The Anti-Cancer and Anti-Leukemic Actions of the Chinese Herb Banzhilian (Scutellaria barbata)
Chinese herb Banzhilian (Scutellaria barbata D. Don) is the whole plant of a member of the genus Scutellaria (skullcap) in the mint family (Lamiaceae), and it is a commonly used herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for various tumor diseases. The flowers of Banzhilian closely resemble those of Huangqin (Scutellaria baicalensis), and the plants look similar, so in folk medicine in Jiangxi and neighboring regions it is also called wild Huangqin. Its rhizome resembles that of Xiakucao (Prunella vulgaris, self-heal), so in Zhejiang and other areas it also bears the alias wild Xiakucao. Like Baihuasheshecao (Oldenlandia diffusa), Banzhilian is a folk herb; it was not recorded in ancient TCM classics and only attracted the attention of clinical TCM physicians in modern times.
The most common folk uses of Banzhilian are to clear heat and detoxify, combat cancer and reduce swelling, cool the blood and stop bleeding; it is widely used in treating various cancers, cirrhotic ascites and lung abscess.
Modern pharmacological studies, through animal experiments, have also confirmed the anti-mutagenic, anti-cancer and anti-leukemic effects of Banzhilian. Banzhilian inhibits acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, and can effectively suppress epithelial dysplasia in rats with experimentally induced precancerous lesions of the tongue mucosa, lowering the positive rate of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and thus exerting an inhibitory effect on the abnormal proliferation of precancerous lesion cells.
Administering a compound Banzhilian preparation by gastric gavage at 10 g/kg can prevent diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver cancer in rats, inhibit precancerous lesions, delay the formation of liver tumors and reduce the incidence of liver cancer. The alcoholic extract of Banzhilian has a marked inhibitory effect on the human hepatoma cell line SMMC-7221, and the inhibition rate rises with increasing dose and longer exposure. Banzhilian can also antagonize the mutagenic effect of cigarette tar and protect lymphocyte DNA. In recent years some scholars have also used Banzhilian against Helicobacter pylori to prevent gastric cancer, with certain success.
Banzhilian additionally has immunomodulatory and anti-lipid-peroxidation effects; it scavenges oxygen free radicals and raises superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and thus has a certain anti-aging effect. It also has antibacterial and expectorant actions.
Judging from its pharmacology, the folk use of Banzhilian to combat cancer, reduce swelling, clear heat and detoxify is scientifically sound. Banzhilian can be applied externally or taken internally. For external use, fresh Banzhilian roots are usually pounded into a paste and applied to sores and ulcers on the body surface; fresh Banzhilian paste can also treat venomous snake bites. When applied externally, Banzhilian is often combined with heat-clearing and detoxifying herbs such as Pugongying (dandelion), Zihuadiding (Viola) and Yizhihuanghua (Solidago), or used alone, at a dose of 30–50 g. For internal use, either fresh or dried herb may be decocted; the usual adult dose of the dried herb is 15–30 g (the fresh dose should be increased), with children's doses reduced accordingly. However, many clinicians use 30–100 g of the dried Banzhilian when treating cancer.
Banzhilian is a broad-spectrum anti-cancer herb. In TCM treatment of various cancers and leukemias of the heat-toxin type, Banzhilian is almost always used. Even the veteran physician Sun Bingyan, who favored yang-supporting herbs, frequently used Banzhilian; in Dr. Zhang Renji's anti-cancer prescriptions, Banzhilian was often used at 50–100 g. I have heard of patients developing liver injury from overdosing on Banzhilian, but I have not observed this in my own practice.
Banzhilian has a certain analgesic effect. For patients with cancer pain, Dr. Zhang Renji commonly used Banzhilian; it also treats the distending and stabbing pain caused by fibroadenomas in patients with breast fibroadenoma, usually combined with Jinyinhua (honeysuckle), Yejuhua (wild chrysanthemum) and Gualou (Trichosanthes). Banzhilian has some therapeutic effect on patients with ascites, but usually requires high doses and long-term use to be effective.