Devil's Claw Research Articles

The Devils in the Details—but So Are the Angels: Linear Density Estimates of Harpagophytum zeyheri (Devil's Claw) From the Zambezi Region, Namibia

ABSTRACTHarpagophytum zeyheri (devil's claw) tubers are manually harvested for its pharmaceutical properties (anti‐inflammatory) in the sandier regions, especially the communal areas in north‐eastern Namibia, with various authors having questioned the sustainability and viability of current harvesting practices. Although regulation in the form of a quota system is implemented, this is not based on scientifically established density estimates or sustainable harvesting quotas. There is a dearth of published data regarding density estimates for H. zeyheri from Namibia. The average linear density from the Zambezi Region (all areas; this study) is 22.4 plants/km while other estimates from Namibia for H. procumbens vary between < 1 and 2000 plants/ha. The aim of this study was to contribute to the poorly known distribution and density of H. zeyheri from the Zambezi Region where most of Namibia's resource for the export market originates from and to highlight the potential threat of not conducting scientifically based preharvest counts on sustainability of this valuable resource.

A Systemic Review on Nutraceutical Supplements used in the Management of Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative joint disease. It basically impairs the structural integrity of articulate cartilage and imbalances the catabolic and anabolic signals in the joint. A degenerative disease is characterized by swelling, pain, and joint stiffness. The treatment and management of osteoarthritis are based on analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents, whereas the exact cause of OA is not known yet. The negative effects of synthetic medications have led to a daily rise in the usage of nutraceuticals and dietary supplements. Clinicians are aware of these treatments, and they also recommend nutraceuticals in addition to the currently preferred therapy. Many in-vitro and in-vivo experiments have been performed in past years to evaluate the function of these on osteoarthritis. The collection of articles was published on search engines like PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and ScienceDirect. The evaluation covers every potential nutraceutical utilized in osteoarthritis, together with its supporting data and mode of action. The present review discusses nutraceuticals, including devil's claw, vitamin D, boswellic acid, capsaicin, ginger, curcumin, krill oil, ginger, and avocado/soybean unsaponifiable.

Effect of pretreatment with Devil's Claw on locomotor activity, infarct volume, and neuronal density in focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

Stroke is a highly prevalent and devastating condition affecting millions worldwide. The Devil's Claw (DCW) plant is a native African plant whose anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties have been investigated. We postulated that DCW could protect the brain injury caused by cerebral ischemia. The rats were randomly divided into four groups. The sham and control (Ctrl) groups received pretreatment with a distilled water vehicle. Doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg were selected for pretreatment with DCW. The filament or intravascular occlusion method was used for middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining method was used to investigate the infarct zone and penumbra volume. The neuroprotective effect of DCW was measured by hematoxylin staining. Movement performance was evaluated from neurological deficit score, rotarod performance, and open field tests. TTC staining showed that the DCW/400 group could maintain the penumbra's structure and reduce the infarct volume compared to the Ctrl group (p<0.001). Histological studies confirmed the neuroprotective properties of DCW at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg compared to the Ctrl group (p<0.01 and p<0.0001, respectively). The results of behavioral tests showed an improvement in behavioral performance in pretreatment 400 mg/kg doses compare to Ctrl group (p<0.0001). The study showed that pretreatment with DCW with its neuron protection potential reduces the infarct area and restores motor function after MCAO.

Mineral-Associated Medicinal Plants: Uncovering Their Anti-inflammatory Potential Through Comprehensive Exploration of Bioactive Compounds And Pharmacological Activities

