Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) as a tool for helping with Inflammation (general)

This review discusses historical and recent pharmacological and clinical data on the anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory, and venotonic properties of escin (Reparil ® ). Escin, the active component of Aesculus hippocastanum , or horse chestnut, is available as orally absorbable dragées and as a transdermal gel. The anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous effects of escin have been studied over many years in pre-clinical models. More recent data confirm the anti-inflammatory properties of escin in reducing vascular permeability in inflamed tissues, thereby inhibiting edema formation. The venotonic effects of escin have been demonstrated primarily by in vitro studies of isolated human saphenous veins. The ability of escin to prevent hypoxia-induced disruption to the normal expression and distribution of platelet endothelial cell-adhesion molecule-1 may help explain its protective effect on blood vessel permeability. Escin oral dragées and transdermal gel have both demonstrated efficacy in blunt trauma injuries and in chronic venous insufficiency. Both oral escin and the transdermal gel are well tolerated.

Escin is a mixture of triterpenoid saponins extracted from the horse chestnut tree, Aesculus hippocastanum. Its potent anti-inflammatory and anti-odematous properties makes it a choice of therapy against chronic venous insufficiency and odema. More recently, escin is being actively investigated for its potential activity against diverse cancers. It exhibits anti-cancer effects in many cancer cell models including lung adenocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma and leukemia. Escin also attenuates tumor growth and metastases in various in vivo models. Importantly, escin augments the effects of existing chemotherapeutic drugs, thereby supporting the role of escin as an adjunct or alternative anti-cancer therapy. The beneficial effects of escin can be attributed to its inhibition of proliferation and induction of cell cycle arrest. By regulating transcription factors/growth factors mediated oncogenic pathways, escin also potentially mitigates chronic inflammatory processes that are linked to cancer survival and resistance. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge of escin and its potential as an anti-cancer therapy through its anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory effects.