Fwd: The Inhibition of the Estrogenic Effects of Pesticides and Environmental Chemic

[Guest guest]

I checked with Collen over on discusschineseherbs to get some addition info

on curcumin. Curcumin is indeed found in the curcumae herbs. These include

Tuber Curcumae (turmeric tuber - Yu Jin), Rhizoma Curcumae Zedoariae (E

Zhu), and Rhizoma Curcuma (Jiang Huang).

 

One of these is the source of the turmeric you buy in the spice section of

the supermarket, though neither of us is sure which. (It may be turmeric

tuber, though neither of us is certain.)

 

Collen reminded me that turmeric is an anti-inlammatory and " great for

allergies and many forms of arthritis. "

 

There is something that I find especially interesting about this post about

using curcumin (and isoflavonoids)in treating breast cancer. In the materia

medica I use (Roger Wicke text, vol 2), both Rhizoma Curcumae Zedoariae (E

Zhu) and Tuber Curcumae (Yu Jin, turmeric tuber) are classified a Herbs That

Invigorate Blood. The reason that I find this so interesting in regard to

this article is that one of the things Blood Stasis can manifest as is

tumors.

 

Victoria

 

>Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 106, Number 12, December 1998

>[ Citation in PubMed ] [ Related Articles ]

>

>The Inhibition of the Estrogenic Effects of Pesticides and Environmental

>Chemicals by Curcumin and Isoflavonoids

>Surendra P. Verma,1 Barry R. Goldin,1 and Peck S. Lin2

>

>1Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Tufts University

>School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111 USA; 2Department of Radiation

>Oncology, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, VA 23298 USA

>

>

>

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>Abstract

>Many environmental chemicals and pesticides have been found to be

>estrogenic and have been shown to stimulate the growth of estrogen

>receptor-positive (ER-positive) human breast cancer cells. Since it is

>difficult to avoid human exposure to environmental estrogens, a potentially

>important area of research is the development of dietary strategies to

>prevent the stimulated growth of breast tumors by environmental estrogens.

>In this context, the inhibitory action of curcumin and a combination of

>curcumin and isoflavonoids were studied in ER-positive human breast cancer

>cells (MCF-7 and T47D) and ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells induced by the

>pesticide o,p´-DDT and the environmental pollutants 4-nonylphenol and

>4-octylphenol. The median inhibitory concentration (IC50) for curcumin in

>T47D cells was 10 µM when measured at either a 48-hr or a 6-day incubation

>time. The IC50 value for curcumin was within the 8-10 µM range for

>inhibiting the growth of T47D cells induced by a 10-µM concentration each

>of 4-nonylphenol, 4-octylphenol, and o,p´-DDT. The IC50 for curcumin in

>MCF-7 cells induced by 10 µM of either o,p´-DDT, 4-octylphenol, or

>4-nonylphenol were 9, 39, and >50 µM, respectively. A combination of

>curcumin and isoflavonoids was able to inhibit the induced growth of

>ER-positive cells up to 95%. For MDA-MB-231 cells, the IC50 for curcumin

>was 17 µM, which was reduced to 11 µM in the presence of 25 µM genistein.

>Curcumin and genistein induce drastic changes in the morphological shape of

>both ER-positive and ER-negative cells. Data presented here indicate that a

>mixture of curcumin and isoflavonoids is the most potent inhibitor against

>the growth of human breast tumor cells. These data suggest that

>combinations of natural plant compounds may have preventive and therapeutic

>applications against the growth of breast tumors induced by environmental

>estrogens. Key words: curcumin, estrogenic chemicals, human breast cancer

>cells, isoflavonoids, pesticides. Environ Health Perspect 106:807-812

>(1998). [Online 13 November 1998]

>http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1998/106p807-812verma/abstract.html

>

>

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>

> Address correspondence to S.P. Verma, Department of Family Medicine and

>Community Health, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue,

>Boston, MA 02111 USA.

> These studies were supported by NIH grant RO1 CA54349 (to B.R.G.).

>

> Received 9 June 1998; accepted 28 July 1998.

>

>

>

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>[Table of Contents] [Full Article] [ Citation in PubMed ] [ Related

>Articles ]

>Last Update: November 13, 1998

>

 

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