An orally applicable fermentation product of wheat germ containing 0.04% substituted benzoquinone has been invented by Hungarian chemists. Oral administration (3 g/kg body weight) of wheat germ extract enhances blastic transformation of splenic lymphocytes in mice. The same treatment shortens the survival time of skin grafts in a co-isogenic mouse skin transplantation model, pointing to the immune-reconstructive effect of wheat germ. A highly significant antimetastatic effect of wheat germ extract has been observed in three metastasis models (3LL-HH, B16, HCR-25). The antimetastatic effect of wheat germ extract–besides the immune-reconstitution–may also be due to its cell adhesion inhibitory, cell proliferation inhibitory, apoptosis enhancing, and antioxidant characteristics, also observed in our in vitro experiments. It is even more noteworthy that combined treatment with wheat germ extract and one of the following antineoplastic agents (5-FU and DTIC)–both in wide use in every day clinical practice–exhibited a significantly enhanced antimetastatic effect in appropriate metastasis models (established from C38 mouse colon carcinoma and B16 mouse melanoma respectively) as compared to the effect elicited by any component of these therapeutic compositions (MSC + 5-FU and MSC + DTIC) administered alone. The results show that the fermented wheat germ extract has more than an additive effect and synergistically enhanced the metastasis inhibitory effect of both antineoplastic agents studied till now. It is also worthy of mention that the synchronous treatment with wheat germ extract profoundly decreased the toxic side effects of the applied antineoplastic agents (decreased weight loss etc). Based on the biological effects of wheat germ extract –shown to be non-toxic by subacute toxicology studies–this product may be used as an adjuvant in the therapy of malignant neoplasia and other diseases caused by or following immune-deficiency.

[wpfilebase tag=file id=65 /]