Catuaba

The name catuaba is used for the infusions of the bark of a number of trees native to Brazil. The most widely used barks are derived from the trees "Trichilia catigua" and "Erythroxylum vacciniifolium". Other catuaba preparations use the bark of trees from the following genera or families : "Anemopaegma", "Ilex", "Micropholis", "Phyllanthus", "Secondatia", "Tetragastris" and species from the Myrtaceae.

It is often claimed that catuaba is derived from the tree "Erythroxylum catuaba", but this tree has been only described once, (in 1904), and it is not known today to what tree this name referred. The name "E. catuaba" is therefore not a recognised species (Kletter et al; 2004).

Local synonyms are Chuchuhuasha, Tatuaba, Pau de Reposta, Piratancara and Caramuru. A commercial liquid preparation, Catuama, contains multiple ingredients, one of these being catuaba from Trichilia catigua.

An infusion of the bark is used in traditional Brazilian medicine as an aphrodisiac and central nervous system stimulant. These claims have not been confirmed in scientific studies, but a journalist for the Discovery Channel claims that "reports in scientific journals and at conferences have supported [catuaba's] use for sexual enhancement. In catuaba, a group of three alkaloids dubbed catuabine A, B and C are believed to enhance sexual function by stimulating the nervous system". Fact|date=May 2008

A study by [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=1525337&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum Manabe et al. (1992)] showed that catuaba extracts from Trichilia catigua were useful in preventing potentially lethal bacterial infections and HIV infection in mice.

Catuaba bark and preparations are sold as aphrodisiacs and remedies for erectile dysfunction in health food stores and through online retailers.

