Muira puama
Encyclopedia
Ptychopetalum is a genus of two species of flowering plant
s in the family Olacaceae
, native to the Amazon rainforest
. The indigenous name for the genus is Muira Puama, "potency wood". The species are shrubs or small trees growing to about 14 feet in height belonging to the Olive family and found in Brazil. Its leaves are short-petioled
, up to 3 inches in length and 2 inches in breadth light green on upper surface, dark brown on lower surface. The inflorescence
s consist of short axillary raceme
s of 4 to 6 flowers each. The root is strongly tough and fibrous, internally light brown with thin bark and broad wood, has a faint odor, and tastes slightly saline and acrid.
s, coumarin
, lupeol
, and the alkaloid muirapuamine. There is a second almost identical species, Ptychopetalum uncinatum, which is sometimes used as a substitute with the only noticeable difference being a lower concentration of the chemical lupeol.
The root and bark are used for a variety of ailments by indigenous peoples in the Rio Negro area of South America
, but the effectiveness of Muira Puama preparations are unproven. For its tonic effect, one of the traditional remedies is to gently simmer 1 teaspoon of root and/or bark in one cup of water for 15 minutes and take 1/2 to 1 cup daily.
There is evidence that Muira Puama is anxiogenic
(causes anxiety), which would be consistent with a stimulant effect, without affecting coordination.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the family Olacaceae
Olacaceae
Olacaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Santalales. They are woody plants, native throughout the tropical regions of the world....
, native to the Amazon rainforest
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
. The indigenous name for the genus is Muira Puama, "potency wood". The species are shrubs or small trees growing to about 14 feet in height belonging to the Olive family and found in Brazil. Its leaves are short-petioled
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
, up to 3 inches in length and 2 inches in breadth light green on upper surface, dark brown on lower surface. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s consist of short axillary raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
s of 4 to 6 flowers each. The root is strongly tough and fibrous, internally light brown with thin bark and broad wood, has a faint odor, and tastes slightly saline and acrid.
Uses
Historically all parts of Muria Puama have been used medicinally, but typically it is the bark and root of Ptychopetalum olacoides which is harvested and used both traditionally and in current herbal products. It contains long-chain fatty acids, plant sterolSterol
Sterols, also known as steroid alcohols, are a subgroup of the steroids and an important class of organic molecules. They occur naturally in plants, animals, and fungi, with the most familiar type of animal sterol being cholesterol...
s, coumarin
Coumarin
Coumarin is a fragrant chemical compound in the benzopyrone chemical class, found in many plants, notably in high concentration in the tonka bean , vanilla grass , sweet woodruff , mullein , sweet grass , cassia cinnamon and sweet clover...
, lupeol
Lupeol
Lupeol is a pharmacologically active triterpenoid found in a variety of plants, including mango and acacia visco. It has several medicinal properties, one being anti-inflammatory...
, and the alkaloid muirapuamine. There is a second almost identical species, Ptychopetalum uncinatum, which is sometimes used as a substitute with the only noticeable difference being a lower concentration of the chemical lupeol.
The root and bark are used for a variety of ailments by indigenous peoples in the Rio Negro area of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, but the effectiveness of Muira Puama preparations are unproven. For its tonic effect, one of the traditional remedies is to gently simmer 1 teaspoon of root and/or bark in one cup of water for 15 minutes and take 1/2 to 1 cup daily.
There is evidence that Muira Puama is anxiogenic
Anxiogenic
An anxiogenic substance is one that causes anxiety. Anxiogenic effects can be measured by, for example, the hole-board test in rats and mice. A number of agents are used to provoke anxiety or panic in experimental models...
(causes anxiety), which would be consistent with a stimulant effect, without affecting coordination.