Since Bitter melon (Momordica charantia), also known as bitter melon, bitter gourd or bitter squash, Pavakai in Tamil, Karela in Urdu [1] that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, a family that also includes squashes, melons and gourds, arrived to America some 500 years ago, brought by African slaves without even knowing what cancer was, it has been with us exerting many health benefits and properties every time we used it as part of our diets.

Now, the University of Colorado Cancer Center published a study in the Journal of Carcinogenesis [27] that adds to the already known anti-diabetic, wound healing and anti-cancer properties of Bitter melon a new one, the ability of Bitter melon juice to fight Pancreatic cancer [26], one of the most dangerous and lethal forms of cancer.

The study, performed in mouse models, showed how Bitter melon juice exerted the property to restrict pancreatic cancer cells ability to metabolize glucose, their main source of energy, weakining them and eventually causing their natural death, something that it does naturally. Image: Bitter melon by Leslie Seaton under Creative Common license (CC BY 2.0).

MOMORDICA CHARANTIA

Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Momordica
Common name: Bitter melon, bitter gourd or bitter squash, Pavakai in Tamil, Karela (करेला) in Urdu and Hindi.

A new chemotherapy drug developed by the University of Minnesota may hold the secret key to fight pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal types of cancers, and once again it is based in a natural active constituent derived from a Chinese herb used in many traditional herbal remedies since centuries ago, Thunder God Vine (Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook).

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook (Thunder God Vine) has been used since centuries ago as part of multiple Chinese traditional herbal remedies, mainly to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, showed to be effective on the treatment of multiple cancer types.  Image: 雷公藤 by 天問 小窩 under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0).

TRIPTERIGIUM WILFORDII HOOK

Family: Celastraceae
Genus: Tripterygium
Common name: Thunder God Vine, 雷公藤, raikōtō, lei gong teng.

Plumbago zeylanica, commonly known as Chitrak, is an herbaceous plant that has been deeply researched for its anti-cancer properties, properties which are thought to be exerted due to the high content of Plumbagin, an active constituent found in Plumbago zeylanica, Juglans regia (English Walnut), Juglans cinerea (whitenut) and Juglans nigra (blacknut) [9].

Now, a group of scientists and researchers from the Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, have discovered how Plumbagin, a quinoid constituent isolated from the roots of the medicinal plant Plumbago zeylanica used in Indian and Chinese systems of medicine for more than 2,500 years for the treatment of various types of ailments [9], inhibits in vivo prostate cancer development in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate [9].

The Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, were the first ones to publish in another study in 2008 how plumbagin inhibited the growth and invasion of hormone refractory prostate cancer cells [9]. Image left: Plumbago zeylanica by Latihamba under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0).

PLUMBAGO ZEYLANICA

Family: Plumbaginaceae
Genus: Plumbago
Common name: Ceylon leadwort, Doctorbush [5,6], Chitrak.

Emblica officinalis is arguably the most important medicinal plant in the Indian traditional system of medicine, the Ayurveda [15]. The fruit also known as Indian gooseberry or Amla, has been an herbal component of Thai traditional recipes believed to slow down the aging process [1] but is also used to treat many ailments such as common cold and fever, as a diuretic, laxative, liver tonic, refrigerant, stomachic, restorative, alterative, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, hair tonic, to prevent peptic ulcer and dyspepsia, and as a digestive [16]. It is also the source of Indian Gooseberry oil and Indian Gooseberry juice. Image: Emblica officinalis by latihamba under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0).

Preclinical studies have shown some Indian gooseberry benefits. Amla possesses antipyretic, analgesic, antitussive, antiatherogenic, adaptogenic, cardioprotective, gastroprotective, antianemia, antihypercholesterolemia, wound healing, antidiarrheal, antiatherosclerotic, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and neuroprotective properties [16].

In traditional Indian medicine Ayurveda, the use of Emblica officinalis extends to all parts of the plant including the fruit, seed, leaves, root, bark and flowers are used in various herbal preparations for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, chronic diarrhea, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic [4] anti-tumor, antioxidant and analgesic [7,8,9], but how many of those properties have been scientifically founded on facts? Let's see some of them.

EMBLICA OFFICINALIS

Family: Phyllantaceae
Genus: Emblica
Common name: Indian gooseberry, Amla, Emblic, Emblic myrobalan, Malacca tree.