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Perilla alcohol

Perillyl alcohol is a chemical found in certain plants such as lavender and citrus fruits.

Perillyl alcohol is used for cancers including lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and brain tumors. It is also used for cancers that do not appear to respond to treatment. Perillyl alcohol is sometimes applied to the skin to repel mosquitoes.

How does Perillyl Alcohol work?

There is not enough information about how perillyl alcohol might work against cancer. Test tube and animal studies suggest that perillyl alcohol may prevent the growth of cancer cells. However, there is not enough information to say whether perillyl alcohol has this effect in humans. Perillyl alcohol appears to repel mosquitoes. There is not enough information about how perillyl alcohol might do this.

How effective is Perillyl Alcohol?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of Perillyl Alcohol in the following applications:

  • Brain tumors: there are some reports that placing a Perillyl Alcohol solution in the nose could shrink a certain type of brain tumor called an oligodendroglioma.
  • Prostate cancer: There is evidence that taking Perillyl Alcohol does not prevent the progression of prostate cancer. However, the results of this study are not reliable, as many study participants terminated their participation in this study prematurely. They were unable to cope with the side effects of Perillyl Alcohol.

There is also not enough scientific information on the efficacy of Perillyl Alcohol in lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer, as well as its use as a mosquito repellent.

Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of Perillyl Alcohol in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Perillyl Alcohol appears to be safe and harmless when used under medical supervision. Perillyl Alcohol should not be used without medical supervision. Perillyl Alcohol may cause side effects including stomach upset, acid reflux, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, fatigue and headache. Higher doses are more likely to cause side effects. Many people who use Perillyl Alcohol stop using it because they cannot cope with the side effects even when using the usual dosages. There has been one report of pancreatitis, increased bilirubin levels (which is a marker of liver function), increased white blood cell count and low potassium levels in people taking Perillyl Alcohol.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of Perillyl Alcohol during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid benzoin.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of Perillyl Alcohol with medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of Perillyl Alcohol depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for Perillyl Alcohol. For this reason, you should follow the dosing instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Ahn KJ, Lee CK, Choi EK, et al. Cytotoxicity of perillyl alcohol against cancer cells is potentiated by hyperthermia. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2003;57:813-9.
  2. Bailey HH, Wilding G, Tutsch KD, et al. A phase I trial of perillyl alcohol administered four times daily for 14 days out of 28 days. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2004;54:368-76.
  3. Clark SS, Zhong L, Filiault D, et al. Anti-leukemia effect of perillyl alcohol in Bcr/Abl-transformed cells indirectly inhibits signaling through Mek in a Ras- and Raf-independent fashion. Clin Cancer Res 2003;9:4494-504.
  4. Clark SS. Perillyl alcohol induces c-Myc-dependent apoptosis in Bcr/Abl-transformed leukemia cells. Oncology 2006;70:13-8.
  5. Da Fonseca CO, Masini M, Futuro D, et al. Anaplastic oligodendroglioma responding favorably to intranasal delivery of perillyl alcohol: a case report and literature review. Surg Neurol 2006;66:611-5.
  6. Fernandes J, da Fonseca CO, Teixeira A, Gattass CR. Perillyl alcohol induces apoptosis in human glioblastoma multiforme cells. Oncol Rep 2005;13:943-7.
  7. Liston BW, Nines R, Carlton PS, et al. Perillyl alcohol as a chemopreventive agent in N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine-induced rat esophageal tumorigenesis. Cancer Res 2003;63:2399-403.
  8. Liu G, Oettel K, Bailey H, et al. Phase II trial of perillyl alcohol (NSC 641066) administered daily in patients with metastatic androgen independent prostate cancer. Invest New Drugs 2003;21:367-72.
  9. Loutrari H, Hatziapostolou M, Skouridou V, et al. Perillyl alcohol is an angiogenesis inhibitor. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2004;311:568-75.
  10. Morgan-Meadows S, Dubey S, Gould M, et al. Phase I trial of perillyl alcohol administered four times daily continuously. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2003;52:361-6.
  11. Omolo MO, Okinyo D, Ndiege IO, et al. Repellency of essential oils of some Kenyan plants against Anopheles gambiae. Phytochemistry 2004;65:2797-802.
  12. Stearns V, Coop A, Singh B, et al. A pilot surrogate end point biomarker trial of perillyl alcohol in breast neoplasia. Clin Cancer Res 2004;10:7583-91.
  13. Xu M, Floyd HS, Greth SM, et al. Perillyl alcohol-mediated inhibition of lung cancer cell line proliferation: potential mechanisms for its chemotherapeutic effects. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2004;195:232-46.
  14. Yuri T, Danbara N, Tsujita-Kyutoku M, et al. Perillyl alcohol inhibits human breast cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2004;84:251-60.