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in harnessing the potential of bioactive compounds sourced from specific wild plants with inherent natural anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is a complex physiological response crucial for defense against adverse stimuli. However, prolonged inflammation can give rise to a myriad of health issues, particularly when influenced by factors related to mineral exposure and processing. This review aims to provide an overview of the current status of knowledge regarding the anti-inflammatory plant-based drugs which have been derived from green tea, licorice, devil's claw, willow bark, chamomile, Salvia officinalis and Piper ovatum etc. Bioactive compounds such as catechins, glycyrrhizin, harpagoside, salicin, chamazulene, Lactones and alkaloids which are referred as secondary plant metabolites obtaining the pharmacological effects in human beings and animals. It has long been identified by the authors of various classical texts of Ayurveda and their properties, indications to inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enzymes which helps to modulate various signaling pathways involved in inflammation. This study delves into the assessment of the anti- inflammatory properties of select wild plants while taking into consideration their potential interactions with mineral and mineral-associated pollutants. Safety and potential side effects are discussed in the context of metal exposure scenarios. Additionally, it underscores the necessity for continued research to elucidate the action mechanisms of these plant-derived compounds, further unlocking their therapeutic potential and efficacy in addressing inflammation heightened by mineral- related factors.

Rich resources from poor communities: An analysis of Namibia's access and benefit-sharing legislation

Since pre-independence, Namibia has faced wealth disparities and unfair distribution of benefits arising from natural resources. Producers, who hold traditional knowledge related to genetic resources, continue to endure poverty. In response, the Government of Namibia collaborated with various stakeholders to develop access and benefit-sharing policies and regulations. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of access and benefit-sharing legislation in distributing monetary and non-monetary benefits from users of non-timber forest products to indigenous and local communities who produce them. To achieve this, we integrated the access and benefit-sharing approaches with the value chain framework to identify gaps in the implementation of benefit-sharing. We employed a mixed-methods approach, incorporating semi-structured interviews, participation in symposiums, and statistical data analysis. Our findings revealed that despite the established legislative measures aimed at improving the benefits for Namibian producers, the actual sharing of the benefits remains unsatisfactory. Only a few communities that harvest non-timber forest products had benefit-sharing agreements or joint patent ownership with global or regional industries. Moreover, the San communities, who received incentives from the Devil's Claw manufacturer in 2021, did not enter into any benefit-sharing agreements until March 2023. We suggest that the recently implemented access and benefit-sharing regulations may not fully address the benefit-sharing issues overlooked by previous policies and initiatives. Therefore, we recommend further studies in exploring the potential of establishing efficient non-timber forest product processing facilities to economically empower communities. This, will ultimately contribute to national economic growth and the achievement of sustainable development goals.

The impact of commodified non-timber forest products on the livelihoods of San in Northern Namibia

ABSTRACT In Namibia, the commercialisation of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) is often promoted as a means to improve rural livelihoods, especially for vulnerable communities. This paper analysed how NTFP value chains are integrated into and contribute to the livelihoods of Khwe and !Xun San harvesters. Accordingly, the working conditions, employment and upgrading opportunities of the globally traded Devil's Claw were compared to those of regionally traded products, including Natal Oranges. A mixed-method approach was applied to collect data in Okongo Constituency and Bwabwata National Park. Findings revealed that while NTFPs contribute to the harvesters’ income generation, the income is insufficient to sustain their livelihoods. Interestingly, the results of both regional and global value chain integration do not lead to improved livelihoods. Further research is needed to analyse the synergies between the government, traditional and local authorities, NGOs, and other institutions in implementing laws that promote equitable sharing of benefits from NTFPs.

Devil's claw has anti-neuroinflammatory capacity through mitochondrial recovering in microglia cells exposed to rotenone

Devil's claw has anti-neuroinflammatory capacity through mitochondrial recovering in microglia cells exposed to rotenone

