Neurolaena lobata

Scientific name: Neurolaena lobata (L.) Cass.

Botanical family: ASTERACEAE

Vernacular names

Other vernacular names

Costa Rica:

Gavilana

Honduras:

Mano de lagarto

Colombia:

Zabapique

Geographical distribution

Widely distributed in tropical America.

Botanical description

Robust herb or shrub of up to 4 m in height. Single, alternate, entire or three-lobed leaves, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, with a serrate edge, 5 to 24 cm long. Panicles up to 10 cm in diameter; yellow capitula, 6 mm in diameter; oblong involucral bracts, in four series. Achenes of 2 mm.

Voucher(s)

Zanoni,44443,JBSD

Girón,548,CFEH

Delaigue,20,NHTT

Veloz,3110,JBSD

Jiménez,270,JBSD

For fever, flu and malaria:
Depending on the traditional preparation chosen, prepare a decoction with 30 grams of aerial parts or 30 grams of fresh leaves, or 5 grams of dried leaves in 4 cups (1 litre) of water, boil for 5 minutes in a covered vessel. Leave to cool, strain (filter) and drink 1 cup 3 times a day.

To detoxify the blood:
prepare an alcoholic maceration, chop 30 grams of leaves and add them to 4 cups (1 litre) of alcohol (rum), leave it to stand for 4 hours and drink several doses of the preparation over the course of the following 24 hours.

or

prepare a decoction with 30 grams of fresh leaves in 4 cups (1 litre) of water, boil for 5 minutes in a covered vessel. Leave to cool, strain (filter) and drink 1 cup 3 times a day.

Preparations must never be stored for more than 24 hours, even if refrigerated.

According to the information available:

The use as a blood detoxifier is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys and the toxicity studies.

We do not have an appropriate experimental model to validate the pharmacological activity to support this traditional use.

The use for fever and flu is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys and the toxicity and validation studies.

If deterioration is observed in the patient or the fever persists for more than 2 days, or the flu persists for more than 7 days, seek medical attention.

The use for malaria is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys and the toxicity and validation studies.

Due to the health risk of malaria, an initial medical assessment is recommended. The use of this resource must be considered complementary to medical treatment, unless contraindicated.

Avoid ingestion of the aerial parts in people with diabetes^7-8.

Not for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children under 5 years.

TRAMIL Work¹⁷
The freeze-dried aqueous extract (decoction) from fresh leaves (5000 mg/kg/day), orally in Hsd:ICR mice (5 males and 5 females) for 5 days, OECD protocol 423, did not cause mortality, nor did it show any signs of toxicity.

TRAMIL Work¹⁵
The hydroalcoholic extract (70%) from the leaves (5 g/kg), orally in mice, did not cause any obvious signs of toxicity.

The aqueous extract from dried leaves (1-5 g/kg, single dose and 500 mg/kg every 2 days for 3 weeks), orally in mice, showed no toxic effects, nor did it do so in the subacute toxicity test¹⁸.

The presence of toxic necines in the methanolic extract from the leaves was ruled out¹⁹.

There is no information available documenting the safety of use in children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

The exceptional variability of this plant, with and without flowers, is particularly noteworthy.

The aerial parts contain sesquiterpenes: 8β-isovalerianyloxy-9α-acetoxy-calyculatolide, 8β-isovalerianyloxy-9α-hydroxy-calyculatolide, lobatin A, B and C, neurolenin A, B, C, D, E and F9-10.

The leaves have sesquiterpenes: neurolenin A and B¹¹, axillarin; flavonoids: 3,7-dimethyl-6-hydroxykaempferol, 6-hydroxy-3-methyl ether-7-O-β-D-glucoside kaempferol, 6-hydroxy-3-methyl ether-7-kaempferol sulfate, 6-hydroxy-7-O-β-D-glucoside kaempferol, 6-hydroxy-3’-methyl ether luteolin, 6-hydroxy-7-O-β-D-glucoside luteolin, quercetagetin-3-7-dimethyl ether, quercetagetin-3-methyl ether-7-O-β-d-glucoside, quercetagetin-3-methyl ether-7-sulfate, quercetagetin-7-O-β-D-glucoside¹².

TRAMIL Work¹³
The aqueous extract (decoction) from fresh leaves (2000 mg/kg, single dose), orally in 10 Wistar rats, antipyretic model withbrewer’s yeast, 30 minutes after administration, showed statistically significant antipyretic activity (p < 0.05) compared to the control group.

TRAMIL Work¹⁴
The aqueous and chloroformic extracts from the aerial parts (100, 200 mg and 1 g/kg), reference drug chloroquine (5 mg/kg/day) intraperitoneally in Swiss mice (groups of 10) infected with 100 000 000 parasitised cells (Plasmodium vinckei petteri strain 279 BY) in 0.1% saline (100 μl), treated for 4 consecutive days after infection (4-day classical suppressive test). The aqueous extract showed maximum inhibition of 86% at the 1 g/kg dose. The chloroformic extract showed activity of 38% at the 100 mg/kg dose and 43% at the 200 mg/kg dose. The percentages refer to the pattern used. Application of the aqueous extract at the maximum dose tested on Plasmodium berghei (traditionally the most commonly used strain in this type of test), showed activity of 46% with respect to chloroquine, but with signs of toxicity.

