Botanicals, Herbs, Cancer, Arum palaestinum

(black calla), Curcuma longa, Turmeric, Vanilla

Ancient Herbs: Potential Cancer Treatment in a New Clinical Trial

By

Paul Richard Saunders, PhD, ND, DHANP

Arum palaestinum (Black Calla), Curcuma longa or turmeric, garlic (Allium sativum) and vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) and have long been used in traditional medical systems for a variety of clinical conditions. In this article we will explore recent research that suggests, when used in combination, these plants offer a promising cancer treatment based on cell and animal data. In fact, so promising that they are now being trusted in human trials.

Arum palaestinum is a member of the Araceae family whose closest North American relative is Jack-in-the-Pulpit (A. triphyllum). It has a dark purple spathe arising from a red spadix and long green leaves. The fruit, in which its seeds are contained, is a brilliant red. It is native to the Mediterranean basin but has been naturalized in North America, North Africa, Europe, Western Asia, and Australia. It can be an irritant to mucous membranes, but when properly prepared the leaves are often consumed as food with lemon and flat bread or bulgur. Its traditional uses are multiple, including cancer, worms, kidney stones, skin sores, rheumatism, tuberculosis, diarrhea, and cough among others. In a 2008 article Arum was reported to be consumed by over half of the residents of the West Bank of the Dead Sea.¹ Its active constituents include some 180 compounds of which isovanillin, linolenic acid, and beta-sitosterol have been the focus of considerable research.²

Curcuma longa is a member of the Zingiberaceae family. The other well-known member is common ginger or Zingiber officinale. Both species are native to India, but they can be found growing in China, Japan, and India as well as Polynesia and Micronesia, presumably spread by trade and human travel. Turmeric is a large perennial plant from which the root is harvested after 7-10 months of growth. The root is used fresh, boiled, or can be dried and ground where it provides both color and a bitter-peppery flavor to curry dishes and related spices and seasonings. The research on turmeric is extensive and was prompted by its extensive use in Ayurvedic, Siddha, traditional Chinese, and Unani medicines.³ Its constituents include curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin and thirty-four essential oils, including tumerone, atlantone and zingiberene.^4,5 The bulk of the research points to its potential as an anti-inflammatory to reduce the risk or treat cancer as well as in osteoarthritis, ulcerative colitis, H. pylori infections, cataracts, and cardiovascular disease prevention.³

Allium sativum is a member of the Amaryllidaceae family. Garlic is native to central Asia and northeastern Iran; but as a result of trade and travel and widespread culinary use, it is planted the world over. Left on its own, garlic will naturalize and grow in the wild as a common weed. Its use in medicine probably began in China thousands of years ago. It contains small amounts of the B-complex vitamins and at least nine nutritive minerals.⁶ Garlic has been researched for it use in cardiovascular disease prevention,⁷ cancer,⁸ and the common cold.⁹ The constituents of garlic include alliin, ajoene, diallyl polysulfides, S-allylcysteine, saponins, and flavonoids.¹⁰ When garlic is consumed, the sulfur containing compounds are metabolized into allyl methyl sulfide (AMS). Humans cannot digest AMS, so it is carried into the bloodstream, lungs, and skin from which it is excreted over several hours as the famous “garlic breath” and “garlic sweat.”¹¹

Vanilla planifolia or common vanilla is a vine and a member of the Orchidaceae family. It is the second most expensive spice after saffron (Crocus sativus). It was brought to Spain by the conqueror of the Aztecs, Don Hernan Cortes. Vanilla essence is extracted from the seedpod, contains several hundred compounds, including vanillin, which was synthesized in 1874.¹² Vanilla can lower cholesterol, contains antioxidants, calms and relieves stress, aids digestions, and may protect diabetic kidneys.¹³

Peganum harmala or Syrian rue is a member of the Nitrariaceae family and a source of harmala. The harmala alkaloids may increase serotonin and norepinephrine, and have been shown to be cytotoxic to multiple cancer cell lines. It does this by inhibiting angiogenesis, reducing expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, and inhibiting nuclear factor-K-beta, cAMP, and activating transcription factor-2.^14,15

Beta-sitosterol is a plant sterol similar in structure to cholesterol. It is found in many plants such as vegetable oils, nuts, and avocados.¹⁶ Beta-sitosterol has been investigated in benign prostatic hyperplasia where it was found to improve urinary symptoms and urinary flow.¹⁷

Jacob Schor said he’d try to get a better picture in January 3 email.

I haven’t seen it though.