Seeds of Wisdom: Toward Healing a Cultural Divide

Seeds of Wisdom:Toward Healing a Cultural Divide Sarah Blomquist (bio) Sometimes the world will play with you, and that's how people get lost. — A Yaqui elder Click for larger view View full resolution Encased desert seeds harvested within southern Arizona: Purple speckled pods on the outer left, mesquite; light green pods on the outer right, mesquite; spiky footballs, cocklebur; red round wrinkled berries, manzanita; white fluffy seeds below manzanita, ocotillo; smallest dark brown paper seeds at bottom center, dock; lighter brown papery seeds to the right of dock, sotol; black center seeds, devil's claw; brown speckled pods above sotol, ironwood; light brown pods between spiky footballs and devil's claw, palo verde. Mark Blomquist, © 2021. Around the bend, past the lichen-encrusted boulders and magnificent desert views, I stopped at the patch of land where I envisioned harvesting food. The desert chia and saguaro were mostly as I remembered them, except now the saguaro was dripping with luscious, crimson fruits and [End Page 529] the desert chia was dried and papery, storing away tiny seeds that I intended to gather. As I have learned to do from my many teachers, I trod the earth lightly and collected sparingly, offering gratitude to the seeds and the plants as I disturbed their habitats. The stately saguaro cactus, Carnegiea gigantea, an iconic plant in the Sonoran Desert region, bears sweet fruits that have been a staple for the Tohono O'odham people for thousands of years. Desert chia, Salvia columbariae, likewise has served as food and medicine to the Indigenous peoples of the desert Southwest. Cactus fruit and mesquite flours have re-emerged as mainstream edible options, particularly in the regions where they are abundant. This is one among the many trends rekindling interest in and respect for the foods, medicines, and traditions rooted in the rich landscapes that contemporary humans now occupy. Collectively, we are standing at both an exciting and delicate crossroads in our relationship with foods, medicines, and land. Western technology and science are in their infancies when it comes to understanding the technologies and traditions of native peoples. Such technologies and traditions have often been stolen or not used respectfully by non-natives. However, people who have occupied these lands for millennia may still hold a wealth of knowledge and culture, if it has not been lost to processes of modernization. It is a difficult task to translate information and perspectives across these different cultural media, given the stark juxtaposition of the Click for larger view View full resolution Hands holding dried chia flowers with desert scrub in the background. Mark Blomquist, © 2021. [End Page 530] cultures, as well as the divide created by traumas past and present. As we apply our modern mindsets and tools to our ancestors' world and their relationship with the land, I wonder how we might collectively navigate this cultural mixture with more kindness, respect, and grace. Nutritional Science and Evolutionary Biology Back in the laboratory, I spent the day extracting fatty acids from the wide array of desert seeds I had harvested with care. A primary focus of the laboratory in which I conduct research is lipid biochemistry. Fatty acids are a type of lipid, where lipids represent one of the main macronutrient groups, which include carbohydrates and proteins. In this project, we are examining the nutritional profile and properties of foods of the ancestors who lived in the Sonoran Desert. As humans have evolved over many hundreds of thousands of years, they have adapted to their environments in order to survive. Multiple environmental conditions have shaped our current biology: the domestication of animals, differences in exposure to sunlight, exposure to bacteria (both symbiotic and pathogenic), and interactions with the dietary landscape. When compared to the deep historical past, for the last several hundred years of our development, in particular starting with industrialization, human beings have faced quite novel living conditions. While our bodies and biology remain more or less those of our ancestors, our modern environments are unique. Over the course of this history, most ancestral ways of being have been brutally extinguished or at least have deteriorated significantly due to modern forces. It is...

The Fight against Infection and Pain: Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) a Rich Source of Anti-Inflammatory Activity: 2011-2022.

Harpagophytum procumbens subsp. procumbens (Burch.) DC. ex Meisn. (Sesame seed Family—Pedaliaceae) is a popular medicinal plant known as Devil’s claw. It is predominantly distributed widely over southern Africa. Its impressive reputation is embedded in its traditional uses as an indigenous herbal plant for the treatment of menstrual problems, bitter tonic, inflammation febrifuge, syphilis or even loss of appetite. A number of bioactive compounds such as terpenoids, iridoid glycosides, glycosides, and acetylated phenolic compounds have been isolated. Harpagoside and harpagide, iridoid glycosides bioactive compounds have been reported in countless phytochemical studies as potential anti-inflammatory agents as well as pain relievers. In-depth studies have associated chronic inflammation with various diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. In addition, 60% of chronic disorder fatalities are due to chronic inflammatory diseases worldwide. Inflammation and pain-related disorders have attracted significant attention as leading causes of global health challenges. Articles published from 2011 to the present were obtained and reviewed in-depth to determine valuable data findings as well as knowledge gaps. Various globally recognized scientific search engines/databases including Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect were utilized to collect information and deliver evidence. Based on the literature results, there was a dramatic decrease in the number of studies conducted on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of Devil’s claw, thereby presenting a potential research gap. It is also evident that currently in vivo clinical studies are needed to validate the prior massive in vitro studies, therefore delivering an ideal anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent in the form of H. procumbens products.

