A gyógyszeripar szőnyeg alá söpört titkai: Apigenin és gyógygomba kivonatok a klinikai kísérletek tükrében (1.rész)
Magyar gyakorlati felismerésnek számít, hogy az apigeninre standardizált flavonoidok jelentősen növelhetik a gyógygomba kivonatok hatékonyságát. Az apigenin eredményességét Németországban végzett klinikai kísérlet is alátámasztja. Bélpolippal, ill. bélrákkal operált rákbetegeknél az apigenin kivonat hosszú távú alkalmazásával a betegség visszatérésének az aránya 7%- volt, azoknál, akiket nem kezeltek apigenin kivonattal, ez az arány 47%. Ezt az eredmény jellemzően sehol sem hozzák az érintettek tudomására és talán ez lehet a gyógyszeripar egyik legnagyobb titka, hiszen az apigenin flavonoid levédhetetlensége miatt, gyógyszerré soha nem fogják nyilvánítani.
Jelenleg a jogszabályok olyan szigorúvá váltak, hogy az apigenin hatékonyságának intézményes és tudatos titkolásáról beszélhetünk, ami nyilvánvalóan nem a rászoruló betegek érdekeit szolgálják. Ezért már az is kérdéses, hogy az eredeti klinikai kísérlet tudományos szakfolyóiratban történt publikációjára történő linkelésemmel alább nem merítem e ki a jogszabálysértés fogalmát. Ha az EU törvényhozás valóban a betegek érdekeit szolgálja, akkor sokkal körültekintőbben kellene eljárnia.
Sok szempontból érthetetlen, miért nem szabad az apigenin kiemelkedő eredményességéről beszélni súlyos betegségeknél, hiszen kísérletileg azt is kimutatták, hogy a kemoterápiás gyógyszerek hatékonyságát, azaz jótékony hatását az apigenin alkalmazásával minden valószínűség szerint növelni lehet. A 2. link erre a tudományos eredményre világít rá.
Az apigenin azonban nem csak a rákmegelőzésben és az aktív rákterápiában kaphat szerepet, hanem sok más betegség esetén is célravezető lehet alkalmazása.
Klinikai kísérletben kimutatták azt is, hogy az apigeninre standardizált kamillavirág kivonat antidepresszáns hatással rendelkezik. Erről a 3. linkben olvashatnak az érdeklődők. Az antidepresszáns gyógyszerek óriási üzletet jelentenek a gyógyszeripar számára, ezért nyilván megtesznek mindent azért, hogy más hatékony eszközökről szóló beszámolókat eltitkoljanak. A legnagyobb probléma azonban abban rejlik, hogy az antidepresszáns gyógyszerek egyik legjelentősebb mellékhatása az elhízás és a cukorbetegség kialakulásának az elősegítése. Sokáig ezeket a mellékhatásokat fel sem tüntették a gyógyszerek tájékoztatóiban. Ez nem meglepő, hiszen a gyógyszeripar egyik legnagyobb fegyvere a hallgatás vagy elhallgattatás: ha lehet, hallgatni a súlyos mellékhatásokról, vagy ha ez már tarthatatlan, elhallgatni más hatékony gyógymódokat.
Az apigeninnek számos más jótékony hatását is vizsgálják a kutató orvosok. Kimutatták, hogy a kivonat megakadályozza a bőr gombás fertőzését. Ez arra mutat rá, hogy az apigenin kivonat alkalmas lehet arra, hogy krémbe keverve és a bőrfelületen alkalmazva segítsen a bőr gombás fertőzésének a megszüntetésében. Nem csak a gyógygombák rendlelkeznek antifungális, azaz gombásodás ellenes tulajdonsággal, hanem az apigenin is. Erről a 4. link segítségével tudhatunk meg többet.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18407592
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22216199
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22894890
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24708558
2008 Apr 14;14(14):2187-93.
Prospective cohort comparison of flavonoid treatment in patients with resected colorectal cancer to prevent recurrence.
Hoensch H1, Groh B, Edler L, Kirch W.
Abstract
AIM:
To investigate biological prevention with flavonoids the recurrence risk of neoplasia was studied in patients with resected colorectal cancer and after adenoma polypectomy.
METHODS:
Eighty-seven patients, 36 patients with resected colon cancer and 51 patients after polypectomy, were divided into 2 groups: one group was treated with a flavonoid mixture (daily standard dose 20 mg apigenin and 20 mg epigallocathechin-gallat, n = 31) and compared with a matched control group (n = 56). Both groups were observed for 3-4 years by surveillance colonoscopy and by questionnaire.
RESULTS:
Of 87 patients enrolled in this study, 36 had resected colon cancer and 29 of these patients had surveillance colonoscopy. Among the flavonoid-treated patients with resected colon cancer (n = 14), there was no cancer recurrence and one adenoma developed. In contrast the cancer recurrence rate of the 15 matched untreated controls was 20% (3 of 15) and adenomas evolved in 4 of those patients (27%). The combined recurrence rate for neoplasia was 7% (1 of 14) in the treated patients and 47% (7 of 15) in the controls (P = 0.027).
CONCLUSION:
Sustained long-term treatment with a flavonoid mixture could reduce the recurrence rate of colon neoplasia in patients with resected colon cancer.
PLoS One. 2011;6(12):e29169. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029169. Epub 2011 Dec 21.
Synergistic effects of apigenin and paclitaxel on apoptosis of cancer cells.
