Composition Comprising Retinol, a Precursor or a Reaction Product of it and a Plant Extract from at least one Chamomilla Plant for the Treatment of Cancer

Abstract

The invention relates to a (i) Vitamin A, a reaction product, a metabolite or a precursor of it and (ii) a plant extract of chamomile or an active component thereof, preferably for use in the treatment of cancer. The inventive composition may be provided as a medicament or a pharmaceutical composition. The at least one Chamomilla plant typically contained in the inventive compositions preferably comprises Matricaria recutita, more preferably fibres tubiformis of Matricaria recutita. Esters of Retinol typically contained in the inventive compositions typically comprise e.g. Retinyl acetate and a plant extract from the plant Matricaria recutita.

1 . A composition comprising
 (i) Vitamin A, a reaction product, a metabolite or a precursor of it, selected from Vitamin A, retinioic acid, all-trans-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid, esters of Vitamin A, retinyl palmitate, retinol, retinal, retinyl acetate, alitretinoin, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, gamma-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthine and provitamin A, and   (ii) a plant extract of chamomile selected from an aqueous extract, an ethanolic liquid extract and a waterfree ethanolic liquid extract, wherein components (i) and (ii) represent the only active ingredients.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant extract is a volatile oil of chamomile. 
     
     
         4 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant extract is a chamomile extract prepared from tubular flowers of  Matricaria recutita L.    
     
     
         5 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises about 50 mg to about 1500 mg of the chamomile extract from tubular flowers of  Matricaria recutita L.,  and about 3 mg to about 90 mg of Vitamin A or any of the Vitamin A reaction products, metabolites, or precursors as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         6 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant extract prior to preparing the composition has been purified by contacting it with crosspovidone (crosslinked povidone) and sodiumsulfate. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the cancer or tumour disease is selected from solid tumours of neurogenic, mesenchymal or epithelial origin and metastases thereof, colon carcinomas, melanomas, renal carcinomas, lymphomas, acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL), chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), gastrointestinal tumours, pulmonary carcinomas, gliomas, thyroid tumours, mammary carcinomas, prostate tumours, hepatomas, various virus-induced tumours such as, for example, papilloma virus-induced carcinomas (e.g. cervical carcinoma), adenocarcinomas, herpes virus-induced tumours (e.g. Burkitt's lymphoma, EBV-induced B-cell lymphoma), heptatitis B-induced tumours (hepatocell carcinoma), HTLV-1- and HTLV-2-induced lymphomas, acoustic neuromas/neurinomas, cervical cancer, lung cancer, pharyngeal cancer, anal carcinomas, glioblastomas, lymphomas, rectal carcinomas, astrocytomas, brain tumours, stomach cancer, retinoblastomas, basaliomas, brain metastases, medulloblastomas, vaginal cancer, pancreatic cancer, testicular cancer, melanomas, thyroidal carcinomas, bladder cancer, Hodgkin's syndrome, meningiomas, Schneeberger disease, bronchial carcinomas, hypophysis tumour, Mycosis fungoides, oesophageal cancer, breast cancer, carcinoids, neurinomas, spinaliomas, Burkitt's lymphomas, laryngeal cancer, renal cancer, thymomas, corpus carcinomas, bone cancer, osteosarcomas, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, urethral cancer, CUP syndrome, head/neck tumours, oligodendrogliomas, vulval cancer, intestinal cancer, colon carcinomas, oesophageal carcinomas, wart involvement, tumours of the small intestine, craniopharyngeomas, ovarian carcinomas, soft tissue tumours/sarcomas, ovarian cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic carcinomas, cervical carcinomas, endometrial carcinomas, liver metastases, penile cancer, tongue cancer, gall bladder cancer, leukaemia, plasmocytomas, uterine cancer, lid tumour, prostate cancer, preferably solid tumours of neurogenic, mesenchymal or epithelial origin and metastases thereof. 
     
     
         8 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising
 (i) Vitamin A, a reaction product, a metabolite or a precursor of it selected from Vitamin A, retinoic acid, all-trans-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid, esters of Vitamin A, retinyl palmitate, retinol, retinal, retinyl acetate, alitretinoin, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, gamma-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthine and provitamin A, and   (ii) a plant extract of chamomile selected from an aqueous extract, an ethanolic liquid extract and a waterfree ethanolic liquid extract, and additionally a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein components (i) and (ii) represent the only active ingredients.   
     
     
         9 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 8 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises about 50 mg to about 1500 mg of the chamomile extract from tubular flowers of  Matricaria recutita L.,  and about 3 mg to about 90 mg of Vitamin A or any of the Vitamin A reaction products, metabolites or precursors as defined in  claim 8 . 
     
     
         10 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 8 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition additionally comprises a penetration enhancer. 
     
     
         11 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 8 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is to be administered via the respiratory tract, via oral administration, via injection, or via parenteral injection. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the composition is administered prior, concurrent and/or subsequent to a conventional cancer therapy. 
     
     
         13 . A method for prevention, treatment or amelioration of cancer or tumour disease comprising administering to a patient in need thereof a composition comprising
 (i) Vitamin A, a reaction product, a metabolite or a precursor of it selected from Vitamin A, retinoic acid, all-trans-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid, esters of Vitamin A, particularly retinyl palmitate, retinol, retinal, retinyl acetate, alitretinoin, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, gamma-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthine and provitamin A, and   (ii) a plant extract of chamomile selected from an aqueous extract, an ethanolic liquid extract and a waterfree ethanolic liquid extract,   (iii) wherein components (i) and (ii) represent the only active ingredients.   
     
     
         14 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant extract is a volatile oil of Matricaria recutita. 
     
     
         15 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant extract is a chamomile extract prepared from tubular flowers from the inflorescence of Matricaria recutita L. 
     
     
         16 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 10 , wherein the penetration enhancer is dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         17 . A pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 8 , wherein the plant extract prior to preparing the composition has been purified by contacting it with crosspovidone (crosslinked povidone) and sodiumsulfate. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the composition comprises about 50 mg to about 1500 mg of the chamomile extract from tubular flowers of  Matricaria recutita L.,  and about 3 mg to about 90 mg of Vitamin A or any of the Vitamin A reaction products, metabolites, or precursors as defined in  claim 13 . 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 13  wherein the composition additionally comprises a penetration enhancer.