Powerful cancer cell killer found from Central Highlands forest plants
A newly discovered active ingredient from the Chinese juniper tree has the effect of inhibiting many diseases such as lung, liver, epithelial and breast cancer.
During the research of 15 coniferous tree species in the Central Highlands, scientists from the Vietnam Museum of Nature discovered that the pine tree has strong biological activity with cells that are not beneficial to humans.
The research team selected the following plants: pine, flat-leaf pine, mountain pine and mountain pine to isolate and search for valuable compounds for medicine. Among the 33 compounds from these four plants, there are two substancesgalangninandisolaricresinolfirst discovered in the pine tree and a new substancenorisoharringtoninefrom the bark and leaves of the pine tree.
Newly discovered substances from the pine tree were extracted into active ingredients to act on cancer cells cultured in the laboratory.As a result, epithelial cancer (KB), liver cancer (Hep-G2), lung cancer (LU) and breast cancer cells were strongly inhibited..
|
Mature pine trees are being strictly protected in Lam Dong. Photo:NVCC. |
Associate Professor Dinh Thi Phong (Vietnam Museum of Nature, project leader) said that many plants in nature have substances that resist a type of cancer, but the activity is not strong and can weaken when acting on cells. Particularly hactive substancenorisoharringtonineeffective against many cancers without being impaired when applied to cells.
However, applying research to drug production is a long way. After the results in the laboratory, the new active ingredient needs to go throughmouse and human clinical trials.
Another difficulty is that raw materials are extremely scarce because the active ingredient is only valuable when extracted from mature trees of 5-10 years old. Meanwhile, the pine tree is facing the risk of extinction. Lam Dong province currently has only 34 pine trees left, of which five are mature.
The Central Highlands forests have thick humus carpets, so germinating pine seeds have difficulty reaching the soil layer, resulting in very little opportunity for this tree species to regenerate naturally.Therefore, the research team proposed to the locality to find a solution to develop the pine population, in order to preserve valuable genetic resources.
This is the result of a research project on the genetic diversity and chemical composition of some coniferous species in the Central Highlands, proposing solutions for conservation and use. The project belongs to the science and technology program serving the socio-economic development of the Central Highlands (Central Highlands Program 3) - which was successfully accepted in early 2017.
Pine tree - scientific nameCephalotaxaceae -is an ancient plant.
The tree grows scattered in the small tree layer or shrub layer in the humid tropical evergreen rainforest, at an altitude of about 600 - 1,500 m, where there is little light, on a thick and moist soil layer.
In Vietnam, the pine tree is distributed in Ha Tay (Ba Vi), Thanh Hoa (Lung Van), Quang Tri (between Hon Rao and A Dua), Thua Thien Hue, Kontum (Dak Glay, Dac To: Ngoc Pan, Sa Thay), Gia Lai, Lam Dong (Di Linh: Braian mountain). The pine tree is also found on Hainan Island (China).
The wood of the pine tree is of high quality and is resistant to termites and is used to make high-class handicrafts. The seeds have medicinal properties, and the bark of the Hainan pine tree is used to treat fever.Tripp, 1995).