Happy Tree Camptotheca Acuminata Seeds Herbal Tea

Camptotheca (happy tree, cancer tree, or tree of life) is a genus of medium-sized deciduous trees growing to 20 meters tall, native to southern China and Tibet. The bark, seeds and stems of C. acuminata contain the alkaloid camptothecin.

Malignant tumors pose a serious threat to human health, and chemotherapy is often given as an adjuvant treatment following surgery or radiation. Nature represents a rich source of compounds used for the treatment of many diseases. In 1966, camptothecin, a monoterpene indole alkaloid (MIA), was discovered to be an anti-tumor agent1. It was isolated from Camptotheca acuminata Decne., which belongs to a monotypic genus endemic to southwestern China. CPT binds to the topoisomerase I and DNA complex (the covalent complex) resulting in a ternary complex and thereby stabilizing it. This prevents DNA re-ligation and therefore effectively inhibits the proliferation of tumor cells. Camptothecin (including its derivatives) is therefore widely used as a chemotherapeutic drug for treating malignant tumors and has become the second most important plant-derived anti-cancer agent after taxol.

It has been used clinically more recently in China for the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors. CPT showed anticancer activity in preliminary clinical trials, especially against breast, ovarian, colon, lung, and stomach cancers.

How to use: 3-5 grams per day. Place the seeds into an herb pot. Fill 500ml water to the pot. Bring water to a medium boil with top on herb pot for 30 minutes. Make sure the water is boiling before marking 30 minutes. After boiling the herbs for 30 minutes, strain off the liquid into a separate container and serve the liquid.