Pfaffia paniculata herb health benefit - also known as Suma herb

Pfaffia paniculata is known as Brazilian ginseng and is used to improve energy level and vitality. There is very little human research with this herb, and our knowledge regarding the clinical uses of Pfaffia paniculata is in its infancy. See also suma herb information. Pfaffia paniculata is the botanical name for suma herb.

Suma, Pfaffia paniculata herb for breast cancer
Cytotoxic effects of butanolic extract from Pfaffia paniculata (Brazilian ginseng) on cultured human breast cancer cell line MCF-7.
Exp Toxicol Pathol. 2009 Jan; Nagamine MK, da Silva TC, Matsuzaki P, Pinello KC, Cogliati B, Pizzo CR, Akisue G, Haraguchi M, Górniak SL, Sinhorini IL, Rao KV, Barbuto JA, Dagli ML. Nagamine MK, da Silva TC, Matsuzaki P, Pinello KC, Cogliati B, Pizzo CR, Akisue G, Haraguchi M, Górniak SL, Sinhorini IL, Rao KV, Barbuto JA, Dagli ML. Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Roots of Pfaffia paniculata, suma, have been well documented for multifarious therapeutic values and have also been used for cancer therapy in folk medicine. This study has been performed in a human breast tumor cell line, the MCF-7 cells. These are the most commonly used model of estrogen-positive breast cancer, and it has been originally established in 1973 at the Michigan Cancer Foundation from a pleural effusion taken from a woman with metastatic breast cancer. Butanolic extract of the roots of Pfaffia paniculata showed cytotoxic effect MCF-7 cell line. Cells treated with butanolic extract showed degeneration of cytoplasmic components and profound morphological and nuclear alterations. The results show that this Pfaffia paniculata butanolic extract indeed presents cytotoxic substances, and its fractions merit further investigations.

Pfaffia paniculataas cancer research
Pfaffia paniculata (Brazilian ginseng) methanolic extract reduces angiogenesis in mice.
Exp Toxicol Pathol. 2007 Aug;58(6):427-31. Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechny, University of São Paulo, Av Prof Dr Orlando Marques de Paiva, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Pfaffia paniculata roots have been indicated for the treatment of several diseases. Our studies have shown that
Pfaffia  paniculata roots present antineoplastic effects and cancer chemopreventive activity in a mouse liver cancer model. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Pfaffia paniculata on corneal angiogenesis in mice. We first conducted a toxicological study employing 250, 500, or 1000mg/kg/day of the methanolic extract of Pfaffia paniculata roots by gavage to BALB/c mice. Animals did not lose weight during the treatment nor presented histopathological alterations. Male mice were treated, by gavage, once a day, with doses of 250, 500, or 1000mg/kg of methanolic extract of Pfaffia paniculata powdered root for 10 days; filtered water was used as control. Corneal cauterization was accomplished by the contact of a silver nitrate crystal on the central area of the cornea, in the 5th day of treatment with Pfaffia paniculata, which continued thereafter; the animals were euthanized on the 6th day after cauterization. Newly formed blood vessels were filled with India ink, and the corneas were routinely processed. A smaller total area of neovascularization in the mouse cornea was observed in animals treated with 1000mg/kg of the methanolic extract of Pfaffia paniculata. These results indicate an antiangiogenic effect of this extract. The mechanisms of this antiangiogenic activity of Pfaffia paniculata should be further investigated.

Effects of Pfaffia paniculata (Brazilian ginseng) extract on macrophage activity.
Life Sci. 2006 Feb 16;78(12):1287-92. Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechny, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
The roots of Pfaffia paniculata have been indicated for the treatment of several diseases and as an analgesic and antiinflamatory drug. The aim of this study was to investigate experimentally the effects of the methanolic extract of P. paniculata roots on macrophage activity. Male mice received, by gavage, once a day, different doses (100, 250, or 500 mg/kg) of the methanolic extract of Pfaffia paniculata or filtered water, as control, for 10 days. Macrophage activity was evaluated through the phagocytosis index (PI), spreading index (SI), production of peroxide oxigen and nitric oxide. The peritoneal cells were activated with ip inoculation of Ehrlich ascitic cells, 24 h before the macrophage harvesting. The methanolic extract raised significantly the SI of mice from group of 500 mg/kg in comparison with the control group and group of 100 mg/kg. This raise of SI possibly induced the higher phagocytic activity observed in the experimental situation. Increased macrophage activity may be one of the effects contributing to inhibition of the Ehrlich ascitic tumor growth in mice.

Antineoplastic effects of butanolic residue of Pfaffia paniculata.
Cancer Lett. 2006 Jul 8;238(1):85-9. Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo-SP, Brazil.
We have previously reported a reduction in the accumulation of ascitic fluid in Ehrlich tumor-bearing mice following treatment with the powdered roots of Pfaffia paniculata. The aim of this study was to investigate which extracts from these roots presented antineoplastic properties. Thus, the effects of the ethanolic extract, butanolic residue, or aqueous residue from Pfaffia paniculata on animal survival and tumor growth in mice bearing this tumor were studied. Butanolic residue-treated mice survived longer than untreated mice. This result points to an antineoplastic effect exerted by the butanolic fraction from the roots of Pfaffia paniculata on this tumor model.

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