Uncaria tomentosa, comunemente conosciuta come artiglio del gatto, è una liana legnosa originaria delle giungle tropicali del Sud e Centro America. Famosa per i suoi uncini simili agli artigli di un gatto, questa liana si arrampica su altre piante o alberi per raggiungere la luce solare. L'artiglio del gatto è apprezzato per la sua corteccia e radice, utilizzati nella medicina tradizionale da secoli per i loro presunti benefici per la salute.
Classificazione Botanica
Regno: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperme
Classe: Eudicotiledoni
Ordine: Gentianales
Famiglia: Rubiaceae
Genere: Uncaria
Specie: U. tomentosa
Caratteristiche della Pianta
Questa liana può crescere fino a 30 metri di altezza mentre si arrampica utilizzando i suoi artigli. Le foglie sono semplici e ovali, di colore verde lucido. Produce piccoli fiori giallastri. Le caratteristiche più distintive della pianta sono i suoi artigli a forma di uncino, che utilizza per agganciarsi alla vegetazione.
Composizione Chimica e Struttura
Contiene vari composti bioattivi, inclusi alcaloidi, terpenoidi, flavonoidi e tannini. Gli alcaloidi più noti nell'artiglio del gatto sono isopteropodina e mitrafillina, che si ritiene contribuiscano alle sue proprietà immunostimolanti e antinfiammatorie.
La coltivazione di Uncaria tomentosa comporta le seguenti considerazioni:
- Terreno: Predilige un terreno ben drenato e fertile, tipicamente trovato nel suo habitat naturale della foresta pluviale.
- Luce: Richiede ombra parziale; troppa luce solare può inibire la sua crescita.
- Acqua: Necessita di abbondante umidità, coerente con l'alta umidità delle foreste pluviali tropicali.
- Temperatura: Prospera in ambienti caldi e umidi e non è resistente al gelo.
Usi e Benefici
Tradizionalmente, l'artiglio del gatto è stato utilizzato dalle culture indigene per i suoi potenziali effetti terapeutici, inclusi il potenziamento del sistema immunitario, la riduzione dell'infiammazione e il supporto nella guarigione da condizioni di salute come l'artrite e i disturbi del sistema digestivo. La ricerca moderna si è concentrata sulle sue potenziali proprietà antinfiammatorie, antiossidanti e di modulazione immunitaria.
Applicazioni
- Medicinale: Utilizzato in forma di integratore per vari benefici per la salute, inclusi il supporto immunitario e la riduzione dell'infiammazione.
- Tisane: Spesso consumato come tè per le sue proprietà salutari.
- Ricerca: Oggetto di studi scientifici che indagano il suo potenziale nel trattare una gamma di disturbi, dalle malattie autoimmuni al cancro.
Considerazioni Ambientali e di Sicurezza
La raccolta di Uncaria tomentosa deve essere condotta in modo sostenibile per prevenire lo sfruttamento eccessivo. La pianta è talvolta raccolta in modo distruttivo in natura, il che può minacciare gli ecosistemi locali. Pratiche di coltivazione sostenibili sono essenziali per preservare questa specie. Sebbene generalmente considerato sicuro per il consumo, si raccomanda di utilizzare l'artiglio del gatto sotto la guida di un operatore sanitario, in quanto può interagire con vari farmaci e non è raccomandato per donne in gravidanza o individui con malattie autoimmuni.
Bibliografia__________________________________________________________________________
Keplinger K, Laus G, Wurm M, Dierich MP, Teppner H. Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) DC.--ethnomedicinal use and new pharmacological, toxicological and botanical results. J Ethnopharmacol. 1999 Jan;64(1):23-34. doi: 10.1016/s0378-8741(98)00096-8.
Abstract. The medicinal system of the Asháninka Indians in Perú is portrayed. Three categories of medical disorders and healers are recognized. A human is viewed to consist of a physical and a spiritual being who communicate with each other by means of a regulating element. The significance of Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) DC. (Rubiaceae), locally known as unã de gato, in traditional medicine is emphasized by its exclusive use by priests to influence this regulation. Pharmacological and toxicological results obtained with extracts or isolated compounds are summarized. Pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids stimulate endothelial cells in vitro to produce a lymphocyte-proliferation-regulating factor. Tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids act as antagonists. A significant normalization of lymphocyte percentage was observed in vivo although total leucocyte numbers did not change.
Della Valle V. Uncaria tomentosa. G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2017 Dec;152(6):651-657. doi: 10.23736/S0392-0488.17.05712-1.
