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Celandine Extract—Immune Modulation Function Potential Anti-Cancer Effects
2025-10-29
Q: What is Celandine Extract?
Celandine Extract is an active substance prepared from the whole plant of Celandine (Papaver rhoeas), a member of the poppy family. It primarily contains alkaloids such as chelerythrine and sanguinarine, exhibiting pharmacological activities including analgesia, antibacterial effects, and antitumor properties. It is widely used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Q: What are the primary active components of Celandine Extract?
1. Celandine Alkaloid. Generally regarded as the most significant and representative active component in Cheerful Poppy. It serves as the quality control and standardization benchmark for many standardized Celandine Extracts. Antispasmodic Effect: Exhibits pronounced relaxing effects on smooth muscles, particularly those of the gastrointestinal tract and biliary system. This underpins its traditional use in alleviating abdominal pain and biliary colic. Anti-tumor potential: In laboratory studies, it interferes with cancer cell division (by acting on microtubules) and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. Analgesic and sedative effects: Exhibits moderate central nervous system (CNS) inhibitory activity.
2. Chelerythrine. One of the most extensively studied components, it possesses strong activity but also significant toxicity. It exhibits broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Antibacterial/Anti-plaque: Historically used in toothpaste and mouthwash due to its effective inhibition of oral bacteria, though its use has declined due to concerns over potential irritation and toxicity. Antitumor Potential: Demonstrates potent anticancer activity in vitro and animal models through multiple pathways, including inducing oxidative stress, inhibiting cell cycle progression, and inducing apoptosis. Anti-inflammatory and Immunomodulatory: Capable of suppressing the production of certain inflammatory mediators.
3. Chelerythrine. Often studied alongside berberine with similar mechanisms of action. An important protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor. Antitumor Potential: Induces cancer cell apoptosis by inhibiting key signaling pathways like PKC. Antibacterial and Antifungal: Exhibits inhibitory effects against various bacteria and fungi. Synergy or Antagonism with Berberine: Its interactions with berberine in vivo are complex, sometimes synergistic and sometimes antagonistic.
Q: What are the primary pharmacological actions of Celandine Extract?
1. Core Pharmacological Actions: Anti-inflammatory and analgesic. These are its most prominent effects and key basis for clinical application.
Anti-inflammatory action: Alleviates tissue inflammatory responses by modulating the immune system and inhibiting inflammatory signaling pathways (e.g., reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine release), useful for adjunctive treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions like arthritis. Analgesic Effects: It acts on pain-related neural pathways to reduce pain perception, particularly offering moderate relief for chronic pain (e.g., joint pain, neuralgia) with relatively mild effects.
2. Common Pharmacological Effects: Antibacterial and Antiviral. Its alkaloids (e.g., berberine) exhibit significant inhibitory effects on microorganisms. Antibacterial Effects: In vitro studies demonstrate inhibitory or lethal effects against various bacteria (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli), making it useful for treating superficial skin bacterial infections or oral bacterial issues. Antiviral Effects: Some research indicates it may inhibit replication of certain viruses (e.g., influenza virus, herpes virus), though this requires further clinical validation.
3. Other Potential Pharmacological Effects. Beyond the aforementioned actions, several areas warrant further research. Hepatobiliary Function Regulation: It promotes bile secretion, aids in alleviating bile stasis, and provides auxiliary support for maintaining normal liver metabolism. It may be used as an adjunct in managing hepatobiliary-related conditions. Antitumor Potential: In vitro experiments indicate that its alkaloids inhibit the growth of certain cancer cell lines (e.g., liver cancer cells, stomach cancer cells).
Q: What are the primary application areas for Celandine Extract?
1. Pharmaceutical Field: Core Application Scenario.
This represents the most significant and mature application area for Celandine Extract, primarily leveraging its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibacterial, and hepatobiliary function-regulating properties. Chronic Inflammation and Pain Management: Developed for drugs alleviating chronic pain such as arthritis, neuralgia, and myalgia, or as adjunctive therapy for localized inflammation like oral ulcers and sore throats. Hepatobiliary Support: Used to improve hepatobiliary issues like cholestasis and cholecystitis, helping maintain liver metabolic function. Commonly found in hepatoprotective and cholagogue traditional Chinese medicine formulations. Treatment of Skin Infections: Targeting bacterial or fungal skin conditions (e.g., eczema, sores), it is used in topical ointments or washes to leverage its antibacterial properties and promote wound healing. Antitumor Research: Currently primarily in the research phase, certain extracts are used in preliminary antitumor drug trials but have not yet seen widespread clinical application in cancer treatment.
2. Health Supplement Sector: Supportive Regulation Applications.
In health supplements, it is primarily added as a functional ingredient, emphasizing gentle regulation and health maintenance rather than therapeutic effects. Liver and Gallbladder Care Supplements: Incorporated into liver-nourishing teas and liver-protecting capsules to assist individuals with chronic sleep deprivation or alcohol consumption in regulating liver and gallbladder function and preventing bile stasis. Joint health supplements: Leveraging its anti-inflammatory properties in joint care products to alleviate mild joint discomfort, suitable for middle-aged/elderly individuals or those with sedentary lifestyles. Immune-modulating products: Included in small quantities in multivitamins or immune capsules to utilize its antibacterial and antioxidant characteristics for supporting enhanced bodily resistance.
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