Pfaffia spreng (Stronger than man) : medicinal properties in alcoholic extraction

Pfaffia spreng (Stronger than man) — family Amaranthacées.

This database documents alcoholic (ethanol) extractions of active substances. Our monograph currently lists 7 indications in alcoholic extraction for this species. The monograph draws on 55 scientific references recorded for the species.

Therapeutic indications in alcoholic extraction:

Note: scientific reference excerpts are kept in their original language (most often English), without translation, to respect the source text of publications.

1. Psychological disorders : Plant part used: Root – drying: circulating air at 40° / 36 hours. Documented pharmacological profile: Diazepam-like.
   Selon Passos CS (2009) : The terpenoids are a large group of secondary metabolites which display many activities in the CNS, such as sedative, ansiolytic, antinociceptive, anticonvulsant, pro-convulsant & hallucinogenic. Selon Auteur (2000) : glomerata roots presents different effects depending on the route of administration: by i.p route, it seems to be a central nervous system depressant agent; by oral route, it seems to be ineffective, at least in the tested dose,. The alcoholic extract of Pfaffia glomerata roots (100, 500, 1000 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.), and 500, 1000, 1500 mg/kg, per os) was studied in several behavioral animal models for the evaluation of central activity: open field, barbiturate sleeping time, pentilenotetrazole (PTZ)-induced convulsions, elevated plus-maze, step-down inhibitory avoidance & forced swimming test.
2. Leishmaniasis : Plant part used: Pest control and veterinary products. Documented pharmacological profile: Amphotericine-B-like.
   Selon Neto AG (2004) : Three different concentrations (1, 10 & 50 mg/ml) of lyophilized hydro-alcoholic crude extract of Pfaffia glomerata roots were assayed in vitro against strains of Trypanosoma cruzi (Y) & Leishmania braziliensis. (V.) braziliensis, but inactive against TC.
3. Gastric ulcer : Plant part used: Root – drying: circulating air at 40° / 36 hours. Documented pharmacological profile: Ranitidine-like.
   Selon Freitas CS (2003) : Female Wistar rats were pretreated orally (p.o.) with the hydroalcoholic extract of Pfaffia (0.5, 1 and 2 g.kg-1) before the induction of ulcer with hypothermic restraint stress (HRS), ethanol (ET) or indomethacin (IND). Control animals received water (C) or Ranitidine (60mg/kg) p.o. Selon Freitas CS (2004) : Freitas CS et al, Involvement of nitric oxide in the gastroprotective effects of an aqueous extract of Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen, Amaranthaceae, in rats.

Further indications (including other extraction modes where applicable), dosages, precautions for use and full scientific references are available in the complete monograph.

Photo credit : Photo by CostaPPPR without modification (CC BY-SA 3.0). License : CC BY-SA 3.0.