NIGERIAN researchers are a step closer to a
universally accepted cure for hepatitis B and C, cancer, diabetes and
tuberculosis with the development of bitter leaf-based dietary supplements that
have shown great promise in clinical studies. The researchers from Halamin
Herbal centre, 10 George Innih Crescent, Apo District, Abuja and Department of
Histopathology and Cytology, Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Jos found
that poly herbal preparations with bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) as the
active ingredient strengthen the immune system through many cytokines and
chemokines regulations.
Other constituents of poly herbal
preparations include: Sesamum indicatum (sesame), bitter leaf (Vernonia
amygdalina), Aloe barbadensis (popularly known as aloe vera), Saccharum
officinarum (sugar cane), Allium sativum (garlic) and Amaranthus caudatus
(green amaranth, inine in Ibo, tete abalaye in Yoruba).
The poly herbal preparations include: SAAAB
and HAABS dietary supplement for hepatitis B and C; SAABFAT 7 for cancer;
TABSAABS for tuberculosis; and DAABS-2 for type two diabetes.
The researchers led by a leading researcher
in plant extracts and natural medicine and pharmacist, Dr. Ben Amodu, have
shown that there is a cure for the chronic form of hepatitis B and C.
Amodu is also a member of the committee
inaugurated recently by the Director General of the National Agency for Food
Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, to champion the
development of herbal medicine through scientific validation of all the cure
claims.
The study titled “Clinical Activity of SAAAB
and HAABS Dietary Supplement on Hepatitis C and B Markers,” was published in
the January/February 2013 edition of the Journal of Pharmacy and Biological
Sciences. Previous studies have shown that hepatitis B virus (HBV) and
hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection is not uncommon as a result of similar
routes of infection. Patients who are co-infected represent a unique group with
diverse serologic profiles. Combined chronic hepatitis B and C leads to more
severe liver disease and an increased risk of hepato-cellular carcinoma.
Until now, co-infected patients represent a
treatment challenge but the researchers have discovered how the liver can be
toned by some herbal extracts to an extent of making hepatitis C becomes
infinitesimal and render hepatitis B markers anergic.
The researchers wrote: “With the abundant
presence of tannins, phlobatannins, flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids, saponins
and cardiac glycosides, which are the most important bioactive constituents of
medicinal plants, the poly herbal preparation is able to reverse hepatitis B
envelop antigen (HBeAg) reactive to HBeAg non reactive and makes the surface
antigen of the hepatitis B virus anergic within a span of three weeks.”
They concluded: “In conclusion, this study
has shown that there is a cure for the chronic form of hepatitis- HBV and HCV.
The total clearance of HBeAg and HCV upon administration of SAAAB and HAABS for
three weeks and one week respectively is a testimony to this fact. Therefore,
since prevention still remains the key to control, efforts must be made to
strengthen strategies aimed at increasing awareness and encouraging people to
take seriously the issue of vaccination. It is also important for the
vaccination to be made mandatory for all unvaccinated adolescents and
adults.
“Furthermore to cure and improve the quality
of life of people infected with the chronic form of hepatitis, the novel
supplements- SAAAB and HAABS should be allowed to be dispensed in hospitals and
pharmacies across the length and breathe of the country and beyond.”
The researchers in another study published
in the International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science Invention found that the
presence of blocking bioactive activities of SAABFAT 7 with Vernonia amygdalina
as it active ingredient opens new perspectives in the treatment of cancer by
means of the use of blocking or specific modulators of these radicals.
The study is titled, “Phytochemical and
Biological Study on Saabfat 7 with a Focus on Vernonia Amygdalina.”
They concluded: “The affectation in the
expression of these radicals and other important markers in tumoral cells of
epithelial origin confirms the antitumoral effect and they reaffirm to this
cocktail of natural antitumoral products as a novel and attractive alternative
in the treatment of cancer.”
Cancer is considered at the moment one of
the main causes of death worldwide. The current tendency in the treatment of
cancer pursues to obtain a more successful treatment that do not increases
alone its effectiveness but rather it diminishes its adverse effects.
According to the researchers, one of such
that provides a better alternative is naturaceuticals, tagged as natural
products. They are able to scavenge free radicals, induce detoxification,
inhibit stress response proteins and interfere with DNA binding activities of
some transcription factors. In these new therapeutic slopes the treatments are
included that modify the biological answer, starting from emergent pharmacological
agents able to modulate the transduction of signs inducing a selective death of
the tumoral cells.
