An in vivo analysis of the herbal compound essiac.
BACKGROUND
Essiac is a herbal compound that has been in common use with cancer patients in North America for over 80 years. Despite its relatively widespread use, there are no peer-reviewed published reports of in vivo studies regarding the use of this compound.


METHODS
Essiac was administered orally to test animals prior to all experiments. Standard assays to test protection from ethanol-induced gastric ulceration and carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury were performed on Wistar rats. Assays of postglucose-load serum glucose and cellular and humoral immune modulation were conducted on ICR and BALB/C mice, respectively.


RESULTS
Essiac demonstrated a modest gastric protective effect via reduction of ethanol-induced gastric ulceration. However, Essiac did not demonstrate significant hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic or immunomodulatory properties.


CONCLUSIONS
Essiac, administered in established in vivo experimental models, did not significantly demonstrate its purported physiological modifying effects.
Leonard
Blair J N
BJ
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Kennedy
Deborah A
DA
Cheng
Fong-Chi
FC
Chang
Keng-Kuang
KK
Seely
Dugald
D
Mills
Edward
E
D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / Q000517:prevention & control; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control
D001786:Blood Glucose; C111756:Essiac; D010936:Plant Extracts