Abstract. Uncaria tomentosa (U. tomentosa) or uña de gato, a species of vine of Rubiaceae family, was used from centuries in various medical conditions. Although there are no randomized controlled trials or published human outcome studies, some conditions reportedly improved by U. tomentosa include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, prostatitis, viral illnesses and cancer (acting as a non-specific immunomodulantign agent) and it may also have potential as an immunomodulating adaptogen in cellular aging. The understanding of some specific mechanisms of molecular action leads to the demonstration of various anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating and protective effects. These results bring the strong hypothesis that U. tomentosa could be effective in the topical treatment of dermatological manifestation, namely rosacea.
Araujo LCC, Feitosa KB, Murata GM, Furigo IC, Teixeira SA, Lucena CF, Ribeiro LM, Muscará MN, Costa SKP, Donato J Jr, Bordin S, Curi R, Carvalho CRO. Uncaria tomentosa improves insulin sensitivity and inflammation in experimental NAFLD. Sci Rep. 2018 Jul 20;8(1):11013. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-29044-y.
Abstract. We investigated the effect of the crude herbal extract from Uncaria tomentosa (UT) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in two models of obesity: high fat diet (HFD) and genetically obese (ob/ob) mice. Both obese mouse models were insulin resistant and exhibited an abundance of lipid droplets in the hepatocytes and inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver, while only the HFD group had collagen deposition in the perivascular space of the liver. UT treatment significantly reduced liver steatosis and inflammation in both obese mouse models. Furthermore, serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 was reduced by 25% in the HFD mice treated with UT. Overall, UT treated animals exhibited higher insulin sensitivity as compared to vehicle administration. In conclusion, Uncaria tomentosa extract improved glucose homeostasis and reverted NAFLD to a benign hepatic steatosis condition and these effects were associated with the attenuation of liver inflammation in obese mice.
Yepes-Pérez AF, Herrera-Calderon O, Quintero-Saumeth J. Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw): a promising herbal medicine against SARS-CoV-2/ACE-2 junction and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein based on molecular modeling. J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2022 Mar;40(5):2227-2243. doi: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1837676.
Abstract. COVID-19 is a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Currently, there is no effective treatment and vaccines seem to be the solution in the future. Virtual screening of potential drugs against the S protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has provided small molecular compounds with a high binding affinity. Unfortunately, most of these drugs do not attach with the binding interface of the receptor-binding domain (RBD)-angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) complex in host cells. Molecular modeling was carried out to evaluate the potential antiviral properties of the components of the medicinal herb Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw) focusing on the binding interface of the RBD-ACE-2 and the viral spike protein. The in silico approach starts with protein-ligand docking of 26 Cat's claw key components followed by molecular dynamics simulations and re-docked calculations. Finally, we carried out drug-likeness calculations for the most qualified cat's claw components. The structural bioinformatics approaches led to the identification of several bioactive compounds of U. tomentosa with potential therapeutic effect by dual strong interaction with interface of the RBD-ACE-2 and the ACE-2 binding site on SARS-CoV-2 RBD viral spike. In addition, in silico drug-likeness indices for these components were calculated and showed good predicted therapeutic profiles of these phytochemicals found in U. tomentosa (cat's claw). Our findings suggest the potential effectiveness of cat's claw as complementary and/or alternative medicine for COVID-19 treatment.
Zari A, Alfarteesh H, Buckner C, Lafrenie R. Treatment with Uncaria tomentosa Promotes Apoptosis in B16-BL6 Mouse Melanoma Cells and Inhibits the Growth of B16-BL6 Tumours. Molecules. 2021 Feb 18;26(4):1066. doi: 10.3390/molecules26041066.
Abstract. Uncaria tomentosa is a medicinal plant native to Peru that has been traditionally used in the treatment of various inflammatory disorders. In this study, the effectiveness of U. tomentosa as an anti-cancer agent was assessed using the growth and survival of B16-BL6 mouse melanoma cells. B16-BL6 cell cultures treated with both ethanol and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) extracts of U. tomentosa displayed up to 80% lower levels of growth and increased apoptosis compared to vehicle controls. Treatment with ethanolic extracts of Uncaria tomentosa were much more effective than treatment with aqueous extracts. U. tomentosa was also shown to inhibit B16-BL6 cell growth in C57/bl mice in vivo. Mice injected with both the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of U. tomentosa showed a 59 ± 13% decrease in B16-BL6 tumour weight and a 40 ± 9% decrease in tumour size. Histochemical analysis of the B16-BL6 tumours showed a strong reduction in the Ki-67 cell proliferation marker in U. tomentosa-treated mice and a small, but insignificant increase in terminal transferase dUTP nick labelling (TUNEL) staining. Furthermore, U. tomentosa extracts reduced angiogenic markers and reduced the infiltration of T cells into the tumours. Collectively, the results in this study concluded that U. tomentosa has potent anti-cancer activity that significantly inhibited cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.