Leucosceptoside A from Devil's Claw Modulates Psoriasis-like Inflammation via Suppression of the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway in Keratinocytes.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by abnormal keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation that is accompanied with dysregulated immune response and abnormal vascularization. Devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens (Burch.) DC. ex Meisn.) tubers extract has been used both systemically and topically for treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, osteoporosis, inflammatory bowel disease, among others. However, its potential mechanisms of action against psoriasis remains poorly investigated. The human keratinocyte HaCaT cell line is a well-accepted in vitro model system for inflammatory skin disorders such as psoriasis. The present study involved an exploration of the effect of biotechnologically produced H. procumbens (HP) cell suspension extract and pure phenylethanoid glycosides verbascoside (VER) and leucosceptoside A (LEU) in interferon (IFN)-γ/interleukin (IL)-17A/IL-22-stimulated HaCaT cells as a model of psoriasis-like inflammation. Changes in key inflammatory signaling pathways related to psoriasis development were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Treatment with LEU, but not VER and HP extract improved psoriasis-related inflammation via suppression of the PI3K/AKT signaling in IFN-γ/IL-17A/IL-22-stimulated HaCaT cells. Our results suggest that LEU may exhibit therapeutic potential against psoriasis by regulating keratinocyte differentiation through inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway.

A quality control perspective on Devil's claw, Harpagophytum procumbens and H. zeyheri: phytochemical analysis and DNA barcoding

Devil's claw is a popular natural anti-inflammatory phytomedicine. The preparation of Devil's claw products is complicated by the similarity between the morphotypes of Harpagophytum procumbens and H. zeyheri. This study investigated the potential of a validated ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) method to investigate the harpagoside content of methanol extracts of the secondary tubers of both species. In addition, DNA barcoding was used to determine the identity of the Harpagophytum species included in commercial Devil's claw products. Herbal reference material of H. procumbens and H. zeyheri, originally harvested in southern Africa, was morphologically authenticated and commercial products containing Harpagophytum were purchased on the internet using the search terms “Harpagophytum” or “Devil's claw.” High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and UHPLC-MS was used for the qualitative and quantitative determination of harpagoside content in commercial products. The UHPLC-MS method developed had a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.165 µg/mL and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.499 µg/mL. Quantitative UHPLC-MS analysis revealed high variability in the harpagoside content for both species; H. procumbens (0.17-4.37%) and H. zeyheri (0.00-3.07%). Only 41% of H. procumbens and 17% of H. zeyheri raw materials contained harpagoside. Using HPTLC, 90% of the commercial products tested were determined to contain harpagoside. The results were congruent with the UHPLC-MS analysis where the harpagoside content was out of specification for 10% of analyzed commercial products. The harpagoside content in commercial products varied from not detected to 3.50%. PCR amplification followed by comparative sequencing analysis of trnL-F, and ycf1 plastid gene amplicons indicated specific sites in trnL-F at positions 118 and 146 and at position 538 in ycf1 amplicons suitable to distinguish the two Harpagophytum species. These sites were used to barcode the herbal products and Character-based Barcode Recognition Obtained with Nucleotide eXposés (BRONX) analyses verified the taxonomic identity of the Harpagophytum in the samples. The results revealed that 76% (16/21) of the commercial products tested were incorrectly labelled as H. procumbens and, instead, contained H. zeyheri. Our study suggests that DNA barcoding in combination with the UHPLC-MS and HPTLC could significantly support herbal product authentication. This study contributed knowledge and methods that can be implemented to enhance the quality of commercial Devil's claw products.

