Tripterygium Wilfordii Extract (Triptolide) and Amygdalin Promotes Cell death in Cancer Cells: True or a Myth

Abstract

Different natural products are known for their use in conventional medicine and especially for their beneficial effect on chronic diseases including autoimmune and cancer. A purified natural extract sample from the Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (known as Lei Gong Teng or Thunder of God Vine) containing diterpenoids and triepoxides, was associated with significant anti-tumor effects and with encouraging results. Additionally, another natural extract from apricot kernels, Amygdalin (also known as laetrile or vitamin B17) a cyanide-containing substance, has been reported as a potential anti-cancer molecule with numerous contradictions among different published data. For many years different scientist tried to investigate in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo the efficacy of all of these molecules but they all failed in giving clear robust positive conclusions and the opinions are contradictory. Most of the studies were focusing on the apoptotic effects that can lead to the programmed cell death (PCD), a noteworthy mechanism in cancer treatment. The present review summarizes published reports and gives a better understanding of the known abilities as well as the possible role of these specific natural extract molecules in the fight of cancer treatment, cure and prevention.