Category: Gynura procumbens

Clinacanthus Nutans (Belalai Gajah) herbs is effective against cancer

The Clinacanthus Nutans leaves or locally know as Belalai Gajah (Elephant’s truck) leaves are said to be effective in fighting cancer cells. The herb which is also known as Sabah Snake Grass also proven in traditional medicine to help patients with inflammation of the prostate, kidney problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, gout, diabetes, blocking of the blood vessel and as a very good antitoxin.

Studies have found that the extract does not contain toxins. It has a high concentration of flavonoids, (Flavonoids are a group of plant metabolites thought to provide health benefits through cell signalling pathways and antioxidant effects. These molecules are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables). Clinacanthus Nutans extracts also contain a variety of minerals, vitamins and amino acids essential to the body. It is a good antioxidant.

How to prepare a herb juice for cancer patients: 

Stage 1: 30 leaves per day. Stage 2: 50 leaves per day. Stage 3: 100 leaves per day, and Stage 4: 150-200 leaves per day.

The leaves must be blended  with a green apple and  to be taken every morning, it should not be filtered (strained), leave the mixture fibrous. Patients taking this extract shall abstain from taking food high in sugar content as well as honey, mackerel, chicken, duck, yam, rice and butter.
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The roots are proved to contain triterpenoids betulin compound and the leaf has 45% protein content and 17 types of amino acids, vitamin C and calcium, fiber, and minerals such as iron, zinc, manganese, copper and nickel. The leaf also contain a high concentration of phosphorus, calcium and magnesium.

Clinacanthus Nutans leaves and a green apple

The blended extract

Another herbs which is proven against cancer is the gynura peocumbens.

Video:

| Source: 1 2 | Image credit: 1 | Video credit: RTM |

Gynura Procumbens and High Cholesterol

I have been recently diagnosed with high Cholesterol level and prescribed with Simvastatin drug. The doctor also advised on a proper diet to go along the drug and a regular exercise. I am glad that I can also supplement my diet with Gynura procumbens which is readily available in my back yard with no added cost.

Gynura procumbens

One of the main use of Gynura Procumbens is to help reduce cholesterol. Other uses are as an anti-cancer plant, reducing blood glucose and many more. The effect of high cholesterol level is increasing your blood pressure and adding to the risk of a stroke. An experiment done on commercial rats in Korea confirmed that Gynura procumbens can significantly lower SBP (Systolic Blood Pressure) on the experimental rats as compared with the controlled group. Details of the experiment can be accessed here.

One of the main problem with including Gynura procumbens into your diet is sometimes your inability to incorporate the herb/vegetable in your meal due to mere negligence. The general rule is for a person (or patient) to take the leaves (2-3 leaves) everyday in the morning before breakfast, but I do sometimes forget and added to the nuisance of having to go out and pick the leaves yourself. The solution is simple – pick a few dozens leaves and keep it in your fridge! This way, it will be easier and the leaves can stay fresh in your fridge for weeks.

[Source: online.liebertpuc.com]

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The current and past researches on the amazing Gynura Procumbens

G.Procumbens herb

I come across a website which has most of the information regarding the current and past researches conducted on the amazing Gynura Procumbens anti-cancer plant. It is amazing that this herb has so many uses – antidiabetic properties, oncoprotective properties, cardiovascular, gastroenterology, reproductive activities, Antioxidantal and nutrition properties, kidneys, anti-inflammatory activities, skin disease and wound healing and finally Phytochemical composition. Below are the links (courtesy on Gynura Online) to some of the current and past researches conducted on the G.Procumbens herb.

