A Ghanaian herbal preparation, Vikil²⁰, has demonstrated promising antioxidant properties and the ability to inhibit the growth and movement of prostate cancer cells in laboratory experiments, prompting renewed interest in scientific research into Ghana’s indigenous medicinal resources.
The findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Integrative Cancer Therapies on May 9, 2024, provide preliminary scientific evidence that could inform further investigations into plant-based compounds as potential sources of future cancer therapies.
The research, conducted by scientists affiliated with the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho and the Centre for Plant Medicine Research at Mampong, was brought into renewed focus at the Third Scientific Conference of the Ghana Armed Forces Health Service in 2026.
Professor Clement Okraku Tettey, the lead researcher and Head of Department of Biomedical Sciences at UHAS, presented the findings at the conference on Wednesday, drawing attention to the potential of Ghanaian herbal preparations to contribute to evidence-based medical research.
The conference, held on the theme “From Evidence to Impact: Bridging the Gap Between Research, Policy and Practice,” attracted academics, medical practitioners, traditional authorities and other stakeholders, highlighting the importance of translating scientific discoveries into practical interventions.
The findings could strengthen calls for increased government investment, institutional collaboration and research funding to investigate the medicinal properties of indigenous plants, while ensuring that promising discoveries are subjected to rigorous scientific testing before being recommended for clinical use.
Encouraging laboratory results
Vikil²⁰ is a Ghanaian herbal product marketed for immune support and general wellbeing. Its plant ingredients include Khaya senegalensis, Azadirachta indica (neem) and Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaf).
The researchers examined the preparation’s antioxidant properties and its effects on prostate cancer cells, focusing on whether it could influence cell survival, movement and attachment.
Laboratory tests revealed considerable free-radical scavenging activity, an indicator of the preparation’s ability to neutralise certain unstable molecules associated with oxidative stress.
At the highest concentration tested, Vikil²⁰ neutralised 57.61 per cent of DPPH radicals and 92.88 per cent of ABTS radicals in laboratory assays.
Oxidative stress occurs when unstable molecules, commonly known as free radicals, overwhelm the body’s antioxidant defence systems. It has been implicated in several biological processes associated with disease, including cancer development and progression.
Although antioxidant activity alone does not establish an anticancer effect in humans, the results provide a basis for further investigation into the preparation’s biological properties.
The researchers also tested Vikil²⁰ on PC-3 cells, a laboratory cell line commonly used in prostate cancer research.
After 48 hours of exposure, the viability of the cancer cells fell to approximately 50.5 per cent at the highest concentration tested.
Significantly, the researchers did not observe a comparable reduction in the viability of the non-cancerous cells used in the experiment. This raises the possibility that the preparation may have a degree of selectivity in its effects on cancer cells.
However, the observation requires further investigation to determine whether the apparent selectivity persists in living organisms and whether the preparation can be used safely.
Potential implications for cancer research
Beyond its effects on cell viability, the herbal preparation significantly inhibited the movement and attachment of prostate cancer cells under laboratory conditions.
These cellular processes are relevant to cancer invasion and the potential spread of malignant cells to other parts of the body.
The researchers also recorded a modest reduction in the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a signaling protein involved in inflammation and biological processes that may influence cancer progression.
Taken together, the findings suggest that Vikil²⁰ contains biologically active components worthy of more detailed scientific investigation.
For Ghana, the research also highlights an opportunity to strengthen collaboration among universities, public research institutions, the health sector and traditional medicine practitioners to identify, investigate and potentially develop medicinal compounds from indigenous plant resources.
Such efforts could help build local scientific capacity, expand knowledge of Ghana’s medicinal biodiversity and identify promising candidates for future drug-development research.
Nevertheless, experts would need to establish which individual compounds are responsible for the observed effects, how they work and whether those effects can be reproduced consistently before the preparation’s therapeutic potential can be properly assessed.
Call for research investment and collaboration
The findings present a case for sustained investment in laboratory research, toxicological assessments and preclinical investigations into promising Ghanaian herbal preparations.
Government support, alongside partnerships with universities, research centres and relevant industry stakeholders, could help researchers move from preliminary laboratory observations towards a clearer understanding of the preparation’s safety, biological mechanisms and potential clinical relevance.
Further studies would need to determine appropriate dosages, examine possible toxic effects and interactions with other medicines, and establish whether the active components can reach effective concentrations in the human body.
Animal studies and carefully designed clinical trials would also be necessary before claims about the preparation’s effectiveness in treating prostate cancer could be substantiated.
The findings should therefore be viewed as an early-stage scientific lead rather than evidence of an established treatment.
Laboratory breakthrough is not proof of a cure
Despite the encouraging laboratory results, the study does not establish that Vikil²⁰ can prevent, treat or cure prostate cancer in humans.
The experiments were conducted on cells under controlled laboratory conditions, not on patients. The concentrations used may not be achievable or safe in the human body, and the product’s effectiveness, appropriate dosage and possible side effects in people remain unestablished.
The researchers have called for further investigations into the preparation’s safety, the molecular mechanisms underlying its observed effects and its performance in living organisms before conclusions can be drawn about its therapeutic potential.
Prostate cancer patients should not abandon or delay established screening, diagnosis or treatment in favour of Vikil²⁰ or any other unproven herbal preparation.
The emerging evidence nevertheless reinforces the importance of investigating Ghana’s indigenous medicinal resources through rigorous scientific research, with adequate funding, independent evaluation and collaboration between traditional medicine researchers and modern healthcare institutions.
For now, Vikil²⁰ remains a candidate for further scientific investigation. Whether its laboratory promise can eventually translate into a safe and effective intervention for prostate cancer will depend on the results of the research still to come.
professor Clement Okraku Tettey who doubles as the head of Department of the School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences of UHAS
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