Nigerian drug accredited as cancer remedy

There appears to be imminent
breakthrough in the fight against
cancer, an incurable ailment that is
currently ravaging the whole world.



A product by a Nigerian phytho-
medicinal researcher, Ben Amodu, a
pharmacist, in association with
Halamin Herbal Centre here in Nigeria
may perform the magic. In a recent
work by the Department of
Environmental and Interdisciplinary
Services in the Texas Southern
University, Houston, is rekindling
people’s hopes of a cure for the
deadly disease.

The work and imminent breakthrough
was revealed by Syntia Kwende and
Momoh Yakubu to show that cancer,
the dreadful disease would soon
succumb to the drug combination
coming from the Herbal Centre.
Amodu, a pharmacist, recently
revealed in Abuja in a paper from the
university that contains result of the
research. The result is that of: “Anti-
proliferative and Cytotoxic Evaluation
of Herbal Supplement SAABFAT6 on
HT29 Colorectal Adenocarcinoma
Cells
Syntia Kwende and Momoh.
He said that “the consumption of
herbal supplements has been one of
the remedies for several aliments
including cancer for a long time.

Cancers, especially colorectal
adenocarcinoma are diseases with
high morbidity and mortality and are
often associated with suffering and
poor quality of life. Herbal
supplements are attractive cancer
therapy. We have investigated the
anti-proliferative and cytotoxic
properties of the herbal supplement
SAABFAT6 on colorectal
Adenocarcinoma cell (HT29). Ethanol
extracts of SAABFAT6 (0.5 —mg/mL)
was incubated with HT29 and in vitro
anti-proliferative/cytotoxicity
activities were evaluated using MIT
assay.

“Also, treatment of HT29 with
SABFAT6 significantly reduces
cellular proliferation at 48 and 72 but
not at 24 hours except for 2 mg/mL
concentration. Cytotoxic evaluation
showed significant reduction in cell
viability at 24 and 48 hrs (2 mg/mL)
and at 48 hrs (0.5 and 1 mg/mL). This
preliminary result indicates that
SAABFAT6 supplement may have a
potential for the regulation of HT29
growth and survival. Further study is
required to identify the mechanism(s)
by which the anti-proliferative and
cytotoxic effects of SAABFAT6 is
mediated.”

Amodu who is also the director and
chief researcher of the Centre
disclosed that similar researches
were carried out in the Nigerian
Institute of Pharmaceutical Research
and Development (NIPRID) in Abuja,
which according to him, showed that
his product combinations has remedy
for cancer. The phytho-medicinal
researcher added that his products
when taken to America had been
found to have curing capacity of over
75% of cancers of the lung, colon and
pancreas.

Amodu challenged the media to do
justice to the publicity of the latest
development in the health sector. He
therefore boasted that Nigeria would
be in the fore-front of herbal tourism in
the world. The pharmacist also
informed that the result of his
research was the first time a non-
chemical could be classified as
chemotherapeutic agent, and urged
the government to use the
achievement to diversify the economy.
Another paper on the research from
the university read indicated that the
consumption of herbal supplements
has been one of the remedies for
several ailments including cancer for
a long time.

In another development, Abuja Metro
found that a lead paper delivered by
Yakubu Momoh on the drug at the
Boston Conference, USA attracted
over 1600 scientists.