Back in 2004 I selected the plant Woad which is an imported, invasive plant growing in waste land and highway verges throughout the country. It is used sometimes as a substitute for indigo dyes. But it also has possibilities as a cancer drug.
"Woad" Del Thomas 2005 24"W x 30"L
Commercial cotton fabrics, hand-dyed cotton, cotton batt, cotton threads.
Machine pieced and quilted.
Previously posted in 2008: http://delquilts.blogspot.com/2008/02/woad-02-24-08.html
Scientific Information (2005): Dyer's Woad (Isatis tinctoria) An ingredient, Indirubin, is reported to have anti-neoplastic activity and is widely used in China in the treatment of leukemia. A chemical compound isolate from Indigo, Indirubin, is being used in China for treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia, and various synthetic derivatives are in preclinical studies in Europe and in the US.
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2 comments:
I've made Healing Quilts for as long as I could sew them, so I loved knowing about these, Del! I've probably donated many hundreds of quilts that I've made to those in need of healing of any kind, including 75 to Ami Simm's Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.
Also, I'm very smitten with the idea of Woad...something I'm not familiar with. One of my daughters has done indigo dying and is a certified medical herbalist ..I'll have to ask her about this one as I'd love to try it.
Have always enjoyed your blog but usually read it on my phone where commenting has become incredibly difficult for most of the blogs I read.
I love reading about your trips, your quilts, your purchases, your friends..your dog, just about everything! Thank you for being part of my blogging and quilting life! Michele from Douglas, Alaska and Salem, Oregon.
Del -- love the quilt. It has Ruth McDowell-ish piecing and use of fabrics and is just wonderful.
Regarding use of the plant -- I'm not aware that indarubicin exists. There is a drug called idarubicin (trade name Idamycin in the US) that is used to treat leukemia, but idarubicin is a synthetic derivative of anti-biotic-like drugs that originated from bacteria. It does not come from Woad.
According to Wikipedia, there is not really a drug that comes from Woad, although a compound in Woad (glucobrassicin) might have cancer preventive properties. As you mention, "the leaves and roots of the plant are used in traditional Chinese medicine" (WebMD), for a variety of complaints. WebMD also states that "There is some interest in using isatis [Woad] for cancer because it contains chemicals that might keep cancer cells from multiplying", however it is not a source of any approved drug.
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