Antidiabetic properties:
Oncoprotective  activities:
  • Airlangga University – Anticarcinogenesis effect of Gynura procumbens (Lour) Merr on tongue
  • carcinogenesis in 4NQO-induced rat
  • Oriental Pharmacy and Experimental Medicine – Gynura procumbens modulates the microtubules integrity and enhances distinct mechanism on doxorubicin and 5-flurouracil-induced breast cancer cell death
  • International Journal of Phytomedicine – THE ETHYL ACETATE FRACTION OF Gynura procumbens SENSITIZES WiDr COLON CANCER CELL LINE AGAINST 5-FLUOROURACIL BUT SHOWS ANTAGONISM WITH CISPLATIN
  • Indonesian Journal of Biotechnology – Gynura procumbens Prevents Chemoresistance through Inhibition MDR1 Expression on MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line and Sensitizes the Cells to Doxorubicin
Cardiovascular:
Gastroenterology:
Reproductive activities:
Antioxidantal and nutrition properties:
Kidneys:
  • Korean J Physiol Pharmacol – Inhibitory Effects of an Aqueous Extract of Gynura procumbens on Human Mesangial Cell Proliferation
Anti-inflammatory properties:
Skin diseases and wound healing:
Phytochemical composition:

 [Source: Gynura Online]

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The October monsoon is here again

It’s the monsoon season again at the tiny spot of Borneo that I am residing, and the heavy rain causes landslides almost everywhere, fuel trucks were unable to reach us deep in the interior and that causes fuel shortage, lines after lines of vehicles are queuing up to fill in their tanks causing a massive traffic jam. Fuel price hike seems not to bother anymore, what counts now is a constant supply of fuel so that life can go back to normal again. Food shortages will come next but eventually alternative routes will be found and hopefully normality will be with us once again.

A major landslide causing the interior to be cut off from the capital

Flooding is reported in some parts of the West Coast, particularly the district of Penampang. This picture though, is just a joke!
Some affected residents still have a good sense of humour despite the adversity

Meanwhile, in my super mini garden, my 3-month old Gynura procumbens are doing very well. Information about the effectiveness of the Gynura procumbens on cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, ulcer and varicose vein are mentioned in this blog.

I kept on taking the G. procumbens mature leaves (2-3 leaves) in their raw form, every morning and before breakfast. Surprisingly at this age, I have none of the above diseases and hopefully if God permits, this will continue to the rest of my adult life.

My 3-month old G.procumbens herb

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How to take the Gynura Procumbens herb

The different methods of eating Gynura Procumbens

The are many recommended ways of taking the Gynura Procumbens herb; if you are new to the plant and in need of some background information, you may want to read my earlier post here. The most common ways of eating the Gynura Procumbens herb are listed below:

  1. Eating raw, 2-3 mature leaves. This is the easiest way and highly recommended. The fresh extract from the leaves and absorbed directly by the body.
  2. Eaten as salad.
  3. Drying and consumed like tea. (Not recommended as the leaves lack the essential fresh extract)
  4. Blended – if you have a blender and some extra time, this is probably the best way.

My 6-month Gynura Procumbens plant
This one is planted about 2 months ago

The best time to take the leaves is in the morning, before breakfast, on an empty stomach. This will allow the extracts to be absorbed wholly by the body.

The video below is very useful and gives a lot of information about the amazing Gynura Procumbens plant.

Video credit:Get Healthy with Gynura Procumbens! By Wendy Phan

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Gynura Procumbens – a natural cure for diabetes

Living with diabetes is of course difficult but it is by no means “a dead end” toward recovery. Maintaining a proper diet and insulin intake may help diabetics to improve their quality of life. A proper diet helps diabetics to have acceptable blood glucose levels, improved blood pressure as well as cholesterol numbers. Not to mention that it will also help in keeping their weight on track.

The Gynura Procumbens herb is easy to plant
I would like to recommend a natural solution for diabetes, I have written a number of posts on the plant in question and there are also various websites that recommend the herb as a natural remedy for diabetes. The plant is of course the Gynura Procumbens, known locally in Borneo as the Daun Sambung Nyawa or the Extension of Life plant.

My aunt who is a diabetic has greatly improved in term of lower blood glucose since taking the herb. She had now planted a large quantity of the plant in her garden. How do you take or eat the herb? Well it is simple – take 2-3 Gynura procumbens leaves, wash and eat raw like a salad. Some would prefer to mix with vegetables or soup but I would recommend the first method – fresh and instant.
In term of clinical experiments of the effectiveness of the herb for diabetes, I had listed below a number of links. Please feel free to read them, thanks.
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Potential antioxidant properties of the Gynura procumbens plant

In this entry I would like to say something on the antioxidant properties of the Gynura procumbens plant. If you have been following this blog, I have written a few entries on the other benefits of the herb in fighting cancer, ulcer, hypertension and diabetes. I might be writing more on this plant than any other herbs in this blog, that is why I am so interested in it – the amazing Gynura procumbens!

