Hygiena 2013, 58(2):86-89 | DOI: 10.21101/hygiena.a0970
The Significance and Use of Natural Substances in Cancer Therapy
- Univerzita Karlova, Lékařská fakulta v Plzni, Ústav hygieny a preventivní medicíny, Plzeň
Traditional folk medicine offers a wealth of knowledge concerning the favourable effects of certain plant extracts in the prevention of cancer, tumours and as adjuvants to therapy. Current pharmacological research is intensively concerned with evaluation of phytochemical substances, as related to known molecular mechanisms, selection of incipient and evolved tumours and with focus on those natural substances that influence complex changes in the process sof carcinogenesis. Several thousand samples of plant substances were selected, stored and tested for their possible use in cancer therapy. Existing results confirm the advancement of this research concept. Certain phytochemicals such as epigalloepicatechingallates, resveratrols, curcumins, sulphoraphan, isoflavonoids, lycopen, AHCC have been successfully applied in the prevention of cancer and as an adjuvant during standard therapy. The isolation of a remedial agent of plant origin is expected in future.
Keywords: oncological diseases, disease prevention, natural substances
Received: February 2012; Accepted: October 17, 2012; Published: June 1, 2013 Show citation
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