Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. ex Schult.) DC. and Uncaria guianensis (Aubl.) J.F. Gmell

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of South America

Part of the book series: Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the World ((MAPW,volume 5))

  • 1043 Accesses

Abstract

The jungles of Central and South America contain two predominant species of cat’s claw (Uña de Gato), Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. ex Schult.) DC. and Uncaria guianensis (Aubl.) J.F. Gmell, which are used in traditional medicine mainly for their anti-inflammatory properties. However, a wealth of compounds have been isolated from these two vines of the Rubiaceae family, including alkaloids, flavonoids and terpenoids, showing a wide range of activities: anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, hypotensor, antiviral, smooth muscle relaxant, antispasmodic, gastrointestinal mucosa protector, antiarrhythmic, anticonvulsant, analgesic, anti-leishmaniosis, cytostatic, cytotoxic, hypoglycaemizing, anticholestatic, antihistaminic, hepatoprotective, diuretic, antiulcer, immunostimulating and sedative effects. Some of these activities have been confirmed in both in vitro and in vivo models.

figure a

Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. ex Schult.) DC.

Photo: T. Croat

Available in: http://www.tropicos.org/Image/18420

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Abbreviations

POA:

Pentacyclic Oxindole Alkaloids

TOA:

Tetracyclic Oxindole Alkaloids

NF-κB:

Nuclear Transcription Factor

TNF-α:

Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha

IL-1:

Interleukin-1

PGE2 :

Prostaglandin E2

NO:

Nitric Oxide

COX-1:

Cyclooxygenase-1

iNOS:

inducible Nitric Oxygen Synthase

MAPK:

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase

MMP:

Matrix Metalloproteinases

VEGF:

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

References

  • Abdel-Fattah MAF, Matsumoto K, Tabata K, Takayama H, Kitajima M, Aimi N, Watanabe H (2000) Effects of Uncaria tomentosa total alkaloid and its components on experimental amnesia in mice: elucidation using the passive avoidance test. J Pharm Pharmacol 52(12):1553–1561

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aguilar JL, Rojas P, Marcelo A, Plaza A, Bauer R, Reininger E, Klaas CA, Merfort I (2002) Anti-inflammatory activity of two different extracts of Uncaria tomentosa (Rubiaceae). J Ethnopharmacol 81(2):271–276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Åkesson C, Lindgren H, Pero RW, Leanderson T, Ivars F (2003) An extract of Uncaria tomentosa inhibiting cell division and NF-κB activity without inducing cell death. Int Immunopharmacol 3(13–14):1889–1900

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen-Hall L, Cano P, Arnason JT, Rojas R, Lock O, Lafrenie RM (2007) Treatment of THP-1 cells with Uncaria tomentosa extracts differentially regulates the expression if IL-1α and TNF-α. J Ethnopharmacol 109(2):312–317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bacher N, Tiefenthaler M, Sturm S, Stuppner H, Ausserlechner MJ, Kofler R, Konwalinka G (2006) Oxindole alkaloids from Uncaria tomentosa induce apoptosis in proliferating, G0/G1-arrested and bcl-2-expressing acute lymphoblastic leukaemia cells. Br J Haematol 132(5):615–622

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Balkwill F, Mantovani A (2001) Inflammation and cancer: back to Virchow? Lancet 357(9255):539–545

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bremner P, Heinrich M (2002) Natural products as targeted modulators of the nuclear factor-kappaB pathway. J Pharm Pharmacol 54(4):453–472

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caballero M, Arsenak M, Abad MJ, Cesari IM, Taylor P (2005) Effect of plant extracts on B16-BL6 melanoma cell growth and metastasis in C57BL/6 mice. Acta Cient Venez 55(7–8):21–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Cao W, Wang Y, Lv X, Yu X, Li X, Li H, Wang Y, Lu D, Qi R, Wang H (2012) Rhynchophylline prevents cardiac dysfunction and improves survival in lipopolysaccharide-challenged mice via suppressing macrophage I-κBα phosphorylation. Int Immunopharmacol 14(3):243–251

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho MV, Penido C, Siani AC, Valente LMM, Henriques MGMO (2006) Investigations on the anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activities of the leaves of Uncaria guianensis (Aublet) J. F Gmelin Inflammopharmacol 14(1–2):48

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng AC, Jian CB, Huang YT, Lai CS, Hsu PC, Pan MH (2007) Induction of apoptosis by Uncaria tomentosa through reactive oxygen species production, cytochrome c release, and caspases activation in human leukemia cells. Food Chem Toxicol 45(11):2206–2218

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Condeelis J, Pollard JW (2006) Macrophages: obligate partners for tumor cell migration, invasion, and metastasis. Cell 124(2):263–266

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coussens LM, Werb Z (2002) Inflammation and cancer. Nature 420(6917):860–867