Xu Y1, Xin Y, Diao Y, Lu C, Fu J, Luo L, Yin Z.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
It was well known that the clinical use of chemotherapeutic drugs is restricted by severe adverse reactions and drug resistances. Thus it is necessary to figure out a strategy to increase the specific anti-tumor efficiency of chemotherapeutic drugs. Apigenin, a kind of flavonoids, has been reported to possess anticancer activities with very low cytotoxicity to normal tissue.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:
Our results from cell viability assay, western-blots and TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay demonstrated the synergistic pro-apoptotic effects of a low dose of apigenin and paclitaxel in human cancer cell lines. To analyze the underlying mechanism, we examined reactive oxygen species (ROS) staining after cells were treated with a combination of apigenin and paclitaxel, or each of them alone. Data from flow-cytometry showed that superoxides but not reduction of peroxides accumulated in HeLa cells treated with apigenin or a combination of apigenin and paclitaxel. Apigenin and paclitaxel-induced HeLa cell apoptosis was related to the level of ROS in cells. We further evaluated activity and protein level of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Apigenin significantly inhibited SOD activity but did not alter the SOD protein level suggesting that apigenin promoted ROS accumulation through suppressing enzyme activity of SOD. Addition of Zn(2+), Cu(2+) and Mn(2+) to cell lysates inhibited apigenin's effects on SOD activity. At the same time, data from caspase-2 over-expression and knocked-down experiments demonstrated that caspase-2 participated in apigenin and paclitaxel-induced HeLa cell apoptosis.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:
Taken together, our study demonstrated that apigenin can sensitize cancer cells to paclitaxel induced apoptosis through suppressing SOD activity, which then led to accumulation of ROS and cleavage of caspase-2, suggesting that the combined use of apigenin and paclitaxel was an effective way to decrease the dose of paclitaxel taken.
© 2011 Xu et al.
Altern Ther Health Med. 2012 Sep-Oct;18(5):44-9.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) may provide antidepressant activity in anxious, depressed humans: an exploratory study.
Amsterdam JD1, Shults J, Soeller I, Mao JJ, Rockwell K, Newberg AB.
Abstract
CONTEXT:
Anxiety and depression are the most commonly reported psychiatric conditions and frequently occur as comorbid disorders. While the advent of conventional drug therapies has simplified treatment, a large segment of the population goes untreated or declines conventional therapy for financial, cultural, or personal reasons. Therefore, the identification of inexpensive and effective alternative therapies for anxiety and depression is of relevance to public health.
OBJECTIVE:
The current study explores data from a 2009 clinical chamomile trial in humans to determine if chamomile provides clinically meaningful antidepressant activity versus a placebo.
DESIGN:
In the 2009 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the research team examined the antianxiety and antidepressant action of oral chamomile (Matricaria recutita) extract in participants with symptoms of comorbid anxiety and depression.
SETTING:
In the 2009 study, all of participants' evaluations took place at the Depression Research Unit at the University of Pennsylvania. The study drew participants from patients at the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health's primary care clinic at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
PARTICIPANTS:
Of the 57 participants in the 2009 trial, 19 had anxiety with comorbid depression; 16 had anxiety with a past history of depression; and 22 had anxiety with no current or past depression.
INTERVENTION:
The intervention and placebo groups in the 2009 trial received identically appearing 220-mg capsules containing either pharmaceutical-grade chamomile extract standardized to a content of 1.2% apigenin or a placebo (ie, lactose monohydrate NF), respectively.
OUTCOME MEASURES:
In the current study, the research team used generalized estimating equations analysis to identify clinically meaningful changes over time in scores from the Hamilton Depression Rating (HAM-D) questionnaire among treatment groups.
RESULTS:
In the current study, the research team observed a significantly greater reduction over time in total HAM-D scores for chamomile vs placebo in all participants (P < .05). The team also observed a clinically meaningful but nonsignificant trend for a greater reduction in total HAM-D scores for chamomile vs placebo in participants with current comorbid depression (P = .062). When the team examined the HAM-D core mood item scores, it observed a significantly greater reduction over time for chamomile vs placebo in all participants (P < .05) and a clinically meaningful but nonsignificant trend for a greater reduction over time for chamomile vs placebo in participants without current or past depression (P = .06).
CONCLUSION:
Chamomile may provide clinically meaningful antidepressant activity that occurs in addition to its previously observed anxiolytic activity.
Mycoses. 2014 Apr 8. doi: 10.1111/myc.12188. [Epub ahead of print]
Treatment of dermatophytosis by a new antifungal agent 'apigenin'
- 1Laboratory of Plant Tissue Culture and Secondary Metabolites, Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Rajasthan, India.
Abstract
Dermatophytes are the most common causative agents of cutaneous mycosis and remain a major public health problem in spite of the availability of an increasing number of antifungal drugs. It was, therefore considered necessary to pursue the screening of different extracts (compounds) of selected traditional medicinal plants reportedly having antidermatophyte potential. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify specific compound from the most active extract (free flavonoid) of stem of Terminalia chebula of the selected plants to treat dermatophytosis induced on experimental mice. Mice which were experimentally induced with Trichophyton mentagrophytes were grouped in six of five animals each. To treat the lesions on infected mice, two concentrations of isolated apigenin ointment, i.e. 2.5 mg g-1 (Api I) and 5 mg g-1 (Api II), and terbinafine (standard) of concentration 5 mg g-1 were used. Complete recovery from the infection was recorded on 12th day of treatment for reference drug Terbinafine and Api II (5 mg g-1 ) concentration of ointment, whereas Api I (2.5 mg g-1 ) ointment showed complete cure on 16th day of treatment. Fungal burden was also calculated by culturing skin scraping from infected mice's of different groups. Apigenin has shown potency as the infected animals recover completely by Api II comparable to the standard drug in 12th day. So Apigenin can be explored as an antifungal agent in the clinical treatment of dermatophytosis in future.
© 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