THERAPEUTIC EXPLOIT AND RELEVANCE OF MARTYNIA ANNUA LINN: AN INTRICATE ASSESSMENT

Martynia annua Linn. or Martynia diandra Gloxin is a herbaceous plant belonging to the family Martyniaceae. It is usually recognized as "Devil's claw" or "Cat's claw". It is abundantly found in the Tropical and Subtropical regions of America. It was first found in Mexico and since then has been naturalized in many countries. The herb is cultivated to be used as an ornamental and a medicinal plant. The entire plant contains a substantial amount of biologically active constituents that have been reported to show potentially significant pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anticonvulsant. Therefore, the herb is widely used in traditional systems of medicines. The most common constituents found all over the plant are alkaloids, tannins, glycosides, flavonoids, terpenoids, proteins, amino acids, phenols, steroids, anthocyanins, and carbohydrates. Researchers have demonstrated that the presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds are associated with bioactivities like antioxidant activity which is greatly beneficial for maintaining good health. Another important constituent identified with the plant is luteolin, which is responsible for wound healing activity. However, the studies of these pharmacological activities are inadequate and further research will be required for the determination of the benefits as well as the toxic effects of the plant. This article provides an assessment of the various phytochemical and pharmacological activities of Martynia annua Linn.

DNA Barcode Authentication of Devil's Claw Herbal Dietary Supplements.

Devil’s claw is the vernacular name for a genus of medicinal plants that occur in the Kalahari Desert and Namibia Steppes. The genus comprises two distinct species: Harpagophytum procumbens and H. zeyheri. Although the European pharmacopeia considers the species interchangeable, recent studies have demonstrated that H. procumbens and H. zeyheri are chemically distinct and should not be treated as the same species. Further, the sale of H. zeyheri as an herbal supplement is not legal in the United States. Four markers were tested for their ability to distinguish H. procumbens from H. zeyheri: rbcL, matK, nrITS2, and psbA-trnH. Of these, only psbA-trnH was successful. A novel DNA mini-barcode assay that produces a 178-base amplicon in Harpagophytum (specificity = 1.00 [95% confidence interval = 0.80–1.00]; sensitivity = 1.00 [95% confidence interval = 0.75–1.00]) was used to estimate mislabeling frequency in a sample of 23 devil’s claw supplements purchased in the United States. PCR amplification failed in 13% of cases. Among the 20 fully-analyzable supplements: H. procumbens was not detected in 75%; 25% contained both H. procumbens and H. zeyheri; none contained only H. procumbens. We recommend this novel mini-barcode region as a standard method of quality control in the manufacture of devil’s claw supplements.

Ethnobotanical knowledge and use-value of Harpagophytum (Devil's claw) in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe

Quantitative ethnobotanical knowledge is important in guiding sustainable resource use, yet for many medicinal plants such as Harpagophytum (Devil's claw), this information is scanty. Thus, we documented the ethnobotanical knowledge of Devil's claw in Hwange, Gwanda, Matobo, and Tsholotsho, western Zimbabwe, in relation to a person's age, gender, level of education, and locality. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, we interviewed 205 respondents on their knowledge of the physical features, distribution, uses and use-values, part used, and the method of preparation of Devil's claw. Physical identification was assessed based on the frequency of knowledge of plant parts. Binomial General Linear Models were used to test the effect of age, education, gender, and locality on the respondent's knowledge. Relationships of age, gender, level of education, and locality to ethnoecological perceptions were assessed using Pearson's Chi-square test. Use values were assessed based on Plant Part Value (PPV), Use Value category (UVk), and Overall Use Value (OUV). Ethnobotanical knowledge varied with locality and age, with better physical description in most adults and senior respondents in Hwange and Tsholotsho. Respondent's perceptions showed that Devil's claw was more abundant in Hwange and Tsholotsho relative to Matobo and Gwanda. Tubers (53%) were most valued in all localities followed by leaves (29%), and fruits (18%). Of the five identified categories of use, medicinal (UVk of 0.38) was the most important while ethnoveterinary, rituals, personal care, and food were least important (all UVks ≤0.02). OUVs were dependent on locality, significantly higher in Hwange and Tsholotsho (0.64 and 0.58, respectively) as compared to Gwanda (0.1) and Matobo (0.28). This study provides a wealth of knowledge that contributes to the preservation of indigenous knowledge of Devil's claw, sustainable management of the plant as well as further contribute to pharmacological interventions.