There are quite a number of studies carried out on the potential antioxidant properties of the Gynura procumbens. One notable study is carried out by Rosidah, Mun Yam, Amirin Sadikun and Mohd. Asmawi at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. The study indicated that –

Based on the results obtained, the extract and fractions showed different antioxidant potential. Among the fractions, the ethyl acetate fraction displayed higher antioxidant properties. 

 [Antioxidant Potential of Gynura procumbens, Informa Healthcare]

I have also copied the complete extract of the study and listed it below.

Abstract
The leaves of Gynura procumbens (Merr.) Compositae, commonly called “sambung nyawa” in Malaysia, are often eaten raw with rice. The methanol extract was prepared from the dried leaves using a Soxhlet apparatus. The methanol extract was then fractionated into chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous fractions using a separating funnel. In the current study, the antioxidant potency of G. procumbens extract and fractions were investigated, employing various established in vitro systems, such as trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, β -carotene–linoleic acid model system, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, reducing power, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity. Based on the results obtained, the extract and fractions showed different antioxidant potential. Among the fractions, the ethyl acetate fraction displayed higher antioxidant properties. The contents of the potential antioxidant component of the extract and fractions were also determined using HPTLC densitometric and spectrophotometric (using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent) methods. HPTLC study revealed that the methanol extract and the ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions contain 0.74% and 2.9%, 7.76% and 12.75%, and 4.52% and 0.33% of kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and astragalin, respectively. The total phenolic content of the extract and fractions varied from 4.37% to 23.43% of dry weight, expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). With further data analysis, it was found there was a significant correlation (p < 0.05) between the total phenolic content of the sample and its DPPH scavenging activity and reducing power with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.891 and 0.926, respectively. These results suggest that phenolics in these plants provide substantial antioxidant activity.

 [Antioxidant Potential of Gynura procumbens, Informa Healthcare]

Other studies are also listed below if you want to know more about the potential antioxidant properties of the Gynura properties.

1. Pharmacognosy Magazine
2. PDF from Researchgate.net (Download)
3. A list of studies on Google

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[Source: Informa Healthcare]

The effect of Gynura procumbens herbal plant in decreasing blood pressure

The study was conducted by a group of researchers at the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The objective of the experiment is to investigate the cardiovascular effects of a butanolic fraction of Gynura procumbens in rats. 

I am really amazed with this plant which is effective against some common diseases. I have covered a few of the diseases in my previous post – cancer, ulcer, diabetes and how to consume the leaves. In the near future I will also be covering on how to plant this herb at your back yard or even indoors. Please check back to read what is new about this plant in this blog.

Amazingly, the experiment demonstrated that extract from the Gynura procumbens did indeed helped to decreased blood pressure. An extract of the study is listed below.

