Uncaria tomentosa (Cat's claw) : medicinal properties in alcoholic extraction

Uncaria tomentosa (Cat's claw, Peru, Peruvian cat's claw, Grif-chat, Pérou, Griffe-à-chat du Pérou) — family Rubiacées.

Scientific synonyms : Nauclea tomentosa Willd. ex Schult..

This database documents alcoholic (ethanol) extractions of active substances. Our monograph currently lists 23 indications in alcoholic extraction for this species. The Lapo v2 catalogue records 170 scientific references for this species (full detail in the application).

Important — scientific references on this public page: only a short excerpt of each cited source is shown (selected abstract sentences), kept in the original language of the publication (most often English), without translation. These excerpts are not the full article text and are not a complete bibliography. The full reference records and complete monographic detail are available in the Lapo v2 application (free 30-day trial).

1. 1

   Metabolic syndrome: type III diabetes mellitus

   Plant part used: Stem bark. Mentioned synergistic association: Stévia Rebaudiana.

   Scientific references (short excerpts)

   Short excerpts only (not the full article). Full reference records are in the Lapo v2 application.

   • According to Dooley TP (2021)

     Excerpt GlucoMedix® is an all-natural phytotherapy consisting of a hydro-alcoholic extract of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni & pentacyclic chemotype Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. At baseline four of the six patients were administering one or more prescription treatments for hyperglycemia, e.g., Glibenclamide, Metformin, Vildagliptin, or Insulin.

   • According to Xu QQ (2021)

     Excerpt Uncaria tomentosa, which has similar chemical constituents with Uncaria rhynchophylla, has been reported to alleviate cognitive impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD) animal models. Streptozotocin (STZ) was intracerebroventricularly (ICV) injected into adult male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats to establish AD model.

   • According to Domingues A (2011)

     Excerpt Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) DC (Rubiaceae) is a species native to the Amazon rainforest & surrounding tropical areas that is endowed with immunomodulatory properties & widely used around the world. In this study we investigated the immunomodulatory potential of UT aqueous-ethanol extract on the progression of immune-mediated diabetes.

   • According to Araujo LCC (2017)

     Excerpt Results herein reported prompted to the conclusion that the improvement in insulin sensitivity induced by the Uncaria tomentosa crude extract is associated with a reduction in inflammatory index in the liver of obese mice. We investigated the effect of the herbal extract Uncaria tomentosa (Ut) (50 mg/kg, crude extract, for 5 consecutive days) in two mice models of obesity: high fat diet (DIO) fed mice and the genetic ob/ob mice.

   • According to Araujo LCC (2018)

     Excerpt We investigated the effect of the crude herbal extract from Uncaria tomentosa (UT) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in two models of obesity: high fat diet (HFD) & genetically obese (ob/ob) mice. Both obese mouse models were insulin resistant & exhibited an abundance of lipid droplets in the hepatocytes & inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver, while only the HFD group had collagen deposition in the perivascular space of the liver.

2. 2

   Cancer: adjuvant treatment for bladder adenocarcinoma

   Plant part used: Stem bark.

   Scientific references (short excerpts)

   Short excerpts only (not the full article). Full reference records are in the Lapo v2 application.

   • According to Dietrich F (2014)

     Excerpt With this goal in mind, Uncaria tomentosa is noteworthy because the bark & root of this species are widely used in traditional medicine & in adjuvant therapy for the treatment of numerous diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the antitumor effect of one purified bioactive fraction of U.T bark on cell proliferation in two human bladder cancer cell lines, T24 & RT4.

   • According to Kaiser S (2013)

     Excerpt The antitumor activity of Uncaria tomentosa, a native vine from the Amazonian rainforest, has been ascribed to pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids occurring in its bark. Thus, the alkaloid profile of all fractions & their cytotoxic activities against T24 & RT4 human bladder cancer cell lines are determined to a large extent by the incubation conditions.

   • According to Muhammad I (2001)

     Excerpt The C-8-(S) isomer of deoxyloganic acid (7-deoxyloganic acid), together with beta-sitosteryl glucoside, five known stereoisomeric pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids & the tetracyclic oxindole isorhyncophylline, were isolated from the inner bark of Uncaria tomentosa. Uncarine D showed weak cytotoxic activity against SK-MEL, KB, BT-549 & SK-OV-3 cell lines with IC (50) values between 30 & 40 microg/ml, while uncarine C exhibited weak cytotoxicity only against ovarian carcinoma (IC (50) at 37 microg/m.

   • According to Shen J (2018)

     Excerpt Methods: Solvent extracts were prepared from UT inner bark & their antiproliferative activities against Caco2 & HeLa cancer cells were determined by an MTS based cell proliferation assay. Conclusions: The antiproliferative activity of the UT inner bark extracts against HeLa & Caco2 cancer cell lines indicates their potential in the treatment & prevention of some cance&.

   • According to Ciani F (2021)

     Excerpt Uncaria tomentosa, called “uña de gato,” belonging to the Rubiaceae family, is a thorny liana that grows wild in the upper Amazon region of Peru & neighboring countries. In particular, alkaloids, the major active components of Uncaria species, have been extensively studied for their potential use as anticancer agents.

3. 3

   Inflammatory conditions: osteoarthritis, rheumatism, oedema

   Plant part used: Stem bark.

   Scientific references (short excerpts)

   Short excerpts only (not the full article). Full reference records are in the Lapo v2 application.

   • According to Saga-Sowjanya J (2023)

     Excerpt Traditionally Uncaria tomentosa plant is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis as Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory agent along with analgesic properties. No scientific data was reported on Uncaria plant formulation as FDOF's for treating osteoarthritis.

   • According to Aguilar JL (2002)

     Excerpt We assessed in vivo the anti-inflammatory activity of two Cat's claw bark extracts, by comparing a spray-dried hydroalcoholic extract against an aqueous freeze-dried extract, to determine which extract was more effective. Results showed that the anti-inflammatory activity was significantly higher using the hydroalcoholic compared with the aqueous extract (P<0.05).

   • According to Marin-Arado G (2024)

     Excerpt Conclusion: Many extracts of stem bark, roots, & leaves of UT, mostly aqueous & hydroethanolic, exhibited anti-inflammatory and/or immunomodulatory activities & low toxicity. Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.

   • According to Ciani F (2021)

     Excerpt Uncaria tomentosa, called “uña de gato,” belonging to the Rubiaceae family, is a thorny liana that grows wild in the upper Amazon region of Peru & neighboring countries. The indigenous people of Amazonian rain forest have used its root/bark over the centuries for the treatment of several diseases, & this plant is believed to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, & antitumoral properties.

   • According to Riva L (2001)

     Excerpt Uncaria tomentosa, also known as "Uña de gato", is a Rubiaceae species widely used in South-American folk medicine for the treatment of cancer, arthritis, gastritis & epidemic diseases. Extracts of the plant have been shown to possess cytostatic and anti-inflammatory activity as well as mutagenic antimutagenic properties.

Further indications (including other extraction modes where applicable), dosages, precautions for use, and the <strong>full scientific references</strong> (complete records, not only the short excerpts above) are available in the complete monographic record in the Lapo v2 application.