1: Oshima M, Gu Y. Pfaffia paniculata-induced changes in plasma estradiol-17beta, progesterone and testosterone levels in mice. J Reprod Dev. 2003 Apr;49(2):175-80.

Graduate School of Medical Imaging , Suzuka University of Medical Science, 1001-1 Kishioka-cho, Suzuka-shi, Mie 510-0293, Japan .

The present study undertook chemical analysis of components of Pfaffia paniculata roots. In addition, an animal experiment was conducted in which mice had ad libitum access to water enriched with powdered P. paniculata root for 30 days. Changes in plasma concentrations of estradiol-17beta and progesterone in female mice and of testosterone in male mice were ascertained. The results revealed that P. paniculata roots contain two types of phytosteroids, beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol, in addition to other compounds such as pfaffic acid, allantoin, saponins, beta-sitosteryl-beta-D-glucoside, and stigmasteryl-beta-D-glucoside. Regarding changes in plasma concentrations of hormones, levels of the sex hormones estradiol-17beta, progesterone and testosterone were clearly higher for mice that drank P. paniculata root-enriched water than for mice that drank plain water. Powdered P. paniculata root is easily dissolved in feed or water, and as no adverse reactions were seen in mice within 30 days of oral intake, consumption of P. paniculata for long periods of time appears safe.

The roots of Pfaffia paniculata (Brazilian ginseng) have been indicated for the treatment of several diseases, among which the cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate experimentally the possible antineoplastic effect of this root. Firstly, a toxicity study was performed in which the doses of 400 and 200 mg/Kg of the powdered root were administered by gavage for 10 days to BALB/cICB mice. The mice did not lose weight during the treatment. No increase in serum alanine-aminotransferase neither histopathological alteration (liver, kidney and spleen) was observed in mice treated with P. paniculata. The effect of this root on the ascitic Ehrlich tumor in BALB/cICB mice was then investigated. Male mice received, by gavage, once a day, 200 mg/Kg of the powdered root of P. paniculata or distilled water, as control, for 20 days. This protocol started 10 days before tumor inoculation with 5 x 10(6) cells i.p., and lasted until 10 days after. The ascitic tumor was evaluated by the quantification of the volume of the ascitic fluid, relative number of tumor cells and total number of tumor cells. A decrease in the total ascitic volume was observed in P. paniculata treated mice, that was followed by a numerical decrease in the total number of Ehrlich tumor cells. These results may indicate that P. paniculata anti-inflammatory effects were responsible by the decrease in the total ascitic fluid. In addition, the presence of tumor-cell inhibitory factors in P. paniculata roots is in agreement with other in vitro studies. The mechanisms of such tumor inhibition should be further investigated.

3: Arletti R, Benelli A, Cavazzuti E, Scarpetta G, Bertolini A. Stimulating property of Turnera diffusa and Pfaffia paniculata extracts on the sexual-behavior of male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1999 Mar;143(1):15-9.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Italy . farmacol@unimo.it

Sexually potent and sexually sluggish/impotent male rats were treated orally with different amounts of Turnera diffusa and Pfaffia paniculata fluid extracts (0.25, 0.50, 1.0 ml/kg). While having no effect on the copulatory behavior of sexually potent rats, both plant extracts--singly or in combination--improved the copulatory performance of sexually sluggish/impotent rats. The highest dose of either extract (1 ml/kg) (as well as the combination of 0.5 ml/kg of each extract) increased the percentage of rats achieving ejaculation and significantly reduced mount, intromission and ejaculation latencies, post-ejaculatory interval and intercopulatory interval. Neither extract affected locomotor activity. These results seem to support the folk reputation of Turnera diffusa and Pfaffia paniculata as sexual stimulants.

4: Watanabe T, Effects of oral administration of Pfaffia paniculata on incidence of spontaneous leukemia in AKR/J mice. Cancer Detect Prev. 2000;24(2):173-8.

Pfaffia paniculata (Brazilian ginseng) administered subcutaneously and intraperitoneally inhibits growth of allogeneic cancer cells in mice. The goal of this study was to determine whether oral administration of P. paniculata inhibits development of spontaneous leukemia. Four-week-old female AKR/J mice were given oral doses of powdered roots from P. paniculata three times weekly for 8 weeks; controls received phosphate-buffered saline. Enlargement of thymic lymphoma in the mice treated with P. paniculata was significantly suppressed, as compared with controls (128 +/- 67.3 mg versus 219.9 +/- 84.2 mg, respectively; P < .01); proliferation of endogenous recombinant murine leukemia viruses (MuLV) in the thymus was markedly inhibited after the first oral treatment as compared with untreated controls (final age, 28 weeks; P < .05). In normal 3-week-old female AKR/J mice, mortality from thymic lymphoma was delayed markedly after injection into the thymus of cell-free extract of thymus from the experimental female 28-week-old AKR/J mice that received the oral P. paniculata preparation. These results suggest that the agent's suppressive effects on spontaneously occurring leukemia caused by endogenous recombinant MuLV in female AKR/J mice may depend on enhancement of nonspecific immune or cellular immune systems (or both) by the P. paniculata preparation.