My one-year old Gynura procumbens plant at my backyard

INTRODUCTION:
Gynura procumbens has been shown to decrease blood pressure via inhibition of the angiotensin‐converting enzyme. However, other mechanisms that may contribute to the hypotensive effect have not been studied.
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the cardiovascular effects of a butanolic fraction of Gynura procumbens in rats.
METHODS:
Anaesthetized rats were given intravenous bolus injections of butanolic fraction at doses of 2.5–20 mg/kg in vivo. The effect of butanolic fraction on vascular reactivity was recorded in isolated rat aortic rings in vitro.
RESULTS:
Intravenous administrations of butanolic fraction elicited significant (p<0.001) and dose‐dependent decreases in the mean arterial pressure. However, a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the heart rate was observed only at the higher doses (10 and 20 mg/kg). In isolated preparations of rat aortic rings, phenylephrine (1×10‐6 M)‐ or potassium chloride (8×10‐2 M)‐precontracted endothelium‐intact and ‐denuded tissue; butanolic fraction (1×10‐6–1×10‐1 g/ml) induced similar concentration‐dependent relaxation of the vessels. In the presence of 2.5×10‐3 and 5.0×10‐3 g/ml butanolic fraction, the contractions induced by phenylephrine (1×10‐9–3×10‐5 M) and potassium chloride (1×10‐2–8×10‐2 M) were significantly antagonized. The calcium‐induced vasocontractions (1×10‐4–1×10‐2 M) were antagonized by butanolic fraction concentration‐dependently in calcium‐free and high potassium (6×10‐2 M) medium, as well as in calcium‐ and potassium‐free medium containing 1×10‐6 M phenylephrine. However, the contractions induced by noradrenaline (1×10‐6 M) and caffeine (4.5×10‐2 M) were not affected by butanolic fraction.
CONCLUSION:
Butanolic fraction contains putative hypotensive compounds that appear to inhibit calcium influx via receptor‐operated and/or voltage‐dependent calcium channels to cause vasodilation and a consequent fall in blood pressure.

[Gynura procumbens Merr. decreases blood pressure in rats by vasodilatation via inhibition of calcium channels by See‐Ziau Hoe, Chen‐Neng Lee, […], and Sau‐Kuen Lam, University of Malaya, Malaysia]

You may want to access the full report of the study here.

Thanks for reading and please do come back for the latest about the amazing Gynura procumbens plant. God bless.

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Gynura procumbens and Diabetes

This is my third posts concerning my quest for scientific research on the effectiveness of the Gynura procumbens on some common diseases. I have written articles on the effectiveness of the Gynura procumbens herb on cancer and ulcer in my previous posts. I will be writing on the effectiveness of the plant to cure diabetes and hope that this can enlighten those who are looking for herbal alternative treatment for diabetes. If you want to know on how to consume the leaves of the G. procumbens, you may want to read my previous post about it.

The study was carried out by researches at the National University of Singapore and used rats in their experiments.  The abstract of the study is as follow.

Aim of Study: The aim was to demonstrate the effects of the leaves of Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr. on blood sugar and lipid levels in experimental animals.
Methodology: We obtained an ethanolic extract of the leaves of G. procumbens and monitored the effects of an oral administration of (i) different single doses of the extract on oral glucose tolerance in streptozotocin-induced diabetic and normal rats and (ii) fourteen doses over 7 days on serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Metformin and glibenclamide were used as positive control drugs.
Results: The extract, at single doses of 50, 150 and 300 mg/kg orally, significantly suppressed the elevated serum glucose levels in diabetic rats; 150 mg/kg was found to be the optimum hypoglycaemic dose. The extract however did not significantly suppress the elevated serum glucose levels in normal rats, unlike glibenclamide. Metformin, but not glibenclamide, improved glucose tolerance in the diabetic rats. When the optimum dose was given to diabetic rats for 7 days, the extract significantly reduced serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in these rats.
Conclusion: These results indicate that the leaves of G. procumbens may have biguanide-like activity.

[Effects of an Ethanolic Extract of Gynura procumbens on Serum Glucose, Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels in Normal and Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats by X F Zhang, B K H Tan, National University of Singapore, http://www.sma.org.sg/SMJ/4101/articles/4101a2.htm]

Their finding shows that the ethanolic extract from G. procumbens leaves indeed has active ingredients to cure diabetes. I have included the conclusion of the study below.

My 1 year old G. procumbens plant

In conclusion, our studies show that the ethanolic extract of G. procumbens leaves has antihyperglycaemic and antihyperlipidaemic activities in diabetic rats. Further pharmacological and phytochemical investigations are being done to identify the active compound(s), and also to elucidate the mechanism(s) of action. [Effects of an Ethanolic Extract of Gynura procumbens on Serum Glucose, Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels in Normal and Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats by X F Zhang, B K H Tan, National University of Singapore, Singapore Medical Journal]

You may want to read the full text report of the research here. Thanks for reading and God bless.

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[Source: Singapore Medical Journal]