Comparison of
anti-cancer efficiency of some homeopathic medicines on liver carcinoma cell line
HepG2
Chatterjee Debasmita, Paira Krishnendu and Das Satadal
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 20(9); 75-81;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/209rjbt075081; (2025)
Abstract
In India, the prevalence of cancer is continuously rising and among different cancers,
males account for about 3.9% of liver carcinoma cases. Statistical analysis revealed
position of liver carcinoma within the top 10 cancers among males. Depending on
the stage at which the cancer is progressing, there are three possible treatments
for hepatic carcinoma: surgical resection which includes hepatectomy and liver transplantation,
radiotherapy and ablation. Treatment for metastases is extremely difficult because
of the sophisticated surgery required due to the liver's numerous blood vessels
and bile duct. Homoeopathy is a notable adjunct treatment method due to its efficaciousness
in enhancing the quality of life in cancer patients. In this work, we examined the
anti-cancer efficacy of six homeopathic medicines—Calcarea carbonica, Arsenic iodatum,
Mercurius vivus, Calcarea phosphorica, Calcarea iodata and Carduus marianus on hepatic
carcinoma (HepG2) cell line.
The six medications listed were applied to cancer and normal cell lines, together
with vehicle control. Tumor necrosis factor α, Interferon γ, Interleukins IL-6,
8, 10, 1β, transforming growth factor β1, were among the targeted cytokines analyzed.
In addition to these, cell cytopatheic effect and viability assays were also done
following standard protocols. The medications that were chosen based on the aforementioned
factors, showed effective anti-cancer action against the HepG2 cell line. Among
six medicines tested for anticancer activities against liver cancer cells, this
in vitro investigation demonstrated the potential anti-cancer properties of the
medicine Calcarea iodata.
