Winters Marie
Altern Med Rev. 2006 Dec;11(4):269-77.
Withania somnifera Dunal, commonly known as ashwagandha, has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to increase longevity and vitality. Western research supports its polypharmaceutical use, confirming antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating, and antistress properties in the whole plant extract and several separate constituents. This article reviews the literature pertaining to Withania somnifera and its botanical constituents as antitumor agents and in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy treatment. Following a search of MEDLINE and EBSCO databases, it can be concluded that Withania somnifera reduces tumor cell proliferation while increasing overall animal survival time. Furthermore, it has been shown to enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy while potentially mitigating undesirable side effects. Withania somnifera also reduces the side effects of chemotherapeutic agents cyclophosphamide and paclitaxel without interfering with the tumor-reducing actions of the drugs. These effects have been demonstrated in vitro on human cancer cell lines, and in vivo on animal subjects, but there have been no human trials to date. Given its broad spectrum of cytotoxic and tumor-sensitizing actions, Withania somnifera presents itself as a novel complementary therapy for integrative oncology care.
南非醉茄，俗称冬樱花，在阿育吠陀医学中已被使用了几个世纪，用于延长寿命和增强活力。西方研究支持其多种药用用途，证实了全植物提取物和几种单独成分具有抗氧化、抗炎、免疫调节和抗应激特性。本文综述了有关南非醉茄及其植物成分作为抗肿瘤药物以及与放疗和化疗联合治疗的文献。在检索MEDLINE和EBSCO数据库后，可以得出结论，南非醉茄可减少肿瘤细胞增殖，同时延长动物总体存活时间。此外，它已被证明可增强放射治疗的效果，同时可能减轻不良副作用。南非醉茄还可降低化疗药物环磷酰胺和紫杉醇的副作用，而不干扰药物的肿瘤缩小作用。这些作用已在体外对人类癌细胞系以及在体内对动物受试者得到证实，但迄今为止尚无人体试验。鉴于其广泛的细胞毒性和肿瘤致敏作用，南非醉茄是一种新型的综合肿瘤护理辅助疗法。