Prospección de extractos de plantas como complementos de la higiene bucal en perros Labrador Retriever

The present study aimed to prospect plant extracts as a therapeutic resource, compared to the oral microbiota of dogs. For this purpose, ethanol extracts from different parts of Anacardium Ocidentalis (cashew tree), Stryphnodendron adstringens (barbatimão), Punica granatum (pomegranate), Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw), Psidium guajava L. (guava), Momordica charantia L. (melon from São Caetano) and Harpagophytum procumbens (devil's claw), prepared in different concentrations. Microorganisms collected from the oral mucosa of 12 Labrador dogs, maintained under the same management and feeding, were seeded in BHI Agar in a petri dish in which paper disks impregnated with 20µL of each extract were circulated. 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate solution was used as a positive control. The plates were incubated for 12 hours at 36 ºC. Three swabs were collected for each animal and each experiment was carried out in triplicate. The results of the inhibition halo measurements were subjected to the Kruskall-Wallis analysis of variance, followed by the Dunn test, with a significance level of 5%. Based on the results, pomegranate, guava, and barbatimão extracts were selected, as they were statistically significant at concentrations of 250; 125; 62,6mg/mL which suggests that the three are potential candidates for use in the development of pharmaceutical products for use in oral hygiene of dogs.

Multielement Determination in Medicinal Plants and Herbal Medicines Containing Cynara scolymus L., Harpagophytum procumbens D.C., and Maytenus ilifolia (Mart.) ex Reiss from Brazil Using ICP OES

Worldwide, medicinal plants and herbal medicines are widely consumed. The aim of this study was to determine macro- (Ca, K, Mg, Na, and P) and microelements (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, V, and Zn) in medicinal plants and herbal medicines: "globe artichoke" - Cynara scolymus L., "devil's claw" - Harpagophytum procumbens D.C., and "espinheira santa" - Maytenus ilifolia (Mart) ex Reiss. Concentrations of 24 (essential and toxic potentially) elements in samples from Brazil were determined using a sequential optical emission spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) after acid digestion, assisted by microwave radiation. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were used to carry out an exploratory analysis of samples. The elements were quantified (in μg/g): Al (20.24-1261.64), Ba (18.90-63.18), Ca (2877.6-19,957.40), Cr (0.28-1.38), Cu (4.16-21.99), Fe (8.54-627.49), K (1786.12-32,297.19), Mg (505.82-6174.52), Mn (0.40-205.64), Na (1717.23-18,596.45), Ni (< LoQ-0.99), P (35.12-2899.91), Se (1.52-3.71), Sn (1.53-12.43), Sr (52.33-84.31), V (< LoQ-0.24), and Zn (2.60-30.56). As, Cd, Co, Mo, Pb, and Sb, in all the investigated samples, were found to be below the limit of detection (LoD) and quantification (LoQ) values of ICP OES. These medicinal plants and herbal medicines can be sources of Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, Cu, Fe, Mn, Se, and Zn. All samples showed considerable levels of Al. PCA and HCA showed that the samples separated into two large groups.

