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Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Medicinal plants fight v. cancer
By Henrylito D. Tacio
THE dreaded cancer is still one of the leading causes of deaths among Filipinos. In 1998, the cancer registry of the Department of Health (DOH) estimates some 71,5000 people were afflicted with the dreaded disease. The International Agency for Research on Cancer in France reports that six million people died of cancer in 2000. The number of cancer deaths will rise to 10 million by 2020 and 16 million by 2050.
Despite better screening, more effective drugs and improved surgical procedures, the number of cancer deaths in the Philippines is still increasing. "There is still a lack of facilities and information for early detection and prevention," explains Edna Amor-Bello, deputy executive of the Philippine Cancer Society (PCS). "Sometimes, intervention is too late because patients put up with the symptoms instead of seeking treatment."
Cancer comes from the Greek word "karkinos," which means "the crab." Medical science says cancer is a group of diseases exhibiting uncontrolled cell growth and tumor development. A tumor is an abnormal mass of new tissue growth that can compress, invade and destroy nearby tissues. The most common locations of cancer are in the breast, ovary, uterus, prostate, colon, rectum, and lungs.
"What makes cancer very dangerous is that if not detected early and treated promptly, cancer cells have the capability of spreading not only by direct infiltration of the immediate surrounding area, but also transfer and grow in distant areas by passing through the blood stream and the lymphatic system," points out Dr. Tranqulino Elicaņo, Jr. of the Cancer Foundation of the Philippines.
Records show that many Filipinos who cannot afford the expensive forms of treatment succumbed to and died of cancer. Other records also show that many poor and cancer-stricken Filipinos seek alternative and cheapest form of treatment, that is, with quack doctors or more popularly known as the herbolarios.
"The herbolarios' treatment tools -- the leaves, stems, roots, barks, and branches of plants, and the procedures -- tapal a Filipino term that means to cover, in some ways give temporary relief to the recurring pains brought about by the disease," writes Jowi Carteciano in an article circulated by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). "This temporary comfort somehow prolongs the life of the cancer-stricken person."
Unfortunately, the stigma attached to the treatment tools and procedures of the herbolarios remains as advancements in the fields of medical and pharmaceutical sciences propels.
Fortunately, there are some researchers and scientists who believe that the treatment tools of herbolarios are as effective as ever. Take the case of Dr. Gerard L. Penecilla, a pharmaceutical scientist of the National Research Council of the Philippines, a DoST attached agency. He thinks that herbolarios may offer sufficient knowledge and experience in the use of local and indigenous plant products in treating diseases such as cancer and tumor.
To get to know first hand information, Dr. Penecilla interviewed 28 prominent herbolarios in Iloilo City and nearby provinces) as subjects of his research. These herbolarios provided him a total 79 species of plants they are using in treating cancer and tumor -- two of these are very popular, the "banaba" (known in the science world as "Lagerstroemia speciosa") and "tsaang gubat" ("Carmona retusa").
Aside from the data provided by the herbolarios, Dr. Penacilla also used existing documents that show the efficacy of the 79 species of plants in treating diseases and ailments.
In screening for anticancer efficacy of the 79 species of plants, Dr. Penecilla used a laboratory technique called "yeast bioassay technique" also known as microtiter assay. This technique is commonly used to determine the various medicinal properties of the plants. "This is the first time that this technique is used in determining the anticancer potential of medicinal plants," reports Carteciano.
Dr. David G.I. Kingston of the Natural Products Laboratory (Virginia Tech and SmithKline France) and the Unesco Biotechnology Council in France provided Dr. Penecilla the procedures in using the technique in determining the anticancer potentials of medicinal plants.
Of the 79 species of plants used by herbolarios in treating cancer and tumor only two species shows positive with anticancer activity to tumor and cancer cells.
The liquid solution (extract) that comes out from the pounded "banaba" leaves and bark is very popular in treating kidney troubles and serve as antidiuretic. On the other hand, the leaves extract of "tsaang gubat" is commonly used as tea or tonic drink to treat stomach ailments and very popular as antibacteria. With microtiter assay technique both are found to have high potential in fighting the growth and multiplication activity of cancer cells.
A dosage of 30 ug/ml of "banaba" bark extract is efficient to counter cancer cells. The test further noted that it would take about a dosage of 5 ug/ml to be economically feasible for pharmaceutical companies in producing anticancer medicine. Dr. Penecilla recommended more chemical and structure-activity-relationships to reach the said level.
(October 15, 2003 issue)
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