Immunomodulating Mechanisms of Purified Alkaloid Preparations from Cat's Claw (Uncaria tomentosa)

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Re: Immunomodulating Mechanisms of Purified Alkaloid Preparations from Cat's

Claw (Uncaria tomentosa)

 

Winkler C, Wirleitner B, Schroecksnadel K, et al. In vitro effects of two

extracts and two pure alkaloid preparations of Uncaria tomentosa on peripheral

blood mononuclear cells. Planta Medica. 2004;70:205-210.

 

Hot aqueous extracts of the bark of cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) are used in

traditional Peruvian medicine to treat digestive complaints, arthritis, and a

wide range of health problems.

 

Within the last decade, studies have shown that preparations of the plant

stimulate the immune system and modulate the production of cytokines.

 

Cytokines are a group of hormone-like proteins that regulate the intensity and

the duration of an immune response. The purpose of this study was to examine the

effects of two purified alkaloid preparations and two extracts of cat's claw on

cytokine production in cells from healthy people.

 

The cat's claw preparations tested were an HCl extract (Krallendorn®), an

ethanol extract (Saventaro®), a pentacyclic oxindole alkaloid (POA) mixture, and

a tetracyclic oxindole alkaloid (TOA) mixture. All four preparations were

produced by Immodal (Volders, Austria). The cells tested were peripheral blood

mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from blood donated by healthy volunteers.

 

PBMC are white blood cells that are involved in the immune system's response to

invading organisms. The PBMC were cultured with and without the addition of each

of the four cat's claw preparations. The effects of each preparation on cytokine

production and immune regulation were evaluated by measuring the levels of

neopterin (a marker of immune activation) and tryptophan after 48 hours.

 

Both extracts and both alkaloid mixtures inhibited the formation of neopterin

and the degradation of tryptophan, suggesting that cat's claw suppresses the

production of a cytokine known as gamma interferon.

 

Gamma interferon stimulates the production of reactive oxygen species in certain

immune cells, and higher levels of gamma interferon are associated with

infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and heart

disease.

 

The mechanism of cat's claw in suppressing gamma interferon is not clear from

this study, but it may involve antioxidant activity, blocking production of

reactive oxygen species, and anti-inflammatory activity.

 

The results suggest that alkaloids in the POA and TOA mixtures do not account

for all of the immune-modulating activity of the plant, and that other

substances in the cat's claw extracts contribute to this activity.

 

The authors conclude that the study demonstrates that extracts of cat's claw

interfere with immune pathways involving the gamma interferon cytokine.

 

They suggest these extracts could be useful in the treatment of diseases

characterized by increased gamma interferon and the resulting increased

formation of neopterin and degradation of tryptophan.

 

In fact, the Krallendorn extract has been reported to show benefits in people

with rheumatoid arthritis. Additional laboratory and animal studies are needed

to identify the specific effects on the complex assortment of cytokines and to

apply that knowledge to conduct controlled clinical trials of cat's claw.

 

—Heather S. Oliff, Ph.D.

 

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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