Friday, May 17, 2013

Anti-Cancer herbs


Anti-Cancer herbs
Latin Name
Common name
Uses

Acacia arabica

Babul Tree, Kikar
Decoction of bark is an astringent lotion for ulcers, cancerous and syphilitic affections; used as a gargle and mouth wash in relaxed sore throat and spongy gums; infusion of the astringent pods is used in diseases of the mucous membranes, sores of mouth and for healing syphilitic ulcers

Ageretum conzyoides

Goat weed, Ajgandha, Sahadevi
Flowers anti-cancer; Leaves treat tumours, piles, uterine disorder, leprosy; leaves also styptic and anti-tetanus; roots antilithic for kidney stone

Annona squamosa

Custard Apple, Sharifa
Leaves and fruits good anti-cancer activity; treats malignant tumours and ulcers; bark yields  tonic, and the seeds, fruits and leaves contain the alkaloid annoine

Anogeissus latifolia

Bakla
Cancer on face, skin diseases, carbuncle, leukoderma (whole plant); gum used as postnatal tonic

Bauhinia variegata

Variegated Bauhinia, Kachnar
Decoction of stem and root bark is used in ulcers, scrofulous tumours, syphilis, leprosy and other skin diseases; an emulsion of the bark made by triturating it with rice water is recommended with the addition of ginger in scrofulous enlargement of glands of the neck; bark, flowers, and root, well rubbed in rice water, are used as poultice for promoting suppuration; a paste of the bark with dried ginger is used as a cataplasm for scrofulous tumours; decoction of root is given in flatulence and also acts as an anti-fat remedy and is therefore very suitable for corpulent persons

Berberis aristata

B. asiatica

Indian barberry, Daru-Haldi, Chitra, Kingora, Rasot
Good biological activity for anti-cancer, and also used for indolent ulcers, gastric and duodenal ulcers; also hypoglycaemic, blood purifier, alterative, tonic; the chief constituent of  the extract from stem, branches and root (extract popularly known as rasot) is the bitter alkaloid berberine

Boswellia serrata

Indian Frankincense, Indian olibanum, Kundri, Guggal-Salai
Oleoresin gum with good anti-cancer activity; other properties described under Anti-obesity Herbs

Calotropis gigantea;

 

C. procera

Swallow-Wart, Madar, Safed Aak;
Aak
Anti-cancer, anti-viral, antiseptic; also cures epilepsy, tetanus, paralysis of tongue, asthma, leprosy, skin diseases and ulcers (whole plant and latex)

Cassia fistula

Golden Shower, Amaltas
Good anti-cancer, anti-viral and antiseptic properties; also blood purifier and refreshing tonic; cures asthma, blindness, chest infections, epilepsy, leprosy, syphilis, liver complications, gargle reduces swelling of throat (leaves, flowers, fruits, stem bark and roots); best remedy for throat cancer

Catheranthus roseum

(= Vinca rosea)

Periwinkle, Sadabahar, Nayantara
Proven medicinal importance owing to presence of indole alkaloids rambasin, ajmalcine andserpentine, reserpine in roots and of vincristine, vinblastine andvindoline (VLB alkaloids in leaves); vincristine used in treatment of acute leukaemia including lymphocyte leukaemia; vincalenkoblastine used in treatment of Hodgkin’s disease & leuroscristine for breast cancer; also for treating malignant lymphoma; Combinations of leaf alkaloids used in multiple drug cancer therapy; root alkaloids are hypotensive, sedative, tranquillising and antifibrillic; leaves are anti-diabetic and diaphoretic

Hygrophila auriculata

Talmakhana
Anti-cancer, tonic, aphrodisiac, cures impotency, jaundice, body pain

Momordica charantia

Bitter gourd, Bitter melon,Karela
MAP 30, a 30 kDa basic protein from the bitter melon fruit or seed is useful in treating HIV infection and cancer; Momordica charantia is a medicinal plant  whose edible fruits and seeds have been used for centuries in Southeast Asia as anti-infection and anti-tumor agents; other properties described under Anti-AIDS Herbs and Anti-Diabetic Herbs

Moringa oleifera

Ben Tree, Drumstick Tree, Sonjana, Sainga
Anticancer activity; reduces inflammatory tumours and swellings (root); nervous debility, epilepsy, spasmodic disorders, hysteria and as cardiac stimulant and diuretic (leaves, stem and root); flowers boiled with milk used as aphrodisiac; seed treats venereal diseases; stem bark contains alkaloids allied toephedrine

Nerium indicum

Oleander, Kaner
Leaves are used externally as powerful resolvent and attenuant, especially for dispersing or absorbing a tumour, or other lesion; decoction of leaves used externally for reducing swellings; paste of root (in water) locally applied to chancres, ulcers, and root decoction used for reducing inflammatory swellings; oil extracted from root bark is locally used to treat skin diseases such as eczema, impetigo and other diseases of scaly nature and leprosy; leaves contain the glucoside nerrin and oleandrin; root contains bitter principlesneridorin and neriodorein

Shorea robusta

Sal Tree, Sal, Salwa
Aromatic oleo-resin gum exuded from stem used to cure cancer, tumour, tubercles, carbuncle, skin infections, syphilis and gonorrhoea; also used as aphrodisiac and stimulant

Trianthema monogyna

Spreading Hogweed, Saanthi


Whole plant with good anti-cancer activity

Viola odorata

Sweet Violet, Banaf  Shah
This plant is the well-known Banaf-Shah of Hakims; fresh leaves and flowers are a reputed drug for the treatment of cancer, both internally and externally; they are of great value for curing and relieving pain due to cancerous growth, especially in the throat and cancer of the tongue; flowers are useful in epilepsy, nervous disorders, kidney diseases, liver disorders and bilious affections

Woodfordia fructicosa

Jali, Dhai Phool, Dhayanti Phool,
Edible flowers anti-cancer and cooling tonic; also cure ulcers, syphilis, skin diseases, bilious sickness and night blindness

Xanthium strumarium

Cochlebur, Bur-Weed, Shankeswar, Chhota Gokhru
Root and its glucosidexanthostrumarin are useful in cancer and scrofula; seeds used for resolving ulcers and inflammatory swellings; fruits used as cooling, sedative, diuretic, diaphoretic tonic

Other Anti-cancer herbs:

Allium sativum (Garlic): described under General Tonic Herbs

Centella asiatica (Pennywort, Bramhi): described under Brain Tonic Herbs

Curcuma longa (Turmeric ): remarkable anti-cancer property; described under General Tonic Herbs
Ficus glomerata (Fig Tree): Bark for ulcers and cancerous affections; described under Anti-diabetic Herbs
Mucuna prurita (Cowhage, kavatch, Goncha): described underAphrodisiac Herbs
Syzygium cumini (Black Plum, Jamun): described under Anti-diabetic Herbs

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