Dr Gene Zaid,

founder of Hyatt Life Sciences that developed the product being researched

Hyatt Life Sciences Herbal Research

Dr. Gene Zaid, founder of Hyatt Life Sciences, is now a very successful chemist with over 50 patents despite the fact that his life began in a Palestine refugee camp. He founded JACAM Chemical Company in his family garage in 1982 and later sold the chemical company and decided to invest in the use of plants from his native land to help people. Hyatt Life Sciences is a research-based company that produces both over–the-counter products and pharmaceutical grade products for serious health conditions such as cancer. Zaid’s company has developed products using concentrated forms of the above ingredients that are called Afaya Plus and GZ17. The latter has been shown to significantly reduce both prostate cancer cell number in vitro and when implanted in mice.² GZ17 has also shown effect on breast cancer MCF7 and lymphoblastic leukemia 1301 cell lines. The GZ17-6.02 version has shown significant effect against head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, patient derived xenografts, and mouse syngeneic tumors in vivo.¹⁸ In an open label phase I trial that began in March 2019, GZ17-6.02 is given to patients with advanced solid tumors and lymphoma.¹⁹ The trial is expected to be completed in August 2020.

In summary, six plants or constituents of plants from Palestine and the Middle East have been combined in such a way that they have shown benefit against prostate cancer, lymphoblastic leukemia, a breast cancer cell line, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. An advanced form of that product is now being using in a phase I clinical trail in patients with advanced solid tumors and lymphoma. The future for plants in the treatment of cancer looks bright indeed.

References

1. Ali-Shateyah MS, et al. Traditional knowledge of edible wild plants used in Palestine (northern west bank): a comparative study. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2008;4(1):13. doi: 10-1186/1746-4269-4-13.

2. Cole C, et al. 2015. Arum palaestinum with isovanillin, linolenic acid and beta-sitosterol inhibits prostate cancer spheroids and reduces growth rate of prostate tumors in mice. BMC Comp Alt Med. 2015;15:264. doi:10.1186/s12906-015-0774-5.

3. Chattopadhyay I, et al. Turmeric and curcumin: biological actions and medicinal applications. Curr Sci. 2004;87(1):44-53.

4. Hong SL, et al. Essential oil content of the rhizome of Curcuma purpurascens BI (Temu Tis) and its antiproliferative effect on selected human carcinoma cell lines. Sci World J. 2014:397430. doi: 10.1155/2014/397430.

5. Tayyem RF, et al. Curcumin content of turmeric and curry powders. Nutr Cancer. 2006;55(2):126-131.

6. USDA. 2019. Garlic, raw Food Data Central. FDC ID: 169230. NDB 11215.

7. Ramawat JM, Me’rillon JM. Garlic and cardiovascular diseases. In: Natural Products. Springer-Verlag, Berlin;2013; Chapter 21.

8. Zhou XF, Ding ZF, Liu NB. Allium vegetables and risk of prostate cancer: evidence from 132,192 subjects. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;14(7):4131-4134.

9. Allan GM, Arroll B. Prevention and treatment of the common cold: making sense of the evidence. Can Med Assoc J. 2014;186(3):190-199.

10. MacPherson LJ, et al. The pungency of garlic: activiation of TRPA1 and TRPV1 in response to Allicin. Curr Biol. 2005;15(10:929-934.

11. Block E. Garlic and other alliums: the lore and the science. Royal Society of Chemistry. 2010;p.434.

12. Bomgardner MM. The problem with vanilla. Chem Eng News. 2016;94(36):38-42.

13. Tong Y, et al. Ethyl vanillin protects against kidney injury in diabetic nephropathy by inhibits oxidative stress and apoptosis. Oxid Med Cell Lonev. November 12, 2019:2129350.

14. Jahaniani F, et al. Xanthomicrol is the main cytotoxic component of Dracocephalum kotschyii and a potential anti-cancer agent. Phytochem. 2005;66(13):1581-1592.

15. Moloudizargari M, et al. Pharmacological and therapeutic effects of Peganum harmala and its main alkaloids. Pharnacogn Rev. 2013;7(14):199-212.

16. USDA. Nutrition data: foods highest in beta-sistosterol per 200 calorie serving. 2014.

17. Wilt TJ, et al. Beta-sitosterols for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cochrane Syst Rev. 1999.

18. Vishwakarma V, et al. Potent antitumor effects of a combination of three nutraceutical compounds. Sci Report. 2018;8:12163.

19. Wright C. A phase I, multicenter. open label, dose escalation, safety, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic study of GZ17-6.02 given orally on a daily x28 day schedule in advanced solid tumors or lymphoma. ClinicalTrials.gov. 2019.