CAPSAICIN

CAPSAICIN FOR BREAST CANCER AND LEUKEMIA

Capsaicin was able, for example, to induce a significant growth arrest and apoptosis in human breast cancer and leukemia cancer cells in vitro [1]. In another study [2] where traditional medicinal plants were investigated for their claimed anti-cancerous properties, showed that out of 84 medicinal plants used for their anti-cancerous properties (Aloe vera, Euphorbia tirucalli, and Tabebuia impetiginosa), capsaicin was found to be one of the most recurrent molecules among all active constituents found in those herbs, together with lapachone, silibiniin, β-lapachone and plumbagin.

But breast cancer and leukemia are not the only types of cancer on which capsaicin has shown to be effective, in breast cancer capsaicin was found to inhibit cancer cell growth in caspase-3-deficient human breast cancer cells [4], and in human colon cancer colo 205 cells capsaicin was able to increase the levels of pro-apoptotic proteins. The last one where it showed also a certain effectiveness was tongue cancer cells [6].

As downside there are other studies claiming the cancerous effect of capsaicin [3], claiming that long-term topical application of capsaicin can increase skin carcinogenesis in mice.

CAPSAICIN FOR HERPES ZOSTER (SHINGLES) AND POSTHERPETIC NEURALGIA

The use of  capsaicin has also been studied in the treatment of herpes zoster (shingles) and postherpetic neuralgia. In one of the studies on the subject  capsaicin was found to be able to shorten the duration of acute herpes zoster and alleviate the pain of postherpetic neuralgia. In both cases  capsaicin cream offered moderate pain relief to patients that suffered from postherpetic neuralgia [8].

CAPSAICIN INCREASES FACIAL SKIN ELASTICITY AND PROMOTES HAIR GROWTH

In another study on the effects of capsaicin on skin elasticity, it was reported that topical application of capsaicin increases facial skin elasticity. Additionally it was also discovered that topical application of capsaicin promoted hair growth by increasing dermal insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) [9].

RESOURCES:

[1] Tumor cell growth inhibition is correlated with levels of capsaicin present in hot peppers. Dou D, Ahmad A, Yang H, Sarkar FH. Department of Pathology, Wayne State University School of Medicine and Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.

[2] Medicinal plants used as antitumor agents in Brazil: an ethnobotanical approach. de Melo JG, Santos AG, de Amorim EL, do Nascimento SC, de Albuquerque UP. Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil.

[3] The two faces of capsaicin. Bode AM, Dong Z. Authors' Affiliation: The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, Minnesota.

[4] Capsaicin may induce breast cancer cell death through apoptosis-inducing factor involving mitochondrial dysfunction. Chang HC, Chen ST, Chien SY, Kuo SJ, Tsai HT, Chen DR. Department of Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.

[5] Antitumor activity of capsaicin on human colon cancer cells in vitro and colo 205 tumor xenografts in vivo. Lu HF, Chen YL, Yang JS, Yang YY, Liu JY, Hsu SC, Lai KC, Chung JG. Department of Clinical Pathology, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.

[6] Effect of capsaicin on prostate cancer cells. Díaz-Laviada I. Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, 28871 Madrid, Spain

[7] Capsaicin induces apoptosis in SCC-4 human tongue cancer cells through mitochondria-dependent and -independent pathways. Ip SW, Lan SH, Huang AC, Yang JS, Chen YY, Huang HY, Lin ZP, Hsu YM, Yang MD, Chiu CF, Chung JG. Department of Nutrition, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan.

[8] Management strategies for herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia. Galluzzi KE. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 4190 City Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131-1633, USA.

[9] Effect of topical application of raspberry ketone on dermal production of insulin-like growth factor-I in mice and on hair growth and skin elasticity in humans.
Harada N, Okajima K, Narimatsu N, Kurihara H, Nakagata N.
Department of Translational Medical Science Research, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kawasumi 1, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.