My initial foray into the abstracts leads me to believe that ecdysterone is actually anti-carcinogenic helping to lead to cancer cell aptosis.
Ecdysterone Modulates Antitumor Activity of Cytostatics and Biosynthesis of Macromolecules in Tumor-Bearing Mice
N. P. Konovalova, Yu. I. Mitrokhin, L. M. Volkova, L. I. Sidorenko and I. N. Todorov
Abstract
The influence of therapeutic and half doses of cisplatin and adriamycin combination with the anabolic drug ecdysterone (20-hydroecdison) on development of subcutaneously and intraperitoneally transplanted P388 and L1210 leukemia and metastasizing B16 melanoma was studied. Ecdysterone significantly stimulated the chemotherapeutic effect of low doses of the cytostatics: inhibition of tumor growth, mice survival rate, their lifespan, and the antimetastatic activity index were comparable or better than after therapy with high doses of the antitumor drugs. The influence of high and low doses of cisplatin and its low dose in combination with ecdysterone on the dynamics of protein and DNA biosynthesis in the liver, pancreas, thymus, spleen, and adrenals of tumor-bearing mice were also studied. Although the therapeutic effect of 4 mg/kg cisplatin by activated protein biosynthesis and DNA repair is comparable or better than that of its low dose (2 mg/kg) in combination with ecdysterone, in terms of chemotherapy the combination looks preferable since the therapeutic dose of cisplatin is toxic for the intact tissues.
________________________________________________
This is from a patent filing, note that beta-ecdysterone is listed for possible inclusion in a cancer therapy treatment:
Compositions of botanical extracts for cancer therapy
United States Patent Application 20050208070
The compositions can also be formulated with other active ingredients, such as anti-oxidants, vitamins (A, C, ascorbic acid, B's, such as B1, thiamine, B6, pyridoxine, B complex, biotin, choline, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, B12, cyanocobalamin, and/or B2, D, D2, D3, calciferol, E, such as tocopherol, riboflavin, K, K1, K2). Preferred compounds, include, e.g creatine monohydrate, pyruvate, L-Carnitine, α-lipoic acid, Phytin or Phytic acid, Co Enzyme Q10, NADH, NAD, D-ribose, amino acids such as L-glutamine, Lysine, chrysin; pre-hormones such as 4-androstenedione, 5-androstenedione, 4(or 5-)androstenediol, 19-nor-4 (or 5-)-androstenedione, 19-nor-4 (or 5-)-androstenediol, Beta-ecdysterone, and 5-Methyl-7-Methoxy Isoflavone. Preferred active ingredients include, e.g., pine pollen, fructus lycii, Hippophae rhamnoides, Ligusticum, Acanthopanax, Astragalus, Ephedra, codonopsis, polygola tenuifolia Willd, Lilium, Sparganiuma , ginseng, panax notogiseng, Garcinia , Guggle, Grape Seed Extract or powder, and/or Ginkgo Biloba.
___________________________________________________________
Not related to cancer but I found this interesting as mitochondrial maintenance/support supplementation is a focus of life extension supplementation.
Rhaponticum carthamoides ( Leuzea carthamoides , or Maral Root) contains a mixture of compounds called ‘levseins’. Levseins represents a complex of more than 10 ecdysterones including 20-beta-ecdysterone, makisterone C, 24-dehydromakisterone A, carthamosterone, polypodyne B and ajugasterone C. Researchers extracted and purified various ecdysteroids from Rhaponticum and found that the ecdysteroids increased the muscle mass in a dose-dependent manner, with the rate of increase proportional to the ecdysteroids content. Ecdysteroids normalize NADH dehydrogenase activity, enzyme which catalyses NADH electron transfer to the ubiquinone in the oxidative phosphorylation processes at the mitochondrial level, contributing to buildup the electrochemical potential used to produce ATP. It also normalizes the succinate dehydrogenase activity, enzyme which acts in the tricarboxilic acid cycle, which translates in ATP synthesis and patient energy level increases [Tashmukhamedova M A, Almatov K T, Syrov V N. Comparative study of the effect of ecdysterone, turkesterone and nerobol on the function of rat liver mitochondria in experimental diabetes. Vopr Med Khim. 1986; 32:24-8]. Incorporation of this phytomedicine provides at least 10 active principles in a single therapeutic.
There were some other papers relating to cancer cell aptosis and ecdysterone, but I didn't have access to the full text and ecdysterone's role wasn't covered in the abstract.
. I think I'll wait for vaughn to refute the claims and/or add new evidence to the contrary before I start taking my ecdy. I'd also still like to know why 95% pure extract isn't supposed to come in contact with your skin. I had hoped for someone to make me feel good about taking the ecdy, but saying "I'll die young, and bring it" isn't exactly the comfort I was looking for lol.
