Tinkturenpresse

Xysmalobium undulatum (L.) R. Br. - syn. Asclepias undulata L. - Asclepiadaceae - Uzara, wild cotton, milk bush, melkbos, bitterhout, bitterwortel, Uzara

Erect perennial herb of South Africa, 60-100cm high; leaves opposite, short petioled, lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate, entire, the undersite yellowish-green, above green; inflorescence an umbel; flowers wheel-shaped, yellow-green with brown.

„The South African Xhosa people for many generations used the root as remedy (Uzara). African healers use the Uzara Medicine to threat indigestion, painful menstruation, migraine and colds. In Germany, a dry extract is obtained since 1911 from the Uzara root to threat diarrhea.“ http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzara

The dried roots, harvested from two to three year old plants, are used in moden phytotherapy to treat non-specific, acute diarrheoa. „The root contains several cardia glycosides, of which uzarin (aglycone: uzarigenin) is the major and best known compound… Uzarine inhibits Na+,K+ ATPase. like other cardenolides. Because of its low bioavailability after oral application, digitalis-like symptoms are only found at very high doses.“
[Medicinal Plants of the World. Ben-Erik Van Wyk and Michael Wink, Pretoria 2004, 347]

„The root of Xysmalobium undulatum (L.) R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae) is traditionally used for numerous purposes, e.g. treatment of hysteria in young women and headache relief, whereas in Germany an alcoholic-aqueous root extract (Uzara®) is marketed for treatment of diarrhoea… root extracts and aerial part extracts of X. undulatum and the Uzara® commercial product… showed in vitro affinity for the SSRI binding site in rat brain in a radioligand assay… However, a bioassay guided isolation of the Uzara® commercial product showed no fraction with specific activity.“
[Pharmacological Studies on Xysmalobium undulatum and Mondia whitei - Two South African plants with in vitro SSRI activity. ME Pedersen, A Weng, A Sert, GI Stafford, J van Staden, M Nielsen, AK Jäger, Planta Med 2006; 72 - P_123]

„Limited scientific studies on the biological activity of uzara have been done. In vitro antisecretory antidiarrhoeal action was confirmed. Central nervous system activity was conflicting, in vitro and in vivo (animals) studies were inconclusive and no clinical studies have been performed. No antimutagenic effects have been reported and no toxicity up to date has been associated with uzara consumption. Significant cross-reactivity of uzara compounds with commercial digoxin and digitoxin assays may interfere with therapeutic drug monitoring.“
[Xysmalobium undulatum (uzara)-review of an antidiarrhoeal traditional medicine., Vermaak, I., Enslin, G.M., Idowu, T.O., Viljoen, A.M., Journal of ethnopharmacology, 156, 2014, 135-146]

as Asclepias undulata L., Moninckx,J., Moninckx atlas, vol.6, t.32 (1682-1709)
http://plantgenera.org/species.php?id_species=1079229