Dependency of rural communities on non-timber forest products in the dry lands of southern Africa: A case of Mukwe Constituency, Kavango East Region, Namibia

This paper examines the relationship between socio-economic and demographic factors and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) dependency among the rural communities of the Mukwe Constituency, Kavango East Region, Namibia. The study employed interviews of households using semi-structured questionnaires and personal observations during July 2019 covering 102 respondents. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-Square (X2) to test the association between socio-economic and demographic factors with NTFPs dependency. Results showed that wild-fruits, mushroom, honey-bees, mopane worms, insects, medicinal plants, wild meat, ropes, reeds, thatching grasses and devil's claw were the NTFPs prevalent in the study area. The results further showed that 71 % of the respondents were reliant on NTFPs for their diverse livelihoods. The Chi-square revealed no significant association between age, gender, marital status, number of people in the households and NTFPs dependency (P>0.05). However, a significant association was found between NTFPs reliance and occupation, number of years in the village, number of people employed in the household, highest qualification and employment status (P<0.05). The intra-community differentiation in the reliance on NTFPs, as revealed in this study, enables more effective targeting of forest management interventions and informs efforts to reconcile the goals of poverty reduction and sustainable forest management in Namibia and other countries with similar socio-economic and environmental conditions.

Devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) ameliorates the neurobehavioral changes and neurotoxicity in female rats exposed to arsenic

Over 200 million people are exposed to arsenic worldwide in their daily lives. Arsenic is a toxic ubiquitous metalloid distributed in the ground water. From the last few decades it is obtaining considerable attention for its severe neurotoxic properties. In this study the neuroprotective efficacy of devil's claw (DCW), a potent antioxidant has been investigated against arsenic induced neurotoxicity in female rats. Neurotoxicity was established by oral administration of 13 mg/kg sodium arsenite. The animals were divided into five groups (n = 6) including normal control, disease/arsenic control, standard treatment (Apocynin, 10 mg/kg), DCW treatment I (DCW, 200 mg/kg) and DCW treatment II (DCW, 400 mg/kg). Exploratory, anxiety and motor coordination related behavior of the animals was assessed using hole-board, forced swimming, beam walk and elevated plus maze tests. Findings revealed that DCW treatment ameliorated anxiety and motor in-coordination in the rats compared to the arsenic control group. In addition, arsenic induced a significant oxidative stress in arsenic only treated group, whereas co-administration with DCW the oxidative stress was reduced prominently. Arsenic control group produced gliosis and nuclear pyknosis of the brain cells which were prominently suppressed with the treatment of DCW for 21 days. The activity of DCW was in correlation with the concentration of harpagoside in the serum estimated by the HPLC method, supports that harpagoside was the active constituent responsible for neuroprotective effect. Further findings are required to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in neuroprotective effect of harpagoside and DCW.

Devil's claw: action on the central nervous system

The Harpagophytum procumbens (HP), popularly known as “garra do diabo” is a native plant from Africa that has been used for years by traditional medicine for treating a various number of health conditions, among which the inflammatory disturbances stand out. The potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of the plant stand out since it has in its chemical matrix several bioactive compounds. However, there’s still little research that reports the association of HP on the central nervous system (CNS). The objective of this paper was to perform a review of the literature among the assays already described in the literature, in Portuguese and English, using the HP associated with the prevention and treatments of neurological and/or neuropsychiatry disturbances and conditions. The methodology performed is a review of the literature bringing publishes of papers found in the virtual database PubMed, using the descriptors: Harpagophytum procumbens (HP) and Central Nervous System (CNS). In total, 11 articles reported the effects of HP with performance on the CNS. In conclusion, this study reported, in association with previous ones, that the antioxidant action of the HP may be related to neuroprotective results due to a synergism of phenolic glycosylated derivatives such as verbascoside and/or iridoid glycosides such as harpagoside and flavonoids.

Devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) and chronic inflammatory diseases: A concise overview on preclinical and clinical data.

Devil's Claw is a traditional medicine that has been long used a wide range of health conditions, including indigestion, fever, allergic reactions, and rheumatism. The main compounds are iridoid glycosides, including harpagoside, harpagide, and procumbide. However, harpagoside is the most responsible for therapeutic activity, and its content is used as reference standard. Here, we analyzed and summarized preclinical and clinical studies focusing on therapeutic efficacy of devil's claw preparations in pathological conditions in which inflammation plays a key causative role.