References

* Beltrame, F.L.; Filho, E.R.; Barros, F.A.P.; Cortez, D.A.G.; Casset, Q.B. (2006): A validated higher-performance liquid chromatography method for quantification of cinchonain Ib in bark and phytopharmaceuticals of Trichilia catigua used as Catuaba. "Journal of Chromatography" Vol. 119A(1-2): p. 257-263. (ISSN|0021-9673, CODEN JCRAEY).
* Campos M.M. et al. (2005): Antidepressant-like effects of Trichilia catigua (Catuaba) extract: evidence for dopaminergic-mediated mechanisms. "Psychopharmacology (Berlin)" Vol. 182, p. 45-53. (ISSN|0033-3158, CODEN PSYPAG).
* Castellani, D.C. (2003): Produção de óleo essencial em Catuaba (Trichilia catigua) e Negramina (Siparuna guianensis) em função da época de colheita.. In: "Anais do II Simpósio Brasileiro de Óleos Essenciais - Diagnóstico e Perspectivas", 2003, Campinas. "Documento IAC 74". Campinas : IAC, 2003. (ISSN|0102-4477).
* Daly, D.C. (1990): The genus Tetragastris and the forests of eastern Brazil. Studies in neotropical Burseraceae - III. "Kew Bulletin" Vol. 45: p. 179-194. (ISSN|0075-5974, CODEN KEWBAF).
* Da Silva, Arthur José (1904): Estudo botânico e chímico da catuaba (Erythroxylaceae catuaba do Norte). "These de doutoramento da Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia". [Reprint published in 3 parts in "Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy", as cited below as Da Silva, Arthur José (2004, 2005)] .
* Da Silva, Arthur José (2004): Estudo botânico e chímico da catuaba (Erythroxylaceae catuaba do Norte), Parte I: Histórico, habitat, synonimia e botanica da catuaba. "Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia" ("Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy") Vol. 14(1): p. 67-77.(ISSN|0102-695X, CODEN RBFAEL). Online: [http://www.sbfgnosia.org.br/admin/pages/revista/artigo/arquivos/425-arquivo-67_77.pdf]
* Da Silva, Arthur José (2004): Estudo botânico e chímico da catuaba (Erythroxylaceae catuaba do Norte), Parte II. "Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia" ("Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy") Vol. 14(2): p. 78-88(?). (ISSN|0102-695X, CODEN RBFAEL).
* Da Silva, Arthur José (2005): Estudo botânico e chímico da catuaba (Erythroxylaceae catuaba do Norte), Parte III: Estudo chimico da catuaba. "Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia" ("Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy") Vol. 15(1): p. 77-81. (ISSN|0102-695X, CODEN RBFAEL). Online: [http://www.sbfgnosia.org.br/admin/pages/revista/artigo/arquivos/224-arquivo-77_81.pdf]
* Da Silva, Rodolpho Albino Dias (1929): Catuaba (Anemopaegma mirandum (Chamisso) Alph. De Candolle). "Pharmacopeia dos Estados Unidos do Brasil"; Companhia Editora Nacional, Sao Paulo, Brasil, p. 194, 385.
* Da Silva, Rodolpho Albino Dias (1934): Catuaba. "Revista de Flora Medicinal" Vol. 1(5): p. 211-224. (ISSN|0370-484X, CODEN RFLMA9).
* Ducke, Adolpho (1966): A catuaba na botanica sistemática, científica e pseudo-científica. "Revista Brasileira de Farmácia" Vol. 47(5): p. 267-272 (ISSN|0370-372X, CODEN RBFAAH).
* Evans, W.C. (1981): The comparative phytochemistry of the genus Erythroxylon. "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" Vol. 3(2-3): p. 265-277 (ISSN|0378-8741, CODEN JOETD7).
* Garcez, W.S.; Garcez, F.R.; Ramos, L.; Camargo, M.J.; Damasceno jr., G.A. (1997): Sesquiterpenes from Trichilia catigua. "Fitoterapia" 68: p. 87-88. (ISSN|0367-326X, CODEN FTRPAE).
* Glasl, S.; Presser, A.; Werner, I.; Haslinger, E.; Jurenitsch, J. (2003): Tropane alkaloids from a Brazilian bark traded as "Catuaba". "Scientia Pharmaceutica" Vol. 71: p. 113-119. (ISSN|0036-8709, CODEN SCPHA4).
* Glasl, S.; Presser, A.; Werner, I.; Haslinger, E.; Jurenitsch, J. (2004): Erratum to Tropane alkaloids from a Brazilian bark traded as "Catuaba". "Scientia Pharmaceutica" 72: p. 97. (ISSN|0036-8709, CODEN SCPHA4).
* Graf, E.; Lude, W. (1977): Alkaloide aus Erythroxylum vacciniifolium Martius, 1. Mitt. Isolierung von Catuabin A, B und C. "Archiv der Pharmazie (Weinheim)" Vol. 310(12): p. 1005-1010. (ISSN|0365-6233, CODEN ARPMAS).
* Graf, E.; Lude, W. (1978): Alkaloide aus Erythroxylum vacciniifolium Martius, 2. Mitt. Strukturaufklärung von Catuabin A, B und C. "Archiv der Pharmazie (Weinheim)" Vol. 311(2): p. 139-152. (ISSN|0365-6233, CODEN ARPMAS).
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* Hamet, R. (1937): Sob re alguns effeitos physiologicos da droga brasileira conhecida pelo nome de folhas de Catuaba. "Comptes Rendus des Séances de la Société de Biologie et de Ses Filiales" Vol. 124: p. 904-907. (ISSN|0037-9026, CODEN CRSBAW).
* Kletter, C.; Glasl, S.; Presser, A.; Werner, I.; Reznicek, G.; Narantuya, S.; Cellek, S.; Haslinger, E.; Jurenitsch, J. (2004): Morphological, chemical and functional analysis of catuaba preparations. "Planta Medica" Vol. 70(10): p. 993-1000. (ISSN|0032-0943, CODEN PLMEAA).
* Lagos, Jessé B.; Miguel, Obdulio Gomes; Duarte, Márcia do Rocio (2007): Caracteres anatômicos de catuaba (Trichilia catigua A. Juss., Meliaceae). "Acta Farmaceutica Bonaerense", Vol. 26, p. 185-190. (ISSN|0326-2383, CODEN AFBODJ).
* Manabe, H. et al. (1992): Effects of catuaba extracts on microbial and HIV infection. "In Vivo" Vol. 6: p. 161-165.
* Marques, L.C. (1998): Contribuição ao esclarecimento da identidade botânica da droga vegetal Catuaba. "Revista Racine (São Paulo)", Vol. 8(43): p. 8-11 (ISSN|1807-166X).
* Martius, Karl Friedrich Philipp (1840): "Beiträge zu Erythroxylon. Abhandlungen der Mathematisch-Physikalischen Klasse der Königlich Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften", München, Vol. 3(2): p. 107, 387 (t. 9). (ISSN|0176-7038, ISSN|0176-7100).
* Mello, J.C.P.; Marques, L.C.; Dias, R.F.; Rebecca, M.A.; Peres, P.G.P. (1996): Contribuição ao esclarecimento da identidade botânica da droga vegetal Catuaba. In: "XIV Simpósio de Plantas Medicinais do Brasil". XIV Simpósio de Plantas Medicinais do Brasil, 17-20 Setembro 1996, Florianópolis: Editora da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, p. 52-52.
* Pizzolatti M.G.; Venson, A.F.; Smania jr., A.; Smania, E.F.A.; Braz-Filho, R. (2002): Two epimeric flavalignans from Trichilia catigua (Meliaceae) with antimicrobial activity. "Zeitschrift für Naturforschung" Vol. 57C: p. 483-488. (ISSN|0939-5075, CODEN ZNCBDA).
* Satoh, M. (2000): Cytotoxic constituents from Erythroxylum catuaba. Isolation and cytotoxic activities of cinchonain. "Natural Medicines" Vol. 54(2): p. 97–100. (ISSN|1340-3443, CODEN NMEDEO).
* Rolim, A.; et al. (2006): Total flavonoids quantification from O/W emulsion with extract of Brazilian plants. "International Journal of Pharmaceutics" Vol. 308(1-2): p. 107-114. (ISSN|0378-5173, CODEN IJPHDE).
* Zanolari, B.; Wolfeneder, J.L.; Guilet, D.; Marston, A.; Queiroz, E.F.; Paulo, M.Q.; Hostettmann, K. (2003): On-line identification of tropane alkaloids from Erythroxylum vacciniifolium by liquid chromatography-UV detection-multiple mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. "Journal of Chromatogragraphy" Vol. 1020A: p. 75-89. (ISSN|0021-9673, CODEN JCRAEY).
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* Zanolari, B.; Guilet, D.; Marston, A.; Queiroz, E.F.; de Queiroz Paulo, M.; Hostettmann, K. (2005): Methylpyrrole tropane alkaloids from the bark of Erythroxylum vacciniifolium. "Journal of Natural Products" Vol. 68(8): p. 1153-1158. (ISSN|0163-3864, CODEN JNPRDF).