Weeds & Seeds Swap

These are the beautiful, pink flowers of the Tabebuia heptaphylla tree, also known as ipe roxo, taheebo, lapacho, ipes and trumpet brush, no doubt due to the trumpet shape of the lovely flower.

The medicinal properties of the herb..actually a South American tree..are found in the bark. As a “folk remedy”, it has been used for years for boils, colitis, diarrhea, dysentery, fever, wounds, cancer, ulcers and the list does do on. But is there any scientific basis for these claims?

The Science Behind the Herb:

I will share with you what studies have shown, for the sake of time, I have withheld references, but have them at my fingertips if you’d like to contact me by email or through posting a comment.

Analysis of the bark shows that it contains volatile oils, resins, anthraquinones and naphthoquinones. The most significant property is a naphthoquinone derivative known as lapachol. In 1968 lapachol was shown to have activity against the Walker 256 carsinosarcoma.

Other studies found that it also acted against other cancers, including Yoshida sarcoma and Murphy-Sturm lymphosarcoma. Effective levels given to humans lead to the discontinuance of human trials as side effects included moderate to severe nausea, vomiting, anemia and the tendency to bleed.

Being related to vitamin K, it can thin the blood. However, the head of the study claims that political and economic pressure lead to the discontinuance of studies more than side affects. Later studies in the 1970’s showed evidence that lapachol was active against lymphocytic leukemia.

My personal interest in the herb is more related to it’s antimicrobial activity, not taking it in the amounts needed for conditions like cancer. Some of the organisms shown to be affected by this activity include candida, staphylococcus, trichophyton, malaria, tuberculosis and dysentery. Lapochol and xyloidine, other actives from the pau d’arco, have shown significant anti-fungal activity. Studies have continued, and more positive findings have surely come in since the documentation I have been using for this post.

This is one of the very first herbs I started to use when I first discovered the health benefits of herbs. Here are some sources for this herb:

Pau d’arco Capsules
Pau d’arco Extract
Taheebo (pau d’arco) Tea