TRAMIL Work¹⁵
The organic fraction of the hydroalcoholic leaf extract (70%, 1000 mg/kg), orally in mice, acetic acid-induced contortion model, showed significant analgesic activity (47% inhibition). The aqueous extract (10% infusion) from dried leaves, (750 mg/kg/7 days) orally in Swiss mice against Plasmodium berghei schizonts inoculated intraperitoneally, was active, similarly to the reference drug artemisinin (50 mg/kg)¹⁶.

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

1 DELAIGUE J, 2005
TRAMIL survey. UAG & PRDI, Tobago House of Assembly, Scarborough, Tobago.

2 WENIGER B, 1987-88
Encuesta TRAMIL. enda-caribe, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana.

3 CLEMENT Y, BAKSH-COMEAU Y, RAGOO R, SEAFORTH C, 2008
TRAMIL survey. UWI & UTT, Trinidad.

4 GIRON L, 1988
Encuesta TRAMIL (Costa atlántica). Centro Mesoamericano de Tecnología CEMAT, Guatemala, Guatemala.

5 CHARLES C, 1988
TRAMIL survey. Movement for Cultural Awareness MCA, Roseau, Dominica.

6 WENIGER B, ROUZIER M, 1986
Enquête TRAMIL. Service Oecuménique d’Entraide SOE, Port au Prince, Haïti.

7 GUPTA MP, SOLIS NG, AVELLA ME, SANCHEZ C, 1984
Hypoglicemic activity of Neurolaena lobata (L.) R. Br. J Ethnopharmacol 3(10):323-327.

8 HANDA S, CHAWLA A, MANINDER, 1988
Hypoglicaemic plants - A review. Taxon No(38):659-662.

9 PASSREITER CM, WENDISCH D, GONDOL D, 1995
Sesquiterpene lactones from Neurolaena lobata. Phytochemistry 39(1):133-137.

10 BORGES J, MANRESA MT, RODRIGUEZ F, VAZQUEZ P, GUPTA MP, JOSEPH P, 1982
Panama flora. II. New sesquiterpene lactones from Neurolaena lobata. J Nat Prod 45(6):762-765.

11 MANCHAND PS, BLOUNT JF, 1978
Chemical constituents of tropical plants. 11. Stereostructures of neurolenins A and B novel germacranolide sesquiterpenes from Neurolaena lobata (L.) R.Br. J Org Chem 43(22):4352-4354.

12 KERR KM, MABRY TJ, YOSER S, 1981
6-hydroxy- and 6-methyoxyflavonoids from Neurolaena lobata and N. macrocephala. Phytochemistry 20(4):791- 794.

13 GARCIA-GONZALEZ M, ESCALANTE C, DIAZ C, 2007
Antipyretic effect of the aqueous extract obtained from leaves of Neurolaena lobata (Asteraceae) on a pyretic model induced by brewer’s yeast. Revista Médica de la Universidad de Costa Rica. Volumen 1, número 1, artículo 3. www. revistamedica.ucr.ac.

14 SAUVAIN M, RUIZ G, 1994
Actividad antipalúdica de Neurolaena lobata usada en medicina tradicional en el Caribe. Informe TRAMIL. IRD, La Paz, Bolivia.

15 GRACIOSO JS, PAULO MQ, HIRUMA LIMA CA, SOUZA BRITO AR, 1998
Antinociceptive effect in mice of a hydroalcoholic extract of Neurolaena lobata (L.) R. Br and its organic fractions. Informe TRAMIL. J Pharm Pharmacol 50(12):1425-1429.

16 FRANSSEN FFJ, SMEIJSTERS LJJ, BERGER I, MEDINILLA BE, 1997
In vivo and in vitro antiplasmodial activities of some plants traditionally used in Guatemala against malaria. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 41(7):1500-1503.

17 PAZOS L, COTO T, GONZALEZ S. 2003
Toxicidad oral aguda en ratones, del extracto acuoso de hojas frescas de Neurolaena lobata. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos LEBi, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

18 CACERES A, LOPEZ B, GONZALEZ S, BERGER I, TADA I, MAKI J, 1998
Plants used in Guatemala for the treatment of protozoal infections. I. Screening of activity to bacteria, fungi and American trypanosomes of 13 native plants. J of Ethnopharmacology 62(3):195-202.

19 PASSREITER CM, 1998
Neurolaena lobata was investigated for the occurrence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 26(8):839-843.

Disclaimer

The information provided is for educational purposes only for the benefit of the general public and health professionals. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. Since some parts of plants could be toxic, might induce side effects, or might have interactions with certain drugs, anyone intending to use them or their products must first consult with a physician or another qualified health care professional. TRAMIL has no responsibility whatsoever towards the user for any decision, action or omission made in relation to the information contained in this Pharmacopoeia.

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