Lapacho

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"Lapacho" is also a collective term for various species of Tabebuia.
Lapacho tea
Lapacho tea

Lapacho or Taheebo is a herbal tea made from the inner bark of Pink Ipê, Tabebuia impetiginosa. It is also sold under more ambiguous and possibly misleading names like "Ipes", "Ipê", "Pau d'arco", "Ipe Roxo", or "Trumpet Bush".

Lapacho plays a central role in the herbal medicine of several South American indigenous peoples. Lapacho is used by herbalists as a putative treatment for cancer, HIV, and numerous other maladies. Studies by the U.S. National Cancer Institute showed that lapacho may prevent, delay, or treat cancer; but the oral doses needed to reach useful levels in the blood also cause severe side effects.[1] The active ingredients such as lapachol have been found to possess significant toxicity.[2][3][4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ DrugDigest
  2. ^ Felício AC, Chang CV, Brandão MA, Peters VM, Guerra Mde O (2002). "Fetal growth in rats treated with lapachol". Contraception 66 (4): 289–93. PMID 12413627. 
  3. ^ Oral toxicology studies with lapachol. Morrison, Robert K.; Brown, Donald Emerson; Oleson, Jerome J.; Cooney, David A. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology (1970), 17(1), 1-11.
  4. ^ Guerra Mde O, Mazoni AS, Brandão MA, Peters VM (2001). "Toxicology of Lapachol in rats: embryolethality". Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia 61 (1): 171–4. PMID 11340475. 


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