Ben Amodu and his team of researchers have
also conducted an open label 12-week descriptive cross-sectional survey in a
large number of patients to determine the efficacy of TABSAABS: an
ethnomedicinal polyherbal formulation for the radical rapid cure for
tuberculosis.
The constituents of TABSAABR include:
Sesamum indicatum (sesame), bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), Aloe barbadensis
(popularly known as aloe vera), Saccharum officinarum (sugar cane), Allium
sativum (garlic) and Amaranthus caudatus (green amaranth, inine in Ibo, tete
abalaye in Yoruba).
The results of the study published in
International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science Invention showed that the
patients in this descriptive cross-sectional survey responded positively to the
ethnomedicinal herbal formulation resulting in 100 per cent recovery level in
the females and 98 per cent recovery level in the males without any toxicity or
side effects observed in the patients for the eight weeks monitoring period.
The study is titled “Tabsaabr: A Novel
Ethnomedicinal Polyherbal Formulation For The Radical Rapid Cure For
Tuberculosis.”
The subjects in this study were 270 males
(60 per cent) and 180 females (40 per cent) who were clinically diagnosed to
have a mixture of Multiple-Drug Resistance tuberculosis and Extensively-Drug
Resistance tuberculosis. The subjects were placed on TABSAAB, the
ethnomedicinal herbal formulation for the treatment of tuberculosis for a
period of 12 weeks, and the subjects were monitored for a period of eight weeks
for possible relapse of signs and symptoms.
The researchers concluded: “In conclusion,
this study has shown that there is a cure for Tuberculosis be it Multi Drug
Resistance or Extensively Drug Resistance Tuberculosis. The total clearance of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis upon administration of TABSAAB for three months is a
testimony to this fact. Therefore, since prevention still remains the key to control,
efforts must be made to strengthen strategies aimed at increasing awareness and
encouraging people to take seriously the issue of vaccination. It is also
important for the vaccination to be made mandatory for all unvaccinated
adolescents and adults. Furthermore to cure and improve the quality of life of
people infected with Tuberculosis, the novel supplements- TABSAAB should be
allowed to be dispensed in hospitals and pharmacies across the length and
breathe of the country and beyond.”
Amodu told The Guardian that four capsules of
TABSAABR (480mg extracts/capsule) is taken 12 hourly for three months for the
treatment of both Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) and Extremely Drug Resistant
(XDR) tuberculosis. It also can be taken two capsules 12 hourly for the
treatment of malaria, waist pain, arthritis, rheumatism and as adjunct for
Human Immuno-deficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS).
The result of yet another study by the
researchers showed that the administration of bitter leaf extracts decreased
blood glucose by 90 per cent compared to the placebo treated diabetic animals
respectively.
The study published in IOSR Journal of
Pharmacy and Biological Sciences is titled, “Daabs-2r: A Novel Ethnomedicinal
Polyherbal Formulation For The Management Of Diabetes Mellitus.”
The researchers wrote: “This research was
aimed at evaluating the efficacy of DAABS-2, a novel ethnomedicinal polyherbal
formulation on Insulin Depended Diabetes mellitus and non Insulin Dependent
Diabetes mellitus by using streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic laboratory
animals and the result showed that the administration of 180mg/kg and 100mg/kg
with the corresponding DAABS-2 extracts decreased blood glucose by 90 per cent
compared to the placebo treated diabetic animals respectively.
“In summary, the present study results
indicate that single i.p. injection of STZ 180mg/kg and 100mg/kg with the
correspondent extracts produced no diabetes of any form, while the same i.p
injection of 180mg/kg and 100mg/kg with the corresponding placebo produced type
1 or insulin dependent diabetes, however, the latter failed to produce diabetes
mellitus. The severity and mortality of diabetes with STZ 180mg/kg is more in
comparison to 100mg/kg. The long-term complications of diabetes mellitus and
the characteristics of progressive diabetes mellitus in the group with the
placebo could be studied.”
CHUKWUMA MUANYA / Medical World Nigeria - 26/Jul/2013.
Posted
by Breakthru Nigeria