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Martino L, Martinot JLS, Franceschelli S, Leone A, Pizza C, De Feo V (2006) Proapoptotic effect of Uncaria tomentosa extracts. J Ethnopharmacol 107(1):91–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dreifuss AA, Bastos-Pereira AL, Ávila TV, BdS S, Rivero AJ, Aguilar JL, Acco A (2010) Antitumoral and antioxidant effects of a hydroalcoholic extract of cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) (Willd. Ex Roem. & Schult) in an in vivo carcinosarcoma model. J Ethnopharmacol 130(1):127–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dreifuss AA, Bastos-Pereira AL, Fabossi IA, dos Reis Lívero FA, Stolf AM, de Souza CEA, de Oliveira Gomes L, Constantin RP, Furman AEF, Strapasson RLB (2013) Uncaria tomentosa exerts extensive anti-neoplastic effects against the Walker-256 tumour by modulating oxidative stress and not by alkaloid activity. PLoS One 8(2):e54618

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Falkiewicz B, Łukasiak J (2001) Vilcacora Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) DC. and Uncaria guianensis (Aublet) Gmell. – a review of published scientific literature. Case Rep Clin Pract Rev 2(4):305–316

    Google Scholar 

  • Fazio AL, Ballén D, Cesari IM, Abad MJ, Arsenak M, Taylor P (2008) An ethanolic extract of Uncaria tomentosa reduces inflammation and B16-BL6 melanoma growth in C57BL/6 mice. Bol Latinoam Caribe Plantas Med Aromáticas 7(4):217–224

    Google Scholar 

  • García Prado E, García Gimenez MD, De la Puerta Vázquez R, Espartero Sánchez JL, Sáenz Rodríguez MT (2007) Antiproliferative effects of mitraphylline, a pentacyclic oxindole alkaloid of Uncaria tomentosa on human glioma and neuroblastoma cell lines. Phytomedicine 14(4):280–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gattuso M, Di Sapio O, Gattuso S, Li Pereyra E (2004) Morphoanatomical studies of Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianiensis bark and leaves. Phytomedicine 11(2–3):213–223

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guthrie OW, Gearhart CA, Fulton S, Fechter LD (2011) Carboxy alkyl esters of Uncaria tomentosa augment recovery of sensorineural functions following noise injury. Brain Res 1407:97–106

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heitzman ME, Neto CC, Winiarz E, Vaisberg AJ, Hammond GB (2005) Ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Uncaria (Rubiaceae). Phytochemistry 66(1):5–29

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes K, Worth A ( 1999) Cat’s claw [Internet]. Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Products [cited 2015 Jan 15]. Available from: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/cropfactsheets/catsclaw.html#Crop

  • Kaiser S, Dietrich F, Resende PE, Verza SG, Moraes RC, Morrone FB, Batastini AMO, Ortega GG (2013) Cat’s claw oxindole alkaloid isomerization induced by cell incubation and cytotoxic activity against T24 and RT4 human bladder cancer cell lines. Planta Med 79(15):1413–1420

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kang TH, Matsumoto K, Tohda M, Murakami Y, Takayama H, Kitajima M, Aimi N, Watanabe H (2002) Pteropodine and isopteropodine positively modulate the function of rat muscarinic M1 and 5-HT2 receptors expressed in xenopus oocyte. Eur J Pharmacol 444(1–2):39–45

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keplinger K, Laus G, Wurm M, Dierich MP, Teppner H (1999) Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) DC. – Ethnomedicinal use and new pharmacological, toxicological and botanical results. J Ethnopharmacol 64(1):23–34

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuraś M, Pilarski R, Nowakowska J, Zobel A, Brzost K, Antosiewicz J, Gulewicz K (2009) Effect of alkaloid-free and alkaloid-rich preparations from Uncaria tomentosa bark on mitotic activity and chromosome morphology evaluated by Allium test. J Ethnopharmacol 121(1):140–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laus G (2004) Advances in chemistry and bioactivity of the genus Uncaria. Phytother Res 18(4):259–274

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee JS, Kim J, Kim BY, Lee HS, Ahn JS, Chang YS (2000) Inhibition of phospholipase Cγ1 and cancer cell proliferation by triterpene esters from Uncaria rhynchophylla. J Nat Prod 63(6):753–756

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Q, Withoff S, Verma IM (2005) Inflammation-associated cancer: NF-KB is the lynchpin. Trends Immunol 26(6):318–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mur E, Hartig F, Eibl G, Schirmer M (2002) Randomized double blind trial of an extract from the pentacyclic alkaloid-chemotype of uncaria tomentosa for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 29(4):678–681

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Philip M, Rowley DA, Schreiber H (2004) Inflammation as a tumor promoter in cancer induction. Semin Cancer Biol 14(6):433–439

