Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Amygdalin, quackery or cure?

Roman A Blaheta1, Karen Nelson2, Axel Haferkamp1

  • 1Department of Urology, Goethe-University, Building 25A, Room 404, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Phytomedicine : International Journal of Phytotherapy and Phytopharmacology
|March 23, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Acute hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a patient treated for stone removal via percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a case report and literature review.

International journal of surgery case reports·2026
Same author

Knowledge Gaps and Barriers to Care in Men with Postprostatectomy Incontinence: Evidence from the German ProKontinenz Trial.

European urology open science·2026
Same author

Parastomal hernia after robot-assisted cystectomy and ileum conduit: incidence, risk or protective factors and outcomes of minimal-invasive hernia repair-systematic review.

Journal of robotic surgery·2026
Same author

Explainable artificial intelligence in prostate cancer treatment recommendation: A decision support system for oncological expert panels.

European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990)·2026
Same author

The NOPAIN Act: Implications for opioid use reduction in orthopedic surgery.

Journal of opioid management·2026
Same author

Hydrocelectomy under local anesthesia with systemic analgesic support: real-world feasibility and patient acceptance.

International urology and nephrology·2026
Same journal

Resveratrol exerts stage- and sex-specific anti-aging and multigenerational effects via epigenetic and metabolic pathways in Drosophila.

Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology·2026
Same journal

Natural-product polypharmacology in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a state-of-the-art review.

Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology·2026
Same journal

Jianpi Huayu decoction alleviates hepatic fibrosis involving coordinated modulation of PPARα-mediated lipid metabolic reprogramming and the ROCK pathway.

Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology·2026
Same journal

Inhibition of toll-like receptor 4 by allicin suppresses mitochondrial DNA-mediated inflammation and pyroptosis to alleviate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology·2026
Same journal

Deep learning of multiplexed mitochondrial morphology identified natural compound combinations against skin photoaging.

Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology·2026
Same journal

Liquiritigenin ameliorates adipocyte insulin resistance by inhibiting pro-inflammatory polarization of macrophages via regulation of the mtROS/OXPHOS axis.

Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology·2026
See all related articles

Amygdalin (laetrile) is popular with cancer patients, but evidence for tumor regression is lacking. Purified amygdalin shows no toxicity at therapeutic doses, but more research is needed.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology and Toxicology
  • Oncology
  • Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Background:

  • Amygdalin (laetrile), a cyanogenic diglucoside, is frequently used by cancer patients as an alternative or adjunct to conventional treatments.
  • Despite its popularity, scientific research on amygdalin's efficacy and safety remains limited and controversial.
  • Many clinicians administer amygdalin without a clear understanding of its mechanism of action.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize current knowledge regarding amygdalin's use in cancer care.
  • To critically evaluate the benefits and risks associated with amygdalin administration.
  • To identify gaps in research and areas requiring further investigation.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective analysis of PubMed reports using keywords such as "Amygdalin", "laetrile", "cancer", "patient", "cyanide", and "toxic".
Keywords:
AmygdalinCancer treatmentComplementary and alternative medicinePrunasin

Related Experiment Videos

  • Inclusion of all relevant articles regardless of perceived "unwanted" status.
  • Supplementation with information from government-authorized internet sources.

    • Main Results:

    • No compelling evidence demonstrates that amygdalin causes significant tumor regression in cancer patients, especially those with advanced disease.
    • Current data suggests that purified amygdalin, when administered at therapeutic dosages, does not induce toxicity.
    • Key aspects of amygdalin's pharmacokinetics, preclinical effects, clinical outcomes, and toxicity profiles require further comprehensive exploration.

    Conclusions:

    • The therapeutic potential of amygdalin in cancer treatment remains unproven due to a lack of convincing evidence for tumor regression.
    • While purified amygdalin appears safe at therapeutic doses, its overall clinical utility is not established.
    • Further research is essential to fully understand amygdalin's effects and determine its role, if any, in cancer therapy.