Vernonia amygdalina
| Vernonia amygdalina | |
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V. amygdalina
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| Binomial name | |
| Vernonia amygdalina |
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Vernonia amygdalina, a member of the Asteraceae family, is a small shrub that grows in tropical Africa. V. amygdalina typically grows to a height of 2–5 m (6.6–16.4 ft). The leaves are elliptical and up to 20 cm (7.9 in) long. Its bark is rough.[1] V. amygdalina is commonly called bitter leaf in English because of its bitter taste. The cooked leaves are a staple vegetable in soups and stews of various cultures throughout equatorial Africa. African common names include grawa (Amharic), ewuro (Yoruba), etidot (Ibibio), onugbu (Igbo), ityuna (Tiv), oriwo (Edo), chusar-doki (Hausa), mululuza (Luganda), labwori (Acholi), olusia (Luo), and ndoleh (Cameroon).[2][3]
Contents
Zoopharmacology
In the wild, chimpanzees have been observed to ingest the leaves when suffering from parasitic infections.[4]
Research on extracts and chemical constituents
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Vernonia amygdalina extracts and isolated chemical constituents have been studied for their potential pharmacological effects, including:
- Induction of apoptosis as determined in cell culture and animal studies.[5][6]
- Enhanced chemotherapy sensitivity - V. amygdalina extracts may render cancerous cells to be more sensitive to chemotherapy.[5]
- Inhibition of the growth or growth signals of cancerous cells.[7][8][9][10]
- Suppression of metastasis of cancerous cells in the body by the inhibition of NFҡB is an anti-apoptotic transcription factors as demonstrated in animal studies.[6]
- Reduction of estrogen level in the body by the suppression of aromatase activity.[11] The involvement of blood estrogen level in the etiology of estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer has been widely reported.[12] Additional source of estrogen production in humans besides the ovary and adrenal gland is the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in a reaction catalyzed by aromatase. Many studies have shown positive correlations between blood estrogen levels and breast cancer risks.[12] Therefore, compounds that inhibit aromatase activity are used for the treatment of breast cancer.
- Antioxidants - V. amygdalina may provide anti-oxidant benefits.[13]
- Enhancement of the immune system - Many studies have shown that V. amygdalina extracts may strengthen the immune system through many cytokines (including NFҡB, pro inflammatory molecule) regulation.[5]
- Studies conducted using streptozotocin-induced diabetic laboratory animals showed that V. amygdalina administration decreased blood glucose by 50% compared to untreated diabetic animals.[14]
- Extracts of V. amygdalina possess in vitro anthelminthic anti-parasitic properties.[15]
- In a preliminary clinical trial, a decoction of 25 g fresh leaves of V. amygdalina was 67% effective in creating an adequate clinical response in African patients with mild falciparum malaria.[16] Of these 32% had complete parasite clearance, but 71% of subjects had recurrence of symptoms.
References
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