€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL***** Whitehouse LW Znamirowska M Paul CJ Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens): no evidence for anti- inflammatory activity in the treatment of arthritic disease. In: Can Med Assoc J (1983 Aug 1) 129(3):249-51 ISSN: 0008-4409 Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), an herbal product being marketed in Canada as a home remedy for the relief of arthritic disease, was screened for efficacy with standard preclinical screening methods. At doses 100 times or greater than the recommended daily dose for humans, Devil's Claw was completely ineffective in reducing edema of the rat hind foot induced by either lambda- carrageenan or Mycobacterium butyricum. At concentrations of up to 1 x 10(5) microgram/ml, Devil's Claw was also ineffective as an in- vitro inhibitor of prostaglandin synthetase. These results indicate that Devil's Claw lacks the anti-inflammatory properties possessed by all antiarthritic drugs of the nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory analgesic type. Registry Numbers: EC 1.14.99.1 (Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthase) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****ANNALES PHARMACEUTIQUES FRANCAISES***** Mestdagh O Torck M [Quality evaluation of Harpagophyton capsules] Etude de la qualite de gelules d'Harpagophyton. In: Ann Pharm Fr (1995) 53(3):135-7 ISSN: 0003-4509 (Published in French) Six samples of capsules Harpagophytum procumbens of different commercial origin have been examined by methods of the french Pharmacopoeia and measurement of the harpagoside by HPLC. The study showed variability of the quality of not pharmaceutical products. Registry Numbers: 19210-12-9 (harpagoside) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY***** Soulimani R Younos C Mortier F Derrieu C The role of stomachal digestion on the pharmacological activity of plant extracts, using as an example extracts of Harpagophytum procumbens. In: Can J Physiol Pharmacol (1994 Dec) 72(12):1532-6 ISSN: 0008-4212 Various researchers have described anti-inflammatory activity of aqueous extracts of devil's-claw (Harpagophytum procumbens DC.). In this study the extent of the anti-inflammatory activity of an aqueous extract prepared from cryoground fresh plant and administered intraperitoneally, per os (by gavage), and intraduodenally was determined in rats. The anti-inflammatory properties were assessed by applying the carrageenan-induced edema test. The results obtained indicated that intraperitoneal pretreatment with an aqueous extract of H. procumbens significantly reduced the carrageenan-induced edema at 400 and 800 mg/kg 4 h after carrageenan injection (45 and 65% inhibition, respectively). When administered orally (by gavage), the extracts were inefficient. This result could be attributed to the time in transition in the stomach, where the pH is acidic, causing a decrease of the activity of the extract. This inference is consistent with the results obtained by other authors, showing the absence of extract activity when it was treated in an environment of pH 1 and 37 degrees C (similar to the physicochemical conditions found in the stomach) and then administered intraperitoneally. Intraduodenal pretreatment with the aqueous extract significantly reduced the carrageenan-induced edema at 200, 400, and 1600 mg/kg 6-9 h after carrageenan injection (43, 60, and 41% inhibition, respectively). The presence of extract activity after intraduodenal administration supports the assumption that transition of the extract through the stomach leads to loss of activity. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY***** Circosta C Occhiuto F Ragusa S Trovato A Tumino G Briguglio F de Pasquale A A drug used in traditional medicine: Harpagophytum procumbens DC. II. Cardiovascular activity. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1984 Aug) 11(3):259-74 ISSN: 0378-8741 In conscious normotensive rats the dried crude methanolic extract of Harpagophytum procumbens secondary roots caused a significant dose- dependent reduction of arterial blood pressure. The decrease was significant only at higher doses given by gavage (dried extract = 400 mg/kg). At the same time a decrease of heart rate was observed. In the same experimental conditions, harpagoside presented an activity lower than doses of Harpagophytum procumbens extract containing corresponding quantities of harpagoside. In spontaneously beating Langendorff preparations of rabbit heart, the Harpagophytum procumbens methanolic extract caused a mild decrease in the heart rate with a concomitant mild positive inotropic effect at lower doses but a marked negative inotropic effect at higher doses. The coronary flow decreased at higher doses only. The negative chronotropic and positive inotropic effects of harpagoside were comparatively higher with respect to that of the extract, whereas harpagide had only a slight negative chronotropic effect and a considerable negative inotropic one. Both in experiments on intact rats and on isolated rabbit heart, the Harpagophytum procumbens extract also demonstrated a protective action with regard to arrhythmias induced by aconitine, and particularly to those provoked by calcium chloride and epinephrine--chloroform. Registry Numbers: 137-58-6 (Lidocaine) 19210-12-9 (harpagoside) 6926-08-5 (harpagide) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Ragusa S Circosta C Galati EM Tumino G A drug used in traditional medicine. Harpagophytum procumbens DC. I. Scanning electron microscope observations. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1984 Aug) 11(3):245-57 ISSN: 0378-8741 Histological characteristics, as observed by scanning electron microscope, of the secondary roots of Harpagophytum procumbens DC. (Pedaliaceae), a drug widely used in South African traditional medicine, specially by Bushmen, Hottentots and Bantu, are described in detail. It has been possible to reveal some morphological elements that, together with superficial granular material containing harpagoside and harpagide, allow drug identification. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Occhiuto F Circosta C Ragusa S Ficarra P Costa De Pasquale R A drug used in traditional medicine: Harpagophytum procumbens DC. IV. Effects on some isolated muscle preparations. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1985 May) 13(2):201-8 ISSN: 0378-8741 Effects of the crude methanolic extract of Harpagophytum procumbens secondary roots and two of its active principles, harpagoside and harpagide, on some smooth muscle in vitro have been studied. The results obtained show how the action of H. procumbens is due to a complex interaction between the various active principles contained in the drug and suggest that they, especially harpagoside, interfere with the mechanisms that regulate the influx of calcium in the cells. Registry Numbers: 10361-37-2 (barium chloride) 19210-12-9 (harpagoside) 51-84-3 (Acetylcholine) 6926-08-5 (harpagide) 7440-39-3 (Barium) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ Costa De Pasquale R Busa G Circosta C Iauk L Ragusa S Ficarra P Occhiuto F A drug used in traditional medicine: Harpagophytum procumbens DC. III. Effects on hyperkinetic ventricular arrhythmias by reperfusion. In: J Ethnopharmacol (1985 May) 13(2):193-9 ISSN: 0378-8741 In Langendorff preparations of rat heart, hyperkinetic ventricular arrhythmias (HVA) have been induced by an ischaemic perfusion (coronary flux 0.5 ml/min; pressure 8 mmHg) and following reperfusion at basal conditions (coronary flux 8 ml/min; pressure 50 mmHg). Crude methanolic extracts of Harpagophytum procumbens secondary roots and harpagoside showed a significant, dose-dependent, protective action toward HVA induced by reperfusion. Registry Numbers: 19210-12-9 (harpagoside) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PLANTA MEDICA***** Lanhers MC Fleurentin J Mortier F Vinche A Younos C Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of an aqueous extract of Harpagophytum procumbens. In: Planta Med (1992 Apr) 58(2):117-23 ISSN: 0032-0943 The dried aqueous extract of Harpagophytum procumbens (Pedaliaceae) and its main iridoid glycoside, harpagoside, have been evaluated for anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in mice and rats, in order to validate or invalidate the involvement of this compound in such properties. This extract exerted significant and dose-dependent anti- inflammatory and analgesic effects, from the dose 100 mg of dried secondary roots/kg, the first being obtained on an acute inflammatory process (carrageenan-induced edema test in rats) and the second being obtained against a chemical stimulus (writhing test in mice). Harpagoside does not appear to be involved in anti-inflammatory properties, since this iridoid glycoside did not protect against carrageenan inflammatory effects when it was used at 5 and 10 mg/kg; 5 mg corresponding to the quantity contained in 400 mg of dried secondary roots. The main iridoid glycoside of H. procumbens appears to be implicated in the peripheral analgesic properties of this species, but other compounds have to be involved, since the dose of 10 mg/kg exerted a significant protective effect. The absence of the activity of H. procumbens after an acid treatment (0.1 N hydrochloric acid), stomach, suggests the use of a suitable galenic preparation in order to protect the active principles from the action of the acid released in the stomach. €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ *****PROSTAGLANDINS LEUKOTRIENES AND ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS***** Moussard C Alber D Toubin MM Thevenon N Henry JC A drug used in traditional medicine, harpagophytum procumbens: no evidence for NSAID-like effect on whole blood eicosanoid production in human. In: Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids (1992 Aug) 46(4):283-6 ISSN: 0952-3278 Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), an herbal product being marketed in Canada and in Europe as a home remedy for the relief of arthritic disease, was investigated in healthy humans on eicosanoid production during spontaneously blood clotting. Volunteers took H. procumbens (daily 4 capsules of 500 mg powder containing 3% of total glucoiridoids) for a period of 21 days. The following are the results (mean (SEM)): before H. procumbens intake, prostaglandin (PG)E2 (ng/ml serum): 2.1 (0.4) (n = 25), thromboxane (TX)B2: 147 (27) (n = 25), 6-keto-PGF1 alpha: 4.4 (0.7) (n = 13), leukotriene (LT)B4: 3.4 (0.4) (n = 25); after intake: PGE2: 3.2 (0.6), TXB2: 143 (24), 6-keto- PGF1 alpha: 4.2 (0.9), LTB4: 3.8 (0.6). Each subject serving as her own control, no statistically significant differences were observed between before and after H. procumbens intake. These results indicate that Devil's Claw lacks, at least in healthy humans and under the selected conditions, the biochemical effects on arachidonic acid metabolism of antiarthritic drugs of the non-steroidal antiinflammatory type. Registry Numbers: EC 1.13.11.34 (Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase) EC 1.14.99.1 (Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthase) €€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€