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pilarski R, Poczekaj-Kostrzewska M, Ciesiołka D, Szyfter K, Gulewicz K (2007) Antiproliferative activity of various Uncaria tomentosa preparations on HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. Pharmacol Rep 59(5):565–572

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pilarski R, Bednarczyk M, Gulewicz K (2009) Evaluation of biological activity of uncaria tomentosa (willd.) DC. Using the chicken embryo model. Folia Biol (Krakow) 57(3–4):207–212

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pilarski R, Filip B, Wietrzyk J, Kuraś M, Gulewicz K (2010) Anticancer activity of the Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) DC. preparations with different oxindole alkaloid composition. Phytomedicine 17(14):1133–1139

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Piscoya J, Rodriguez Z, Bustamante SA, Okuhama NN, Miller MJ, Sandoval M (2001) Efficacy and safety of freeze-dried cat’s claw in osteoarthritis of the knee: mechanisms of action of the species Uncaria guianensis. Inflamm Res 50(9):442–448

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Quintela JC, Lock de Ugaz O (2003) Uña de gato, Uncaria tomentosa (Wild.) DC. Rev Fitoter 3(1):5–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Reinhard KH (1999) Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) D.C.: cat’s claw, una de gato, or saventaro. J Altern Complement Med 5(2):143–151

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rojas-Duran R, Gonzalez-Aspajo G, Ruiz-Martel C, Bourdy G, Doroteo-Ortega V, Alban-Castillo J, Robert G, Auberger P, Deharo E (2012) Anti-inflammatory activity of mitraphylline isolated from Uncaria tomentosa bark. J Ethnopharmacol 143(3):801–804

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sakakibara I, Terabayashi S, Kubo M, Higuchi M, Komatsu Y, Okada M, Taki K, Kamei J (1999) Effect on locomotion of indole alkaloids from the hooks of Uncaria plants. Phytomedicine 6(3):163–168

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez Schwartz C (1995) Uña de Gato Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.)DC. Rev Peru Reumatol 1(2):000–000

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandoval M, Okuhama NN, Zhang XJ, Condezo LA, Lao J, Angeles FM, Musah RA, Bobrowski P, Miller MJ (2002) Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianensis) are independent of their alkaloid content. Phytomedicine 9(4):325–337

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sandoval-Chacón M, Thompson JH, Zhang XJ, Liu X, Mannick EE, Sadowska-Krowicka H, Charbonnet RM, Clark DA, Miller MJ (1998) Antiinflammatory actions of cat’s claw: the role of NF-ΚB. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 12(12):1279–1289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santos Araujo MDC, Farias IL, Gutierres J, Dalmora SL, Flores N, Farias J, Cruz I, Chiesa J, Morsch VM, Chitolina Schetinger MR (2012) Uncaria tomentosa-adjuvant treatment for breast cancer: clinical trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012:a676984. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/676984

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheng Y, Li L, Holmgren K, Pero RW (2001) DNA repair enhancement of aqueous extracts of Uncaria tomentosa in a human volunteer study. Phytomedicine 8(4):275

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Song Y, Qu R, Zhu S, Zhang R, Ma S (2012) Rhynchophylline attenuates LPS-induced pro-inflammatory responses through down-regulation of MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathways in primary microglia. Phytother Res 26(10):1528–1533

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Urdanibia I, Michelangeli F, Ruiz MC, Milano B, Taylor P (2013) Anti-inflammatory and antitumoural effects of Uncaria guianensis bark. J Ethnopharmacol 150(3):1154–1162

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan D, Ma B, Yang JY, Xie YY, Wang L, Zhang LJ, Kano Y, Wu CF (2009) Anti-inflammatory effects of rhynchophylline and isorhynchophylline in mouse N9 microglial cells and the molecular mechanism. Int Immunopharmacol 9(13):1549–1554

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zevallos Pollito PA, Tomazello M (2010) Survey and characterization of two species of the genus Uncaria Schreb. (rubiaceae) occurring in the state of Acre, Brazil. Ecol Apl 9(1):19–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Ilsa Coronel for her help in the preparation of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Experimental Medicine, Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela

    Izaskun Urdanibia & Peter Taylor

Authors
  1. Izaskun Urdanibia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Peter Taylor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Izaskun Urdanibia .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Botânica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil

    Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque

  2. Natural Product Research Laboratory, Dr. Hari Singh Gour University, Sagar, India

    Umesh Patil

  3. Department of Botany, Faculty of Agriculture & Food Science, West Hungarian University, Mosonmagyarovar, Hungary

    Ákos Máthé

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature B.V.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Urdanibia, I., Taylor, P. (2018). Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. ex Schult.) DC. and Uncaria guianensis (Aubl.) J.F. Gmell. In: Albuquerque, U., Patil, U., Máthé, Á. (eds) Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of South America. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the World, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1552-0_41

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation