. H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori) is a stomach bacteria known to cause inflammation of the inner lining of the stomach (gastritis).14 H. pylori is also known to be a major cause of peptic ulcer disease, and also has been linked in the development of stomach cancer.
Sources
Cheng YL, Lee SC, Lin SZ, et al. Anti-proliferative activity of Bupleurum scrozonerifolium in A549 human lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Cancer Lett . 2005;222(2):183-193.
Hsu YL, Kuo PL, Weng TC, Yen MH, Chiang LC, Lin CC. The antiproliferative activity of saponin-enriched fraction from Bupleurum Kaoi is through Fas-dependent apoptotic pathway in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. Biol Pharm Bull . 2004;27(7):1112-1115.
Kang SJ, Lee YJ, Kim BM, et al. Effect of Bupleuri Radix extracts on the toxicity of 5-fluorouracil in HepG2 hepatoma cells and normal human lymphocytes. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol . 2008;103(4):305-313.
Gu LY, Chen Z, Zhao J, Ruan XJ, Zhao SY, Gao H. Antioxidant, anticancer and apoptotic effects of the Bupleurum chinense root extract in HO-8910 ovarian cancer cells. J B.U.O.N. 2015 Sep-Oct;20(5):1341-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26537084
Cheng YL, Lee SC, Lin SZ, et al. Anti-proliferative activity of Bupleurum scrozonerifolium in A549 human lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Cancer Lett . 2005;222(2):183-193.
Cheng YL, Chang WL, Lee SC, et al. Acetone extract of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium inhibits proliferation of A549 human lung cancer cells via inducing apoptosis and suppressing telomerase activity. Life Sci . 2003;73(18):2383-2394.
Chen YL, Lin SZ, Chang JY, et al. In vitro and in vivo studies of a novel potential anticancer agent of isochaihulactone on human lung cancer A549 cells. Biochem Pharmacol . 2006;72(3):308-319.