Black topical salve contains1:
* graviola
According to Alpha Omega Laboratories, the manufacturer of Cansema® Black Topical Salve, zinc chloride is included in the formula to “increase the antineoplastic and antiviral activity of nordihydroguaiaretic acid” which is the active component of chaparral. They state that the effect has “long been known” although the mechanism is yet to be elucidated2.
Metallozymes found in the body such as copper/zinc-dependent superoxide dismutase catalyse the breakdown of superoxide anions to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide3. Superoxide anions are a free radical, and one of their damaging effects is increased cell proliferation. A mechanism by which NDGA is said to prevent cancer formation is by its ability to scavenge free radicals in redox reactions. One major source of oxidative stress is the metabolism of arachidonic acid3, and NDGA blocks pathways involved in this by inhibiting the enzymes lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase. It has been shown that zinc at low concentrations can inhibit the activity of 5-lipoxygenase and 12-lipoxygenase4 so perhaps the effect of zinc is to provide additive inhibition, but hard evidence to support the claim made by Alpha Omega Laboratories about the adjuvant effect is lacking.
Interestingly, zinc promotes repair of damaged cells by increasing DNA synthesis and stimulating cell proliferation, and this activity is antagonised by NDGA because of its action in preventing arachidonic acid production. Zinc levels are increased in the presence of arachidonic acid5, 6.
Zinc is also contained in Cansema® Tonic I and Cansema® Capsules.
Galangal root (Alpinia officinarum)
According to Alpha Omega Laboratories, the manufacturer of Cansema® Black Topical Salve, galangal root (Figure 17) is “an adjuvant to the overall action of chaparral” 2.
Galangal extract has been used as a preservative in meat due to its ability to inhibit lipid oxidation8.
A diarylheptanoid 7-(4’-hydroxy-3’-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-hept-4-en-3-one, extracted from galangal, blocks the activity of the enzymes lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase9, 10 and downregulates the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 messenger RNA in vitro10. It may thus provide additive effects with nordihydroguaiaretic acid (see Chaparral).
Galangal contains a mixture of
flavonoids; the three main ones include galangin, quercetin and kaempferol11.
Galangin has
been shown to be antimutagenic in vivo against alkylating agents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
and radiomimetic agents. In addition to this, in oestrogen-receptor positive
breast cancer, galangin decreases tumour
proliferation9. Quercetin and kaempferol
are inhibitors of the enzyme fatty acid synthase
(FAS). Activity of this enzyme is related to some human diseases, including tumours, where it is vital to growth and survival. FAS is
often highly expressed in cancerous cells but not in normal tissues, which
means that targeting FAS with selective inhibitors would not harm normal cells,
and it has been suggested that “the strong
inhibitory activity of alcoholic galangal extract towards FAS … opens up
excellent prospects for its application as an anti-cancer agent” 11. However, at this stage most of the data available
is in vitro or animal data and thus
theoretical.
Galangal is used as a spice7 and the United
States Food and Drug Administration classifies lesser galangal as “generally
regarded as safe” (21 CFR Section 182.10, 182.20)10, so inclusion of galangal in Cansema®
products should not create problems with toxicity.
Galangal root is also contained in Cansema® Tonic I and Cansema® Capsules.
Glycerine is included in Black Topical Salve as a humectant, to keep the product moist1.
Alpha Omega Laboratories, the manufacturers of the Cansema® range, describe their Deep Tissue formula as “the result of two years of experimentation to increase the transdermal properties for applications where greater depth through the dermal layers is desirable or necessary”. They go on to explain instances in which enhanced penetration power may be required, such as for tumours found on the palm, ball of foot or other area of the body where the epidermis is thicker, or if growths are located in underlying tissue and will not be reached by the Original Formula 12.
The Deep Tissue formula contains the same cancerolytic ingredients as the Original Formula, in addition to Emu oil and dimethyl sulphoxide12. To find out what additional qualities these additives impart to the salve, click the links below:
Emu oil is available in over-the-counter preparations usually marketed as moisturisers. It is a highly lipophilic substance, and it has been suggested that inclusion of this oil in lotions allows deeper penetration of the layers of the skin because it acts as a transcutaneous carrier13. It has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and contradictory effects on wound healing and cellular regeneration14. If applied immediately after a wound has been inflicted, healing is delayed, however application after inflammation has reduced (usually two days or so) promotes epithelialisation and keratinocyte proliferation by stimulating mitosis13, 14. Perhaps of most interest is that the application of Emu oil does not appear to cause adverse effects13.
Dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO)
DMSO (Figure 115) was one of the first
penetration enhancers to be developed, and as such is probably the most widely
studied. If it is spilled on the skin, it can be tasted in the mouth within
seconds, and it is also extremely effective for promoting the permeation of
both hydrophilic and lipophilic substances. DMSO interacts with lipid domains
of the stratum corneum by binding to the head group of phospholipids in the
skin’s lipid bilayer to distort the packing geometry.
Usually a concentration exceeding 60% is required to optimally enhance
penetration of active substances but this concentrated a solution can cause
erythema and skin damage15. In Deep Tissue
Formula, DMSO is included at a concentration of 15%12,
which is probably insufficient to cause permanent damage or troublesome
irritation.
Interestingly, DMSO is an inhibitor of histone deacetylation (HDAC) (see Figure 216). It has been shown that deacetylation of histone proteins can repress transcription of tumour suppressor genes, and so DMSO may have a role in increasing transcription of genes which arrest cell growth and/or cause apoptosis16.
Figure 2:
Inhibition of HDAC by DMSO results in transcription of genes causing cell
cycle arrest, cell differentiation and apoptosis
Alpha Omega Laboratories, the manufacturers of the Cansema® range, noticed that “those who pretreat an area with Lugol's often have a shorter escharisation phase”17. They go on to mention that the mechanism for this is “little more than [an] educated guess” 17 although “it may serve to eliminate viral or even pleomorphic organisms that assists in 'triggering' cancinogenesis or its later stages, assisting other cancerolytic agents in better doing their job” 17.
Its ability to penetrate the stratum corneum is greater than the Original Formula but not the Deep Tissue Formula.
Cansema® Salve with Iodine is prepared by adding 20% Lugol’s Solution to the Original Formula. Lugol’s solution consists of, by weight17:
· 10% potassium iodide
· 5% iodine crystal
· 85% distilled water
There is no evidence regarding the ability of iodide to enhance cancerolytic action of any of the other ingredients in the salve, or to have cancerolytic properties on its own. It has been shown that iodine decreases the formation of superoxide anions18 (Wagner 2004), and that iodine deficiency may cause oxidative stress, increasing levels of H2O219. As some ingredients in the formula such as chaparral have antioxidant activity, iodine may have an additive effect.
Solutions of povidone-iodine with concentrations exceeding 1% are cytotoxic18. This formula does come with the precaution that it should not be applied to an area of skin larger than 2 cm2 17.
References
Searched: Google http://www.google.com
Keywords: Cansema
Searched: Scirus http://www.scirus.com
Keywords: Cansema
Searched: PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Keywords: nordihydroguaiaretic
acid AND zinc
Limits: English, Medline
Searched: PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Keywords: nordihydroguaiaretic
acid AND zinc
Limits: English, Medline
Searched: PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Keywords: nordihydroguaiaretic
acid AND zinc
Limits: English, Medline
Searched: PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Keywords: nordihydroguaiaretic
acid AND zinc
Limits: English, Medline
Searched: Google
Images http://www.google.com.au/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi&q=)
Keywords: galangal
Searched: PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Keywords: galangal
Limits: English, Medline
Searched: PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Keywords: Alpinia officinarum
Limits: English, Medline
Searched: PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Keywords: Alpinia officinarum
Limits: English, Medline
Searched: PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Keywords: Alpinia officinarum
Limits: English, Medline
Searched: Scirus http://www.scirus.com
Keywords: Cansema
Searched: PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Keywords: “emu oil”
Limits: English, Medline
Searched: Scirus http://www.scirus.com
Keywords: “emu oil”
Limits: web pages only
Searched: Science Direct http://www.sciencedirect.com
Keywords: “dimethyl sulphoxide”
AND skin
Limits: abstract OR title OR keywords
Searched: PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Keywords: “dimethyl sulphoxide”
AND skin
Limits: English, Medline
Searched: Scirus http://www.scirus.com
Keywords: Cansema
Searched: Scirus http://www.scirus.com
Keywords: iodine AND [melanoma OR tumour OR
cancer]
Limits: journal articles only
Searched: Scirus http://www.scirus.com
Keywords: iodine AND [melanoma OR tumour OR
cancer]
Limits: journal articles only