5. Ballas SK. Hydration of sickle erythrocytes using a herbal extract (Pfaffia panic u lata) in vitro. Br J Ha e matol 2000 Oct;111(1):359-62

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.

Pfaffia paniculata (PP) is a perennial wild plant that grows in South America . Its root powder has been used by South American Indians for a variety of ailments and has been reported to have a salutary effect on sickle cell disease in Brazil . Its mechanism of action, however, is unknown. In this report, we present experimental data showing that PP improves the deformability of sickle cells, increases their Na+ content and their mean corpuscular volume (MCV). These findings indicate that PP functions as a sodium ionophore on sickle cells and improves their hydration status and rheological properties.

6. Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines, 2nd Ed., Medical Economics Company, Inc. Montvale, NJ, 2000

7. Berry, Paul E., Bruce K. Holst, Kay Yatskievych, 1995. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana, Missouri Bot a nical Garden.

8. Gentry, Alwyn, H., 1993. A Field Guide to the Families and Genera of Woody Plants of Northwest South America, University of Chicago Press, Chicago IL

9. Schultes, R.E., and Raffauf, 1990. The Healing Forest. Medicinal and Toxic Plants of the Northwest Amazonia, R.F. Di o scorides Press, 1990.

10. Flynn, Rebecca & Roest, Mark., 1995 Your Guide to Standardized Herbal Products. One World Press, Pre s cott, AZ

11. Lucas, Richard, M., 1991., Miracle Medicine Herbs, Parker Publishing, USA

12. Heinerman, John, 1996. Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Healing Herbs & Spices. Parker Pu b lishing Co. USA.

13 . Balch J.F., 1990, Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Avery Publishing Group, USA

14 . Bruneton, Jean. 1995., Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants. Inte r cept Ltd., Hampshire E n gland

15 . Schwontkowski D, HERBS OF THE AMAZON Traditional and Common Uses, Science St u dent BrainTrust Publishing, 1993

16 . Grieve M, A MODERN HERBAL, Dover Publications, 1971

17 . Ody P. The Complete Medicinal Herbal, Dorling Kindersley, Inc., 1993

18 . Hoffman D. The New Holistic Herbal. Element, Inc. 1991

19 . Bensky D. Chinese Herbal Medicine, Materia Medica, Eastland Press, 1986

20 . Duke J.A. Amazonian Ethnobotanical Dictionary, CRC Press, Inc., 1994

21 . Murray M. The Healing Power of Herbs, Prima Publishing, 1992, 1995

22 . Mowrey D. Herbal Tonic Therapies, Keats Publishing, Inc. 1993

3 . Balick M. Rainforest Remedies, Lotus Press, 1993

24 . Maxwell N. Hunting for Medicinal Plants in the Amazon, Citadel Press, 1990

25 . Tyler E. The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals, Pharmaceutical Pro d ucts Press, 1994

26 . Balee W. Footprints of the Forest, Columbia University Press, 1994

27. Schultes R.E. Vine of the Soul, Synergetic Press, 1992

28 . Castner J.L. A Field Guide to Medicinal and Useful Plants of the Upper Amazon, Feline Press, Gainesv i lle, FL, 1998

29. De Oliveira, Fernando. "Pfaffia paniculata (Martius) Kuntze - Brazilian ginseng." Rev. Bras. Farmacog. 1986. 1(1) 86-92

30. Hobbs , C. 1996. "Adaptogens - Herbal Gems to Help Us Adapt." Let's Live Magazine.

32. Bartram, T. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 1995. Ed Grace Publishers, Dorset England

33. Powerful and Unusual Herbs from the Amazon and China , 1993. The World Preservation Society, Inc.

34. Nishimoto, N., et.al., 1988. Constituents of " Brazil ginseng" and some Pfaffia species. Tennen Yuki Kagobutsu Toronkai Keon Yoshishu 10, 17-24

35. Nishimoto, N., et.al., 1988. Three ecdysteroid glycosides from Pfaffia. Phytochemistry, 27(6), 1665-8

36. Nishimoto, N., et.al., 1984., Pfaffosides and nortriterpenoid saponins from Pfaffia paniculata., Phytochemistry 1984., 23(1), 139-42.

37. Nakai, Shiro, et.al., 1984., Pfaffosides. Part 2. Pfaffosides, nortriterpenoid saponins from Pfaffia paniculata. Phytochemisty 1984, 23(8). 17-3-5

38. Beta-Ecdysone from Pfaffia paniculata, Japanese patent number (84 10,600) Jan. 20, 1984 by Wakunaga Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

40. Takemoto, T., et.al., 1983. Pfaffic acid, a novel nortriterpene from Pfaffia paniculata Kuntze., Tetrahedron Lett. 1983, 24(10), 1057-60

41. Antitumor pfaffosides from Brazilian carrots. Japanese Patent Number (84 184,198) Oct. 19, 1984 by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

42. Pfaffic acid and its derivatives., Japanese Patent Number (84 10,548) Jan 20, 1984 by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

43. Araujo; Joao T. Brazilian ginseng derivatives for treatment of sickle cell symptomatology U.S. Patent #5,449,516 Sept. 12, 1995

44. Bernardes A. A Pocket Book of Brazilian Herbs, Editora e Arta Ltda, 1984