A Prospective Phase II Randomized, Blinded Study to Demonstrate the Effectiveness of Jobelyn for the Treatment of Breast Cancer Patients.

Breast cancer is one of the most frequent malignant tumor of women in Nigeria. In Nigeria, among the urban women, the numbers of breast cancer patients were increasing annually, both to aging of the population and increase in age-specific incidences. Case control studies in parts of the country have identified the factors such as null parity, late age at marriage, and late age at first pregnancy are important risk factors. It has also been suggested that western dietary influences changed the lifestyle of urban women could be one of the major causes of the slowly rising incidence of breast cancer in Nigeria. Therefore early detection and search for potential anti-tumour compounds are important in the control of breast cancer.Standard treatment modalities have improved the overall outlook and quality of life for women with breast cancer; however, the fact that more than 50% still succumb to disease highlights the need for new therapeutic approaches and identification of new therapeutic targets.

Jobelyn is made from Sorghum bicolor which grows abundantly in many parts of the world. Major component analysis of the raw materials and the finished product showed that the herbal product contains oligomeric and polymeric proanthocyanidin (OPCs) which are a class of flavonoid complexes. They are also referred to as condensed tannins. They were first discovered in 1948 by Jacques Masquelier, who developed and later patented techniques for the extraction of proanthocyanidin from pine needles and grape seeds. They can also be found in apples, coconut, cocoa beans, black currant, green tea, black tea. Cocoa beans contain the highest concentrations.

In preliminary research, proanthocyanidin was reported to have anti-mutagenic activity. Studies also show that proanthocyanidin antioxidant capabilities are 20 times more powerful than vitamin C and 50 times more potent than vitamin E2. They also work directly to help strengthen all the blood vessels and improve the delivery of oxygen to the cells. Having affinity for cell membranes, they provide nutritional support to reduce capillary permeability and fragility. These they owe to their role in stabilization of collagen and maintenance of elastin.

Oligomeric proanthocyanidin helps in cancer treatment by inhibiting the initiation and progress of cancer cells. This is why according to a study, it was found that Jobelyn water extract had a stronger effect on increasing Cluster of Differentiation 69 expression in Natural Killer cells (higher cytotoxic activity) while Jobelyn Ethyl Alcohol extract had the greatest effect on increasing Cluster of Differentiation 69 expression in Natural Killer T-cells, T-cells and monocytes (activation & proliferation). In addition to its selective cytotoxicity property, oligomeric proanthocyanidin may up-regulate certain apoptosis promoter genes and down-regulate apoptosis-inhibitor genes in cancerous cells.

3-Deoxyanthocyanidins are a rare type of flavonoids restricted to a few plant species. They are the major pigments in flowers of sinningia (Sinningia cardinalis) and are found in silk tissues of certain maize lines. Sorghum is the only dietary source for 3-deoxyanthocyanidins, which are present in large quantities in the bran of some cultivars . Many plants use secondary metabolites to protect themselves against pathogen attack. In sorghum, this defense response is an active process resulting in the accumulation of high levels of 3-deoxyanthocyanidin phytoalexins in infected tissues. Luteolinidin and apigeninidin are the two major 3-deoxyanthocyanidins. Flavonoids are increasingly recognized for their range of health benefits, such as reducing the risks of cardiovascular diseases and cancers due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and chemoprotective properties. In particular, anthocyanins and anthocyanidins from different sources were shown to suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis in cancer cell lines. In a recent study, 3-deoxyanthocyanidins were found to have antioxidant properties similar to those of anthocyanins, but they are more stable to power of hydrogen, temperature, and light changes,suggesting that they could serve as an alternative source of natural pigments with nutraceutical properties.