犁頭草藥理功效及毒副作用之文獻探討

Literature Review of Pharmacological Effects and Toxicity of Divaricate Typhonium

犁頭草（Typhonium blumei Nicolson & Sivadasan），別名土半夏，台灣民間傳聞此藥草具有治療癌症的功效；然而，民眾因服用此藥中毒的案例時有所聞。因此，我們進行文獻回顧，以探討犁頭草之藥理功效及毒副作用。在藥理功效上，實驗室的研究顯示犁頭草具有抗癌、抗病毒、清除自由基等作用。其抗癌作用與細胞毒性、中止細胞分裂、促使細胞凋亡、抑制細胞增殖等機轉有關。在毒副作用上，犁頭草葉的萃取物鄰苯二甲酸二丁酯（dibutylphthalate, DBP）能引起明顯的發炎反應。若以犁頭草之生物學親屬植物探討，則可能引發呼吸困難、喘咳、嘔吐、腹瀉、口舌麻痺、咽喉疼痛等毒副作用。目前並沒有任何犁頭草之人體臨床試驗結果發表，無法證明此植物可用於治療人類癌症，且有效成分與劑量尚未確定。總結文獻探討結果，我們建議民眾不要貿然服用犁頭草，以免治病未效，反先中毒。

Divaricate Typhonium (Typhonium blumei Nicolson & Sivad.) is rumored as a folk herb for treating cancer in Taiwan, but adverse reactions are observed frequently. Therefore, we search literatures to inquire pharmacological and toxic side effects of this herb. About the pharmacological function, researches showed the potential anticancer mechanisms of Divaricate Typhonium include cytotoxicity, cell division suppression, inducing apoptosis, and inhibiting cell proliferation. It is also reported about detumescence, free radical scavenging, and anti-virus effects. About the toxic side effect, we find that Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), one of extracts of Divaricate Typhonium, can cause obvious inflammatory reaction, and Araceae plants usually cause dyspnea, cough, diarrhea, mouth numbness, sore throat, nausea and vomiting. There is no human clinical trial result published, and it's hard to prove that Divaricate Typhonium is suitable for cancer treatment. Thus, we would not recommend Divaricate Typhonium for treatment of cancer and other diseases at present.