Astragalus

A natural product commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine herbal mixtures may help to improve quality of life, manage side effects, and treat certain cancers.

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This section does not replicate the other information on this topic but provides additional details or context most relevant to professionals.

Modes of action: systemic immunity

Astragalus may prevent metastasis and promote the efficacy of chemotherapy by improving systemic immunity¹Li S, Sun Y et al. Anti-tumor effects and mechanisms of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) and its specific immunopotentiation: status and prospect. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2020 Aug 10;258:112797.

Preclinical evidence 

Notable preclinical evidence is listed here; clinical evidence is in How can astragalus help you? What the research says ›

Improving treatment outcomes

• Greater effects of pemetrexed disodium (used in some lung cancers, especially with metastases) or gemcitabine (used with breast, ovarian, non-small cell lung, and pancreatic cancers), possibly allowing for reduced dose and toxicity without sacrificing treatment effectiveness²Chu Z, Wang Z, Liu T, Xiong S, Liu B. Evaluation of the effects of astragalus membranaceus on the pharmacokinetics of pemetrexed disodium and gemcitabine in rats by a simple high-performance liquid chromatography/UV method. Journal of Analytical Methods in Chemistry. 2019 Apr 28;2019:3162426.
• Less proliferation and more apoptosis in bladder cancer, glioma, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, osteosarcoma, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and gastric adenocarcinoma³Ong SKL, Shanmugam MK et al. Focus on formononetin: anticancer potential and molecular targets. Cancers (Basel). 2019;11(5):611; Auyeung KK, Woo PK, Law PC, Ko JK. Astragalus saponins modulate cell invasiveness and angiogenesis in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2012 Jun 1;141(2):635-41.
• Breast cancer: less cell proliferation, including in chemo-resistant breast cancer cells, without killing normal cells, in combination with Hedyotis diffusa, Curcuma zedoaria (Christm.) Rosc. and Glycyrrhiza uralensis⁴Wang N, Yang B et al. Network pharmacology-based validation of caveolin-1 as a key mediator of Ai Du Qing inhibition of drug resistance in breast cancer. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2018 Oct 2;9:1106.
• Colorectal cancer: less proliferation with FOLFOX 4, and more cytotoxicity of 5-FU⁵Chen M, May BH, Zhou IW, Xue CC, Zhang AL. FOLFOX 4 combined with herbal medicine for advanced colorectal cancer: a systematic review. Phytotherapy Research. 2014;28(7):976–991.
• Liver cancer: less metastasis and proliferation and more apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells⁶Auyeung KK, Woo PK, Law PC, Ko JK. Astragalus saponins modulate cell invasiveness and angiogenesis in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2012 Jun 1;141(2):635-41.
• Ovarian cancer:
  • Slower growth of stage 1 tumors, but not stage 2 or 3 tumors, in mice when combined with curcumin as an adjuvant treatment to cisplatinum⁷Yin G, Tang D et al. Combination efficacy of Astragalus membranaceus and Curcuma wenyujin at different stages of tumor progression in an imageable orthotopic nude mouse model of metastatic human ovarian cancer expressing red fluorescent protein. Anticancer Research. 2015 Jun;35(6):3193-207.
  • More apoptosis and less migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells treated with formononetin, an extract of astragalus⁸Zhang J, Liu L et al. Formononetin, an isoflavone from Astragalus membranaceus inhibits proliferation and metastasis of ovarian cancer cells. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2018 Jul 15;221:91-99.
  • Ovarian cancer cells more sensitive to cisplatin⁹Li C, Hong L et al. Astragalus polysaccharides increase the sensitivity of SKOV3 cells to cisplatin. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2018 Feb;297(2):381-386.
  • Weak cytotoxicity against ovarian cancer cells in lab studies with Astragalus kahiricus¹⁰Radwan MM, El-Sebakhy NA, Asaad AM, Toaima SM, Kingston DG. Kahiricosides II-V, cycloartane glycosides from an Egyptian collection of Astragalus kahiricus. Phytochemistry. 2004 Nov;65(21):2909-13.

Optimizing your body terrain

• Anti-inflammatory action in reviews¹¹Ong SKL, Shanmugam MK et al. Focus on formononetin: anticancer potential and molecular targets. Cancers (Basel). 2019;11(5):611; Dong J, Liang W et al. Saponins regulate intestinal inflammation in colon cancer and IBD. Pharmacological Research. 2019;144:66–72.
• Immune support or modulation in reviews and meta-analyses¹²Chen M, May BH, Zhou IW, Xue CC, Zhang AL. FOLFOX 4 combined with herbal medicine for advanced colorectal cancer: a systematic review. Phytotherapy Research. 2014;28(7):976–991; Chen M, May BH et al. Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy combined with traditional medicines for neutropenia in colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of the contributions of specific plants. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. 2016;105:18–34; Dong J, Liang W et al. Saponins regulate intestinal inflammation in colon cancer and IBD. Pharmacological Research. 2019;144:66–72; Denzler K, Moore et al. Characterization of the physiological response following in vivo administration of Astragalus membranaceus. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2016;2016:6861078; Li S, Sun Y et al. Anti-tumor effects and mechanisms of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) and its specific immunopotentiation: status and prospect. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2020 Aug 10;258:112797.
• Antioxidant activity in reviews and meta-analyses¹³Chen MH, May BH, Zhou IW, Zhang AL, Xue CC. Integrative medicine for relief of nausea and vomiting in the treatment of colorectal cancer using oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytotherapy Research. 2016;30(5):741–753; Dong J, Liang W et al. Saponins regulate intestinal inflammation in colon cancer and IBD. Pharmacological Research. 2019;144:66–72.

Managing side effects and promoting wellness

• Protection of nerve tissue¹⁴Sun A, Xu X, Lin J, Cui X, Xu R. Neuroprotection by saponins. Phytotherapy Research. 2015 Feb;29(2):187-200.
• Less suppression of bone marrow activity (myelosuppression) caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy¹⁵Jung Y, Jerng U, Lee S. A systematic review of anticancer effects of radix astragali. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2016 Mar;22(3):225-36. 

Reducing cancer risk

• Saponins, compounds found in astragalus, prevented colon tumor development in animals¹⁶Dong J, Liang W et al. Saponins regulate intestinal inflammation in colon cancer and IBD. Pharmacological Research. 2019;144:66–72; Jung Y, Jerng U, Lee S. A systematic review of anticancer effects of radix astragali. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2016 Mar;22(3):225-36. 

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