Antitumor effects of flaxseed in Iranian traditional medicine and contemporary medicine; a brief review

Document Type : Review

Authors

1 Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Cancers are the result of uncontrollable multiplication of abnormal cells. In order to control progression of cancers, various therapeutic regiments are used that have side effects and are costly. Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) contains comprehensive subjects regarding cancerous tumors. In the present study, the nature and development of cancer from ITM point of view and the effect of flax as an easily accessible medicinal herb which has been mentioned in several ancient prescriptions and has been used in the management of dropsies and tumors has been discussed. In a library search through the valid ITM references and Avicenna and other scholars texts, explanations of ITM regarding cancer has been investigated and flax and its therapeutic effects in the cancer management has been described. A number of medical databases were searched for contemporary medicine articles; finally, the findings in these two systems of medicine were compared. Flax possesses a cleansing effect in the whole body according to ITM and can be used for management of dropsies inside the body especially hard tumors and cancers. The present work has shown its uses in cancers of breast, prostate, ovary, small intestine and colon as well as its analgesic effects. New studies have approved the anti-cancerous effects of flaxseed that have been reported by ITM scholars. Since they believed that flax was beneficial for tumors of all organs, investigations of its effects against cancerous tumors of other organs is recommended.
 

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

[1] Ostad SN, Vazirian M, Manayi A, Hadjiakhoondi A, Khanavi M. Comparison of cytotoxic activity of some Iranian Stachys spp. extracts on different cancer cell lines. Res J Pharmacogn. 2014; 1(2): 23-28.
[2] Naghibi F, Khalaj A, Hamzeloo-Moghadam M. Cancer terminologies used in the medieval texts to the early modern Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM). J Res Hist Med. 2014; 3(2): 63-72.
[3] American Cancer Society Inc. Cancer facts & figures. Atlanta: American Cancer Society, 2015.
[4] American Cancer Society. The globaleconomiccost of cancer. [Accessed 2017]. Available from: https://www.cancer.org/about-us/global-health.html.
[5] Motavallizade A, Hashemi M, Safakesh M, Alembagheri A, Baradarandhokohi Sh, Mosaddegh M. Cancer chemotherapy in Iranian Traditional Medicine. J Islam IranTrad Med. 2012; 3(1): 3-18.
[6] Yabroff  KR,  Lund J, Kepka D,  Mariotto A. Economic burden of cancer in the US: estimates, projections, and future research. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2011; 20(10): 2006-2014.
[7] Moeini R, Rezaeizadeh H, Nazem E, Pasalar P, Kamalinejad M, Gorji N. Effect of food taste in cancer forming and progression; viewpoint from Persian medicine. Iran J Cancer Prev. 2015; Article ID PMC4581363.
[8] Avicenna. The canon of medicine. Beirut: Al-Alami Library, 2005.
[9] Aghili MH. Makhzan-al-Advia. Shams Ardakani MR, Rahimi R, Farjadmand F, Eds Tehran: Tehran University of Medical Sciences Publication, 2009.
[10] Coussens LM, Werb Z. Inflammation and cancer. Nature. 2002; 420(6917): 860-867.
[11] Kaithwas G, Mukherjee A, Chaurasia AK, Majumdar DK.  Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities of Linum usitatissimum L. (flaxseed/linseed) fixed oil. Indian J Exp Biol. 2011; 49(12): 932-938.
[12] Emtiazy M, Choopani R, Khodadoost M, Tansaz M, Nazem E. Atheroprotector role of the spleen based on the teaching of Avicenna (Ibn Sina). Int JCardiol. 2013; 167(1): 26-28.
[13] Aghili MH. Kholasat-alhekmat. Nazem E. Ed. Qum: Islamic and Complementary Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences Publication, 2006.
[14] Gharashi A. (Ibne-nafis). Al-shamel fi-alsanaat-altebyah. Tehran: Iran University of Medical Sciences Publication, 2008.
[15] Shareef M, Ashraf MA, Sarfraz M.Natural cures for breast cancer treatment. Saudi Pharm J.2016; 24(3): 233-240.
[16] Gomides AF, Paula SO, Rosa DD, Oliveira LL, Comastri DS, Peluzio Mdo C.  Use of defatted flaxseed meal reduces precancerous colon lesions in C57BL/6 mice. Acta Cir Brasil. 2013; 28(8): 607-613.
[17] Han J, Lu SS, Wang ZJ, Li YL. Flax seed oil inhibits metastatic melanoma and reduces lung tumor formation in mice. J BUON. 2015; 20(6): 1546-1552.
[18] Eilati E, Janice MB, Hales DB. Long term consumption of flaxseed enriched diet decreased ovarian cancer incidence and prostaglandin E2 in hens. Gynecol Oncol. 2013; 130(3): 620-628.
[19] Azrad M, Vollmer RT, Madden J, Dewhirst M, Polascik TJ, Snyder DC, Ruffin MT, Moul JW,  Brenner DE, Wahnefried WD. Flaxseed-derived enterolactone is inversely associated with tumor cell proliferation in men with localized prostate cancer. J Med Food. 2013; 16(4): 357-360.
[20] Azrad M, Vollmer RT, Madden J, Polascik TJ, Snyder DC, Ruffin MT, Moul JW, Brenner DE, He X, Wahnefried WD. Disparate results between proliferation rates of surgically excised prostate tumors and an in vitro bioassay using sera from a positive randomized controlled trial. Biotech Histochem.  2015; 90(3): 184-189.
[21] Heydari M, Shams M, Homayouni K, Borhani-Haghighi A, Salehi A, Hashempur MH. An option for painful diabetic neuropathy with simultaneous ‘antioxidative’ and ‘anesthetic’ properties: topical Citrullus colocynthis. J Exp Integr Med. 2014; 4(1): 9-12.
[22] Nykter M, Kymalainen HR, Gates F, Sjoberg AM. Quality characteristics of edible linseed oil. Agric Food Sci. 2006; 15(4): 402-413.
[23] Kaithwas G, Majumdar DK. Therapeutic effect of Linum usitatissimum (flaxseed/linseed) fixed oil on acute and chronic arthritic models in albino rats. Inflammopharmacology. 2010; 18(3): 127-136.
[24] Singh S, Nair V, Gupta YK. Linseed oil: an investigation of its antiarthritic activity in experimental models. Phytother Res. 2012; 26(2): 246-252.
[25] Shahidi F. Antioxidant factors in plant foods and selected oilseeds. Biofactors. 2000; 13(1-4): 179-185.
[26] Kinniry P, Amrani Y, Vachani A, Solomides CC, Arguiri E, Workman A, Carter J, Christofidou-Solomidou M. Dietary flaxseed supplementation ameliorates inflammation and oxidative tissue damage in experimental models of acute lung injury in mice. J Nutr. 2006; 136(6): 1545-1551.
[27] Toloosan Y. Asrar-al-atebbaa (Mojarabaate-ielate-jaghtaee). Tehran:  Iran University of Medical Sciences Publication, 2004.
Research Journal of Pharmacognosy
Volume 5, Issue 1
January 2018
Pages 71-77

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics