The Anti-Cancer and Analgesic Effects of Yiyeqiu (Securinega suffruticosa)
Yiyeqiu (Securinega suffruticosa) is the tender leafy branch or root of the plant Securinega suffruticosa (family Euphorbiaceae, genus Securinega). It is a folk herb commonly used in China. It dispels wind and activates blood, and supplements the kidneys and strengthens the sinews; it is mainly used for rheumatic lower-back pain, impotence, tinnitus, deafness, facial paralysis, and sequelae of poliomyelitis. Modern research has found that Yiyeqiu can also treat menopausal syndrome, improving hot flashes, dizziness, irritability, fatigue, and joint pain in menopausal women.
Yiyeqiu is widely distributed in Northeast and East China, and in Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Shanxi, and Taiwan. The tender leafy branches are best harvested from May to July: cut the green leafy twigs, tie them into small bundles, and dry in the shade. The root can be harvested year-round; after harvesting, slice and sun-dry for medicinal use. Yiyeqiu is an uncommon herb and is not sold in ordinary pharmacies; it may be available at herbal wholesale markets or online. Yiyeqiu tablets made from the herb's active ingredients were once on the market, but are now hard to find.
Euphorbiaceae plants are all toxic, though Yiyeqiu's toxicity is relatively low. When decocted for oral use, the adult daily dose is 6–15g. Overdose causes poisoning, whose main reactions include tonic convulsions and seizures, and even death from respiratory failure. Therefore, when using Yiyeqiu clinically, start with a small dose and closely observe the patient for adverse reactions; stop the medicine at the first mild adverse reaction, and after the reaction subsides, resume at a reduced dose and continue observation.
Yiyeqiu is a natural medicine with anti-cancer activity. Securinine has in vitro anti-tumor effects; it can induce apoptosis in P53-deficient human colon cancer HCT-116 cells, with an apoptosis rate of 73% and a median lethal dose of 17.5 mmol/L. Its mechanism relates to inducing the P53 protein family member P73, while protecting normal cells that express P53. Securinine also markedly inhibits the proliferation of the human acute promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60, human leukemia K562 cells, human glioma SHG-44 cells, and the human osteosarcoma cell line HOS-8603, in a dose-dependent manner. When securinine is combined with cyclophosphamide, its tumor-inhibiting effect is enhanced. Another alkaloid in Yiyeqiu, d-securinine, can inhibit the proliferation of mouse melanoma B16 cells, and its inhibitory effect on K562 and HL-60 proliferation is stronger than that of securinine.
As an herb with both anti-cancer and analgesic effects, Yiyeqiu can be used to treat cancer patients with cancer pain, as well as those not yet experiencing cancer pain. But used alone its effect is limited; it must be combined with other anti-cancer drugs.