Background: Gastric cancer is a common cause of global mortality, with significant challenges during treatment due to side effects and complications. Traditional herbal medicine (THM) has emerged as a potential adjuvant therapy to enhance cancer treatment by reducing side effects and bolstering the immune response. This study conducted a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and safety of THM as an adjuvant therapy in post-surgical gastric cancer patients. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, CiNii, KMBASE, KISS, OASIS, RISS, and ScienceON databases were searched from inception through December, 2021. The outcomes considered in this analysis encompassed tumor response, quality of life (QoL), side effects, and tumor markers. Additionally, a frequency analysis of the most commonly used herbs in the included studies was conducted. A total of 36 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, and data were extracted according to study design. The analysis compared groups receiving chemotherapy alone with those receiving both chemotherapy and THM treatment. Results: The group receiving both chemotherapy and THM showed substantial improvement in tumor response compared to the chemotherapy-only control group (RR 1.25, 95% CI [1.09, 1.45]). QoL also significantly increased in the THM-treated group. Most drug adverse reactions displayed statistical significance, except for platelet reduction. Tumor markers CEA, CA19-9, and CA72-4 exhibited significant improvements, but CA125 did not. The 1, 2, and 3-year survival rates improved, with RR values of 1.08 (95% CI [1.02, 1.14]), 1.32 (95% CI [1.19, 1.47]), and 1.42 (95% CI [1.12, 1.79]) respectively. However, some publication bias was indicated. Conclusion: THM may offer potential benefits as a complementary approach to post-surgical anticancer therapy in gastric cancer patients. Improved tumor response, quality of life, and survival rates were reported. However, it is important to exercise caution due to the possibility of publication bias, and further research is needed to confirm these findings. Registration:PROSPERO CRD 42022354133

Background: Lung cancer, a leading cause of mortality, is often complicated by severe treatment-related side effects. Traditional herbal medicine (THM), particularly Fuzheng-Based Qi and Yin Therapy (FBQYT), has emerged as a promising adjuvant therapy to mitigate these effects and enhance immune response. This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy and safety of THM as an adjunct to palliative chemotherapy. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceON, RISS, KMBASE, OASIS, Cochrane Library, KISS, CNKI, and CiNii up to April 2025. Outcomes included tumor response, quality of life (QoL), adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and tumor markers. Eighty randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving stage III/IV lung cancer patients were analyzed using Review Manager Software 5.4.1. Results: Combining chemotherapy with THM significantly improved the objective response rate (ORR, RR 1.41) and disease control rate (DCR, RR 1.20). It also enhanced quality of life, increasing Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score (MD 8.53) and KPS improvement (RR 1.51), alongside improvements in Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30) total score (MD 13.05). Tumor markers and most ADRs were reduced, except for neutropenia, liver injury, and diarrhea ( P > .05). Survival rates, progression-free survival (PFS), and median survival time (MST) were higher in the THM group. Conclusion: Integrating THM with palliative chemotherapy enhances tumor response, QoL, and survival rates while reducing adverse effects. Further rigorous RCTs are needed to confirm these findings and address methodological limitations. Registration: PROSPERO CRD 42024523418.

This study evaluates acute and subchronic toxicity of a Korean herbal formula HAD-B1 in rat to investigate whether HAD-B1 has potential toxicity to humans. First, the study to assess the acute oral toxicity at dose levels of 0, 500, 1000, and 2000mg/kg body weight (BW) was performed in male and female SD rats (Crl: CD, specific pathogen-free) (n=5/group). Based on the result of the acute oral study, 4 weeks dose range finding study and 13 weeks subchronic study were performed (dose range finding study, DRF; n=5/group) and 13 weeks (subchronic study; n=10/group) in male and female SD rats. The control group was administered with distilled water (DW). Clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, ophthalmic examination, urinalysis, hematological/biochemical parameters, gross finding at necropsy, and histopathological examination were investigated and recorded. In the oral acute toxicity study of SD rats, no clinical signs, mortality, body weight changes, and gross findings were observed. Also, there were no treatment-related changes in the 4-week DRF study. Based on these results, a 13-week repeated-dose toxicity study (subchronic) in SD rats was performed. HAD-B1 showed temporal hypersalivation in clinical signs and an increased tendency in body weight at 2000mg/kgBW. However, there were no treatment-related changes in mortality, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, biochemistry, gross finding at necropsy, organ weights, and histopathology in either sex of any group. Based on this toxicological evaluation of HAD-B1, we concluded that no target organ was determined, and the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of HAD-B1 was determined to be>2000mg/kgBW. Therefore, we decided that consuming HAD-B1 is relatively nontoxic.

Su-Jeong Ha, Yeo-Ok Choi, Eun-Bin Kwag, Soo-Dam Kim, Hwa-seung Yoo, In-Cheol Kang, So-Jung Park. J Pharmacopuncture 2022;25:52-62. https://doi.org/10.3831/KPI.2022.25.1.52

In this study, mixed extract samples (MPC-1–4) of natural plants, Momordica charantia Linn., Pistacia lentiscus, and Commiphora myrrha, were prepared according to their respective extraction methods, and the efficacy of these samples for treating oral inflammation and oral cancer was investigated. As a result of the cell proliferation inhibition experiment, all samples (MPC-1 to 4) decreased the proliferation of oral cancer cell MC3 and HN22 cells in a concentration-dependent manner (p < 0.01). The survival rates of MPC-4 and MPC-1 were about 50% and about 80%, respectively, showing a difference according to the extraction method. In flow cytometry results, early apoptosis and late apoptosis of MPC-4 were 26.9% and 18.1%, respectively, indicating that apoptosis induction was the most effective. Although the induction effect was shown in other samples, the result was lower than that of MPC-4. As a result of confirming the regulation of the signaling pathway, it was confirmed that the expression of cleaved caspase 3 and Bak regulatory genes increased in a concentration-dependent manner in MC3 and HN22 cells (p < 0.01), thus inducing apoptosis in oral cancer cells. In addition, as a result of safety and Xenograft model experiments, it was found that MPC-4 had no toxicity to oral administration. These results suggest that the supercritical extract of Momordica charantia Linn., Pistacia lentiscus, and Commiphora myrrha can be applied as a preventive and therapeutic agent for oral mucosa inflammation and oral cancer.