Natural and herbal medicine for breast cancer using Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most common invasive cancers in women and also afflicts a small percentage of men. Numerous treatment methods have been developed for breast cancer, including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, palliative care, surgery, targeted cancer therapy, etc. However, these methods are often accompanied by toxic side effects impacting the patient’s normal cells and overall health condition. Herbs and spices offer an alternative solution for breast cancer treatment, with bioactive components such as alkaloids, flavonoids, anthocyanin, phenylopropanoids, and terpenes that can inhibit biological processes associated with breast cancer cell growth. Spices such as Zingiber officinale (Ginger), Crocus sativus (Saffron), Cinnamomum cassia (Cinnamomum), Elettaria cardamom (Cardamom), Piper nigrum (Black pepper), Nigella sativa (Black cumin), Allium cepa (Onion), Mentha (Mint leaves) and others are used in traditional Ayurvedic treatments to prevent/inhibit cancer cell growth. Spices are a common element of the human diet that can be consumed at safe doses with few side effects. As with many spices, cardamom has been demonstrated to have antioxidant properties and shows chemopreventive activity in the prevention and inhibition of breast cancer growth. It contains the compounds DCM (diindolylmethane) and IC3 (indole-3-carbinol). It is also commonly used spice and has cancer chemopreventive potential. Cardamom DCM and IC3 compounds can kill breast cancer cells and inhibit proliferation. These compounds also provide additional anti-cancer benefits by promoting host immune responses. Various studies have suggested that daily consumption of cardamom can help prevent breast cancer. This review provides a broad outline on cardamom including its history, biochemical properties and medical uses in humans. We also highlight the ability of cardamom to inhibit breast cancer cells in vitro and review its use in animal experiments and human clinical trials. This paper gives an overview of the prevention of breast cancer using cardamom and provides a list of clinical trials using cardamom to help both allopathic physicians and researchers for further study.