The Antitumor Effects of Turtle Shell and Turtle Blood

The Chinese soft-shelled turtle is all treasure: both turtle shell (biejia) and turtle blood (biexue) can be used as medicine, and both have antitumor effects. Besides antitumor action, turtle shell and turtle blood have other effects. This article mainly introduces the anticancer action of turtle shell and turtle blood; other effects are mentioned in passing. Readers who want details on turtle shell and turtle blood may consult the relevant Chinese materia medica literature themselves.

Turtle shell has a long history of use against tumors. The "Jingui Yaolue" already records Biejia Jian Wan, specifically for treating "malarial mother" (nüemu). In the chapter "On the Pulse, Symptoms and Treatment of Malarial Diseases, Part Four" of the "Jingui Yaolue," it is recorded: "When malaria begins on the first day of the month, it should be cured by the fifteenth; if not resolved, it should be resolved by month's end; if still not resolved, what then? The Master says: this has congealed into a mass called malarial mother; treat it urgently, preferably with Biejia Jian Wan."

Biejia Jian Wan is the most composition-heavy formula among classical formulas, with 23 herbs: Biejia, Wushe, Huangqin, Chaihu, Shufu, Ganjiang, Dahuang, Shaoyao, Guizhi, Tinglizi, Shiwei, Houpo, Mudanpi, Qumai, Ziwei, Ejiao, Fengmi, Chixiao, Qianglang, Taoren, Banxia, Renshen, Tubiechong, and so on. But turtle shell is the chief herb, so the formula is named after it.

This is a commonly used formula for benign and malignant tumors and cirrhosis. Today it is more often used to treat cirrhosis, hepatosplenomegaly, liver cancer, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts and other benign and malignant tumors matching the "malarial mother" pattern. Many manufacturers produce Biejia Jian Wan or Renshen Biejia Jian Wan; their prescriptions all follow the Biejia Jian Wan formula in the "Jingui Yaolue."

Modern pharmacology has confirmed that Biejia Jian Wan can inhibit fibrous proliferation, promote degradation and absorption of collagen fibers, improve liver function, have a therapeutic effect on experimental cirrhosis, and regulate to some extent the immune dysfunction of liver disease patients. It also lowers hepatic venous pressure and improves intrahepatic blood circulation.

TCM formulas with many herbs are often criticized in TCM circles. But in fact, from Zhang Zhongjing's Biejia Jian Wan we can see that as early as the Han Dynasty, TCM used very complex large formulas to treat cirrhosis, liver cancer and such diseases. This is because such diseases were already medical problems in that era and could not be solved by simple prescriptions.

Modern pharmacology has also confirmed that turtle shell itself has antitumor and antimutagenic effects. Oral turtle shell powder inhibits transplanted mouse carcinoma MH134, reducing tumor diameter and markedly lowering tumor weight. But it has no significant effect on ascites carcinoma. Turtle shell also inhibits human intestinal cancer cells; oral turtle shell powder alone can inhibit intestinal cancer progression, with an inhibition rate as high as 92.15%, and tumor necrosis area reaching 67%.

Turtle shell is also an excellent blood-tonifying herb; taking turtle shell powder or turtle shell glue can markedly increase hemoglobin. In addition, turtle shell has anti-hepatic-fibrosis action and can be used to treat cirrhosis.

Traditional TCM holds that turtle shell also nourishes yin and clears fever, and anchors yang and extinguishes wind. It can be used for yin deficiency fever, consumptive fever with steaming bones, damage of yin in febrile disease, internal stirring of deficient wind, and infantile convulsions. Many famous formulas that nourish yin and clear fever, such as Qinghao Biejia Tang, Huangqi Biejia San and Qinjiao Biejia San, all use turtle shell.

According to traditional TCM, turtle blood also both nourishes yin and treats malarial mother. In "Dream of the Red Chamber," Cao Xueqin mentions that Chaihu harasses liver yin, but Chaihu stir-fried with turtle blood does not have that drawback. The ancients also used turtle blood to treat low-grade fever from yin deficiency, hypochondriac pain, deviation of the mouth and eye, and rectal prolapse.

But modern pharmacology confirms that turtle blood's main actions are anticancer and immunomodulatory. Turtle blood strongly inhibits cancer cells: against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, S180 and P388 ascites-type tumor cells, the inhibition rates are all above 90%. Turtle serum has the best anticancer effect; after heating, turtle blood's anticancer activity drops sharply. Keeping turtle serum at 37°C and 50°C for more than 10 minutes lowers its anticancer activity from 88.9% to 4.9%. So turtle blood works best for anticancer when drunk raw. Dialyzing turtle blood in physiological saline and making it into serum powder filled into capsules also does not affect its anticancer effect, but heating markedly destroys the anticancer action.

In addition, turtle blood raises immunity in a dose-dependent manner.