Biological activity of mistletoe: in vitro and in vivo studies and mechanisms of action

Abstract

Boiss. Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic evergreen shrub, which means it depends on having water and some nutrients supplied from another plant (host tree) while it produces carbohydrates in a process of photosynthesis. Viscum species inhabit many types of wooded habitats and parasitize both deciduous and coniferous trees (Bussing 2000). For clinical applications, the most popular species are mistletoe parasitizing fir, maple, almond, birch, hawthorn, ash, apple, pine, poplar, oak, willow, lime and elm (Kienle et al. 2011). Viscum species have been used in the traditional medicine of Europe for centuries. Hippocrates used mistletoe to treat diseases of the spleen and complaints associated with menstruation, while Pliny the Elder used it to treat epilepsy, infertility and ulcers. In the Middle Ages, Paracelsus recommended mistletoe as a treatment for epilepsy. Hildegard von Bingen described mistletoe as a treatment for diseases of the spleen and liver. Mistletoe was also applied for deworming children, to treat labour pains, gout, affections of the lungs and liver, leprosy, mumps, fractures and hepatitis. During the eighteenth century, mistletoe was applied for "weakness of the heart" and oedema (Bussing 2000). By the end of the nineteenth century, mistletoe was rejected by scientists as a folklore remedy. The scientific interest on mistletoe was awakened in the twentieth century, as Gaultier investigated the effect of oral or subcutaneous Abstract Mistletoe has been used as treatment of many diseases in traditional and folk medicine. To date, anticancer, immunomodulatory, cardiac, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, neuropharmacological, antibacterial and antifungal properties of mistletoe extracts have been studied the most. In this review, we summarized in vitro and in vivo studies on the pharmacological activity of Viscum species. Furthermore, we proposed the possible mechanisms of action of this herb, which might include many signalling pathways. Mistletoe could regulate either similar or different targets in various pathways that act on membrane receptors, enzymes, ion channels, transporter proteins and transcriptional targets. Still, pharmacological activities of mistletoe have been investigated mainly for crude extracts. It is a new field for scientists to determined which chemical compounds are responsible for the individual biological activities of mistletoe and how these activities are achieved. As a result, mistletoe might become a source of new complementary therapies supporting the treatment of many diseases.

Neuroprotective Natural Products for Alzheimer’s Disease

“…While disrupted BDNF levels have been indicated in AD pathogenesis, chronic treatment with V. album extract was found to significantly increase the BDNF levels in serum and diminish AlCl 3 -induced neurotoxicity in vitro and in vivo, which implied the neuroprotective effects of this plant which could be used as a preventive agent for AD [ 216 ].…”

A list of medicinally important plants of Sikkim Himalayan region, India

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Comparative Study on Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of an Epiphyte, Viscum album L. (White Berry Mistletoe), Derived from Different Host Trees

“…Nowadays, there is also growing interest in natural therapeutics due to their lower toxicities than their chemical counterparts, which have a wide application in medicine, food, and cosmetic industries [15,16]. Viscum album L. or common European Mistletoe from the Santalaceae family is a potential medicinal evergreen shrub that grows on diverse kinds of woody trees due to its semi-parasitic mode of nutrition [17]. The epiphyte exhibits photosynthetically active leaves that aid in the synthesis of its compounds, hence showing its hemiparasitic mode of nutrition.…”