Iporuru

(Alchornea castaneifolia)

Family: Leguminosae
Genus: Alchornea
Species: castaneifolia
Synonyms: Hermesia castaneifolia
Common Names: Iporuru, iporoni, iporuro, ipururo, ipurosa, macochihua, niando, pajaro
Phytochemicals: Alchorneine, Alchorneinone, Anthranilic-acid, Gentisinic-acid, Isoalchorneine, Yohimbine, Alkaloids
Part Used: Leaves, bark, roots

HERBAL PROPERTIES AND ACTIONS

Main Actions: relieves pain reduces inflammation kills cancer cells increases libido

Other Actions: kills fungi kills viruses prevents tumors

Standard Dosage: Leaves. Infusion: 1 cup 2-3 times daily; Maceration: 1/2 cup 2-3 times daily

Iporuru is a shrubby tree that reaches 8-10 m in height. It grows extensively in the lower elevations and flood plains of the Amazon River system in Peru, and is indigenous to the moist, tropical areas in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, and Venezuela. Iporuru can be harvested only in the Amazon's dry season; it spends the rainy season underwater. The locals believe that the active medicinal properties found in the bark are present only during the dry season.

Little research has been done to catalog completely the phytochemicals in iporuru. Initial screening has revealed it to contain steroids, saponins, phenols, flavonols, flavones, tannins, xanthones, and alkaloids. The anti-inflammatory properties of iporuru are attributed to a group of alkaloids, including one called alchorneine, which are found in the bark of iporuru as well as several other species of Alchornea.

Likewise, there has been little clinical research on iporuru - despite its long history of use in South American herbal medicine. That which has been done, however, does help explain some of its traditional uses. Pharmacognosy students in Sweden documented that an ethanol extract of the stembark was capable of reducing lab-induced swelling and inflammation when applied topically. These researchers also reported that the extract also was able to inhibit COX-1 prostaglandin synthesis. Prostaglandins, produced by the activity of the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX), are linked to inflammatory processes and diseases. (COX-inhibitors are a newer class of anti-inflammatory and arthritis pharmaceutical drugs on the market.) This prostaglandin inhibition activity may, in part, explain the traditional use of iporuru for inflammatory joint and muscle disorders such as osteoarthritis, arthritis, and rheumatism.

Other preliminary in vitro research (performed in Canada) has reported iporuru's antifungal, antiviral, and antitumor activities. In their "crown gall tumor inhibition" assay (a preliminary laboratory test to predict antitumor activity), ethanol extracts and water extracts of the dried bark tested active at in very small quantities. In another test to predict antitumor activity (an anticrustacean assay with Artemia salina), the ethanol extract tested active but the water extract was not active. Their antimicrobial testing revealed that the ethanol extract demonstrated good antifungal activity against several fungal strains, but the water extract was inactive. Likewise, ethanol extracts evidenced better antiviral actions than those water-based. Neither the ethanol nor water extracts showed any antibacterial or antiyeast actions against the strains they tested.

For centuries the indigenous peoples of the Amazon have used the bark and leaves of iporuru for many different purposes and prepared it in many different ways. The plant commonly is used with other plants during shamanistic training and, sometimes, is an ingredient in ayahuasca (a hallucinogenic, multi-herb decoction used by South American shamans). Throughout the Amazon the bark or leaves are tinctured (generally with the local rum, called aguardiente) as a local remedy for rheumatism, arthritis, colds, and muscle pains. It is well known to the indigenous peoples of Peru for relieving the symptoms of osteoarthritis, and in aiding flexibility and range of motion.

Following up, a brief summary of worldwide ethnomedical uses of iporuru.

Region	Uses
Amazonia	for aches (muscle), analgesic, arthritis, colds, cough, diabetes, diarrhea, fertility, impotence, inflammation, pain, rheumatism
Canada	for arthritis, inflammation, muscle pains, rheumatism
Peru	for arthritis, bacterial infections, colds, cough, diabetes, diarrhea, flexibility, impotence, inflammation, muscle pains, osteoarthritis, pain, rheumatism, sterility
U.S.	for allergies, athletic support, arthritis, bacterial infections, constipation, inflammation, pain
Venezuela	for wounds

IPORURU PLANT SUMMARY

Main Preparation Method:	leaf infusion or bark decoction
Main Actions (in order):	anti-inflammatory, analgesic (pain-reliever), antiviral, antifungal, fertility aid
Main Uses:	for arthritis and rheumatism as an internal and external anti-inflammatory and pain-reliever for muscle and joint injuries for fungal and viral infections for erectile dysfunction and female fertility
Properties/Actions Documented by Research:	anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antitumor, antiviral, COX- inhibitor (typically reduces inflammation)
Other Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use:	analgesic (pain-reliever), anti-arthritic, antihistamine, anti-rheumatic, antispasmodic, cough suppressant, aphrodisiac, fertility aid, hypoglycemic, wound healer
Traditional Preparation:	For impotency: the traditional remedy in Peru calls for one cup of dried leaves to be macerated in 2 cups of water for one day, and 2-3 doses (of 1/2 cup) are drunk daily. For diabetes: 1/2 cup of dried leaves are infused in 4 cups of water, and one cup is drunk after each meal. As the leaves are prepared in standard infusions or cold macerations (indicating the beneficial chemicals providing the effects are water soluble), powdered leaves in capsules, tablets, or stirred into liquids can be substituted (1-2 g, two or three times daily).
Contraindications:	None known.
Drug Interactions:	None known.

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