Traditional & Alternative Medicine

Biography

Biography: Shanthi P

Abstract

The siddha system of medicine is one of the oldest traditional systems of medicine, generated from Dravidian culture in Southern India. It is perhaps the foremost of all medical systems in the world and its definition is the conquest of death: “that which ensures prevention against mortality”. Semecarpus anacardium Linn. (Anacardiacae) commonly known as “marking nut” has high priority of use in the indigenous systems of medicine against various ailments. TLC, HPLC and HPTLC analyses have confirmed the presence of trihydroxyflavone, semecarpol, anacardoside and bhilawanols as chief constituents in the drug. Toxicity studies have revealed that the drug is non-toxic. With an increase in breast cancer incidences in India there is a surge in the screening of effective herbal drugs with minimal side effects. We have demonstrated the therapeutic effect of the drug SA in a DMBA induced experimental murine mammary carcinoma model as well as mammary carcinoma cell lines in vitro. The drug, by means of its strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti angiogenic, pro-apoptotic and membrane stabilizing properties, has a potent chemotherapeutic effect. SA restored deranged energy metabolism (to normal) in rats with mammary cancer and suppressed the expression of proteases, glycohydrolases, hypoxic and angiogenic factors. SA was also demonstrated to exhibit an immunomodulatory effect. This drug modulated the O glycosylation of mucin and down regulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinases, thereby preventing metastasis of cancer. Thus SA holds much promise as a therapeutic agent in breast cancer. Further evaluation in triple negative breast cancer would be a potential area of research.