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The
attractive autumn crocus is the source of the deadly poison, colchicine.
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Who would believe that such an attractive flower could contain the deadly poison colchicine. The extreme toxicity of the Colchicum plant
has been known since the times of ancient Greece, but in the fifth century,
herbalists in the Byzantine Empire discovered it could be used to treat
rheumatism and arthritis, and the Arabs began to use it for gout. Today it
is only used to treat gout. Its anticancer properties have been researched
since the 1930s due to its ability to inhibit cell division and mitosis, but
further development has been prevented due its high level of toxicity (Addink
p.1). Scientists from Uzbekistan have recently made a breakthrough and
developed an effective cream using a colchicine derivative for the treatment
of skin cancer (Uzland p.1).
Colchicine
is a soluble alkaloid extract from Colchicum autumnale also known as autumn
crocus, meadow saffron or itkuchala in Uzbekistan which means ‘dog
poison’ (healthy.net p.1). In Europe in the period between the 7th - 14th
centuries, it was used by the upper classes more than the poor due to their
high consumption of meat and alcohol in addition to their use of water
pipes. At a time when traditional herbalists were mainly women in Europe,
the herb became associated with witchcraft along with many other herbs that
were not considered a part of academic medicine. The rebirth of colchicine
occurred when it was rediscovered by Baron Von Stork in 1763 who included it
in his patent medicine L’eau du Sang, but colchicine’s bad press placed
its common use underground as its general usage was frowned upon by the
medical community (Shwartz p.3).
Poison
a Cure for Skin Cancer?
Today,
colchicine has found an application in the growing skin cancer problem.
Incidences of invasive skin cancer have increased from a rate of 3.5 per
100,000 in 1979 to 10.5 per 100,000 in 1998. Cases of malignant lesions have
almost doubled in all parts of the world. Professor Rona Mackie who led a
Scottish study on skin cancer found that there had been a steady and
continuing rise in the incidence of invasive melanoma in both sexes that was
more rapid in men than in women (Duckworth p.1, 2).
Colchicine
prevents cell mitosis, the basis of years of anticancer research on this
herb in the West since the 1930s. France began in-vitro research into skin
cancer in 1998 (freehealing p.1). Positive results at the Uzbek Health
Ministry’s National Oncology Research Center have shown their latest
discovery to be effective. Zulfiya Enikeera, head of the laboratory of
antimitotic preparations at the Ministry of Health and Oncology Research
Center, has named the colchicine derivative Decocine. Tests on elderly
volunteers with basal cell carcinoma recovered after receiving treatment
from this cream-based product. It was also found to be effective in
some cases of rectal and genital cancer. Enikeera had harvested the herb in
early spring using the stems, leaves and flowers to extract the colchicine.
In whole plant-based medicine it is considered that using the whole plant
and not part of a plant in treatment is more effective, as the various
properties in each part of the plant interact and counter-interact thus
being more capable of balancing each other out.
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In
gout, crystallized sodium urate deposits in the joints causing
inflammation and pain.
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Decocine damages the tumor proteins and prevents their metabolism. It
is less toxic than colchicine and another derivative colchamine. The
antitumor activity is 20-70% more potent than colchicine and colchamine.
Enikeera commented that Decocine has a toxicity which is 50-60 times lower
than the toxicity of colchicine and 4 –5 times lower than that of
colchamaine. Decocine is applied according to the patient. A course of
treatment can last up to 18 months with doses of 10-15mg at varying
concentrations of 2 –5% (healthy.net p.1, 2). Doctor of Biology and
Sciences Z. Yenikeyera reported that the laboratory has already developed
over 70 new anticancer substances with tests underway (Uzland p.1). This is
indeed a triumph, as the elderly are highly sensitive to prescribed
colchicine: Col-Benemid, Col-Probenecid and Proben-C in the case of gout.
Side effects include irregular or fast breathing, puffing and swelling of
eyelids, changes in skin color and hives or itching (Medline p.6).
Less than 2mg of the pure colchicine seed are deadly to a child. One flower
contains 12 mg of colchicine, a tuber contains 60 mg and a single seed
3.5mg. An overdose can cause cessation of cell division damaging
nerves and thus resulting in multi-organ failure. (Addink p.1).
Gout
comes under the generic modern day medical term, CPDD, Calcium Pyrophosphate
Reposition Disease which includes osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
CPDD occurs generally as a result of aging and genetic factors though its
etiology still remains unknown. Over 50% of 85-year olds in the U.S have
CPDD. It can start as early as 40 years of age manifesting in the form of
metabolic disturbances (Saadeh p.1, 2, 6). Gout is the result of an
unbalanced uric acid metabolism that leads to excess uric acid, which
becomes crystallized sodium urate and then deposits in the joints causing
inflammation and pain. The FDA approves the medicinal use of colchicine only
for gout. If poisoning occurs, the toxic dose only takes 2 – 5 hours
before the symptoms set in. The symptoms include burning in the mouth,
throat, diarrhea, stomach ache, vomiting and finally kidney failure.
An end stage of respiratory failure results in death (Biotech p. 1).
For
such a dangerous alkaloid, it will be interesting to see what developments
take place. The fact that a course of treatment with Decocine only requires
up to 18 months is an achievement. It has been used in veterinary medicine
for the treatment of cancer and cancer research for the preparation of cell
cultures. Maybe this is one case where a derivative can provide man with
long-term benefits without the consequences of damaging side effects.
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