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Herbal remedies against gastric cancer in experimental rats

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Abstract

Gastric cancer is the fourth most prevalent cancer worldwide, which claims more than 700,000 lives every year. However, the current chemical and surgical management of this mortal cancer remains far from successful. A recent safe approach to preventing or treating tumorigenesis has been the re-introduction of traditional herbal medicine, taking advantage of efficient, yet natural healthy products. In this review, we have focused on a number of such popular agents, mostly introduced by the Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which have exhibited highly significant preventive/therapeutic effects against various gastric pathologies, ranging from gastritis to premalignant lesions and confirmed malignancies, in experimental rats. The underlying mechanisms of action seem to concentrate on shifting the balance between in vivo oxidant and anti-oxidant activities. In addition, the existing reports on the potential toxicity of these compounds, as well as their interactions with chemical drugs, have been presented. However, far more details are required to recommend herbal medicine as an effective and reliable plan of action in gastric cancer management.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a technical assistance grant (IRN‑072), which was co‑funded by the Islamic Development Bank, Saudi Arabia and Pasteur Institute of Iran.

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  1. Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

    Aidin Shojaee Tabrizi

  2. HPGC Group, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, No. 69 Pasteur Blvd., 13164, Tehran, Iran

    Marjan Mohammadi

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Correspondence to Marjan Mohammadi.

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Shojaee Tabrizi, A., Mohammadi, M. Herbal remedies against gastric cancer in experimental rats. Comp Clin Pathol 26, 291–297 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-016-2239-8

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