Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema morifolium)

Flowers and leaves of the chrysanthemum herb are commonly consumed as tea and vegetables, respectively, in Chinese culture. Long valued for its pleasant aroma and flavour, chrysanthemum is traditionally known for its high antioxidant capacity that promotes overall health.

Modern research, however, has begun to shed light on the anticancer properties of chrysanthemum. Several compounds in chrysanthemum (i.e., luteolin, chlorogenic acid, rutin, quercetin, and apigenin) have been identified as binders of oestrogen and progesterone receptors of breast cancer cells. Occupying and blocking these receptors would prevent the breast tumour from exploiting the body’s hormonal signals to grow. Moreover, treating prostate cancer cells with chrysanthemum extracts has been shown to trigger widespread apoptotic cell death. Chrysanthemum extracts have also been found to exert anticancer effects in gastric, colon, liver, lung, and bone cancer cells.

Interestingly, chrysanthemum has a unique ability to reverse the drug resistance of cancer cells, which is a major hindrance to successful chemotherapy. Two studies have found that chrysanthemum treatment sensitised multidrug-resistant breast cancer cells to doxorubicin and docetaxel, which are common chemotherapeutic drugs that stop cancer growth. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that chrysanthemum blocks P glycoprotein, a pump that cancer cells use to expel chemotherapy drugs. This blockage allows more of the chemotherapeutic drug to remain inside the tumour cells, increasing its efficacy without the need to increase dosage.

Chrysanthemum has also been tested in several human clinical trials, primarily for joint and metabolic conditions, where it has demonstrated favourable health effects without serious safety concerns. While it has not yet been tested in cancer patients, the strong preclinical evidence supports its potential use as a complementary therapy in oncology.

For readers interested in the broader health effects of this plant, we explore them in more detail here

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