Kalanchoe, a "Bad Weed" that cures cancer

The Kalanchoe is a genus of plants that are using popular and effective for the treatment of cancer. 

Its leaves contain an organic compound also exists in the secretions of the toad manages to stop proliferation, self-renewal and propagation of cancer cells. 

In addition, its genome is studied in relation to growing plants for biofuel production in desert areas. 

The Kalanchoe plants are succulent stems or leaves of medicinal and ornamental use. 

A genus of shrubs or herbaceous perennials from the family Crassulaceae, comprising more than a hundred species, native to Madagascar the world's fourth largest island, located 400 km from the East African coast and has spread by certain species South and east Africa, India, China, and Brazil. 

It is a fairly invasive plant, for example, has begun to populate the Galapagos Islands ecosystem degradation favoring these islands. 

Its medicinal properties are known especially in Latin America, Asia and Africa. 

Some species of Kalanchoe, internally ingested or applied to the affected area of ​​the body from injury and cell fight diseases, especially cancer to deep wounds and gangrene poorly healing, respectively. 

For naturist farmer Josep Pàmies have similar medicinal properties of three species of Kalanchoe: Kalanchoe pinnata the (Bryophyllum pinnatum), the gastonis-bonnieri Kalanchoe (Bryophyllum gastonis-bonnieri) daigremontiana and Kalanchoe (Bryophyllum daigremontianum), also called Aranto or Backbone devil. 

Any of the above three species of Kalanchoe ingesting their raw leaves in salads or fresh juice or tea, served to effectively fight cancer, tumors and abscesses, hypertension, renal colic, diarrhea, psychological illnesses (schizophrenia , panic attacks and fears). 

Clinical studies on Kalanchoe indicate there may be toxic if overused plant and indicate that the consumption of more than 5 grams / day per kilo of weight of the person, is toxic. 

The recommended dose is 10 times less than this amount, 30 grams of fresh leaf into two doses. 

Reduces uterine contractions and their consumption should be avoided during pregnancy. It is toxic to dogs and cats, it has been seen that the flowers of Kalanchoe pinnata were toxic to the heart in cattle. 

Topical, as a poultice crushed or mixed with oil as an ointment to apply juice, leaves are a potent anti-inflammatory, anti-haemorrhagic, astringent and healing. 

The American South, the Kalanchoe pinnata, is used in traditional medicine to treat coughs, ulcers, wounds, bruises, burns, insect bites and other skin diseases. 

In India it is used for liver diseases. 

Many laboratories at universities and hospitals around the world have found their anticancer effects, antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, analgesic (pain) and anti-ulcer stomach ulcers. 

The Kalanchoe contains different chemicals, including: flavonoids, fatty acids, and as the bufadienólidos triterpenoids which have cytotoxic activity against various cancer cell lines.

The bufadienólidos cardioactive steroids are known by the ancient Egyptians (scilla Urginea bulb) and Romans. 

The bufadienólidos (= toad Bufo) are organic compounds found in some plants such as kalanchoe and poisonous frogs and other secretions. The many existing studies demonstrate that bufadienólidos have antitumor activity. 

Catalan Josep Pàmies farmer notes that for its strength and capacity for regeneration and multiplication, kalanchoe could be considered a "weed" but these same qualities could be the victorious against the aggressive and invasive cancer cells divide without control. 

It collates the interests of Big Pharma (the cost of chemotherapy treatment around 3000 euros) and compared with the high reproductive capacity and Kalanchoe easy home culture, a reason for this pharmaceutical complex prefer to keep this plant especially in the shade just as the generality of medicinal plants, which also served. 

The German poet Goethe spent in his "Geschichte meiner botanischen Studien" (History of my botanical studies) several of his poems to Kalanchoe pinnata and liked to give seedlings and seedlings to visitors. 

The Kalanchoe can multiply both by seeds and by abventicios buds that produce new seedlings and cuttings. 

The daigremontiana Kalanchoe (Bryophyllum daigremontianum) presents numerous suckers or seedlings at the edges of the leaves, which fall to the ground to give rise to new plants. 

The name of Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Calancoê) comes from the Chinese "kalan-Chowi" (falling and develops). 

Flowers can be of various colors, red, purple, orange, yellow, white. 

The Flower Show Hong Kong 2014 ended March 16 and attended by more than half a million people had as main theme the Kalanchoe flower. 

The Kalanchoe has the particularity to capture as much CO2 during the night when the air is cold and wet, unlike other plants. 

This increases to 10 times the level of utilization of water resources. 

In 2.013 the complete genome sequencing was completed Kalanchoe. 

The genes found in Kalanchoe could solve unwanted production of biofuels such as bioethanol effects. 

When fuel alcohol (ethanol) obtained from the fermentation of certain plants with sugars, such as cane sugar, is called bioethanol and is consumed in Brazil, USA, China, India, France, the Philippines, Guatemala, Colombia, Republic fuel Dominican, etc. 

Annual world ethanol production in 2.011 was 85,000 million liters, but good land fit for growing food, are invaded by crops for biofuel production. 

Given its particularity to capture CO2 overnight, significantly optimizing its water resources, the study of the genome of Kalanchoe could shed light on methods for growing biofuel plants in desert or semidesert avoiding competition with land suitable for cultivation of food plants.