Abstract
Extracts from European mistletoe (Viscum album L.) developed in anthroposophic medicine are based on specific pharmaceutical procedures to enhance remedy efficacy. One such anthroposophic pharmaceutical process was evaluated regarding effects on cancer cell toxicity in vitro and on colchicine tumor formation in Lepidium sativum. Anthroposophically processed Viscum album extract (APVAE) was produced by mixing winter and summer mistletoe extracts in the edge of a high-speed rotating disk and was compared with manually mixed Viscum album extract (VAE). The antiproliferative effect of VAE/APVAE was determined in five cell lines (NCI-H460, DU-145, HCC1143, MV3, and PA-TU-8902) by WST-1 assay in vitro; no difference was found between VAE and APVAE in any cell line tested (P > 0.14). Incidence of colchicine tumor formation was assessed by measurement of the root/shoot-ratio of seedlings of Lepidium sativum treated with colchicine as well as VAE, APVAE, or water. Colchicine tumor formation decreased after application of VAE (−5.4% compared to water, P < 0.001) and was even stronger by APVAE (−8.8% compared to water, P < 0.001). The high-speed mistletoe extract mixing process investigated thus did not influence toxicity against cancer cells but seemed to sustain morphostasis and to enhance resistance against external noxious influences leading to phenomenological malformations.
Highlights
Use of extracts from European mistletoe (Viscum album ssp. album L.) for cancer treatment is based on suggestions of Steiner [1], who founded anthroposophic medicine (AM) together with Wegman in the 1920s [2]
Only Viscum album extract (VAE)/anthroposophically processed Viscum album extract (APVAE) Mali was used due to the selective toxicity of the cancer cell lines used towards mistletoe lectins (VAE/APVAE Pini is almost void of mistletoe lectins)
ED50 of Viscum album extract (VAE) Mali and anthroposophically processed Viscum album extract (APVAE) Mali was determined in five different cell lines (NCI-H460, DU-145, HCC1143, MV3, and PA-TU-8902), based on eight independent and coded dose-response experiments each
Summary
Use of extracts from European mistletoe (Viscum album ssp. album L.) for cancer treatment is based on suggestions of Steiner [1], who founded anthroposophic medicine (AM) together with Wegman in the 1920s [2]. Album L.) for cancer treatment is based on suggestions of Steiner [1], who founded anthroposophic medicine (AM) together with Wegman in the 1920s [2]. There is a variety of mistletoe extracts available, differing in mistletoe host trees and extraction methods as well as further pharmaceutical processing [10]. Mistletoe extracts used in anthroposophic medicine (Iscador, Helixor, abnobaVISCUM, Iscucin, and Isorel) rely on specific anthroposophic pharmaceutical procedures that were developed on the basis of suggestions of Steiner to enhance anticancer efficacy of mistletoe [11]. Extracts from mistletoe harvested in different seasons (summer and winter) are mixed together in a sophisticated, designed apparatus
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