Anti-cancer effects of traditional Korean wild vegetables in complementary and alternative medicine. (February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ju, Hyun-Mok; Yu, Kwang-Won; Cho, Sung-Dae; Cheong, Sun Hee; Kwon, Ki Han
• Is Part Of: Complementary therapies in medicine. Volume 24(2016)
• Page Start: 47
• Page End: 54
• Publication Date: 2016-02
• Subjects: Traditional Korean wild vegetables -- Anti-cancer effects -- Complementary and alternative medicine; Alternative medicine -- Periodicals; Complementary Therapies -- Periodicals; Médecines parallèles -- Périodiques; Thérapeutique -- Périodiques; Alternative medicine; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 615.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2015.11.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0965-2299

Abstract

Highlights: We introduce traditional Korean wild vegetables for anticancer effects. A variety of traditional Korean wild vegetables can be used as alternative medicines. The anticancer effects of traditional Korean medicinal plants were identified various biological markers. Our study will be the guidelines for cancer prevention and treatment using phytochemicals. Abstract: This research study explored the anti-cancer effects of natural materials in South Korea. Although South Korea has a long history of traditional medicine, many natural materials of South Korea have not yet been introduced to the rest of the world because of language barriers and inconsistent study conditions. In the past 3 years, 56 papers introducing 56 natural materials, which have anti-cancer effects, have been published by scientists in South Korea. Further, these studies have introduced five kinds of natural materials presented in research papers that were written in Korean and are therefore virtually unknown overseas. The anti-cancer effects were confirmed by 2–3 cancer markers in the majority of the studies, with the most common targets being breast cancer cells and gastric cancer cells. These cancers have the greatest incidence in South Korea. The natural materials studied not only exhibit anti-cancer activity but also display anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress, and anti-diabetic activities. They have not yet been used for the direct treatment of disease but have potential as medicinal materials for alternative and complementary medicine for the treatment of many modern diseases. Many natural materials of South Korea are already known all over the world, and with this study, we hope to further future research to learn more about these natural medicines.