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 described only once, in 1904, and it is not known today to what tree this name referred. 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".

A study by Manabe et al. (1992)^[1] 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.

Catuaba extract is also used as a food flavouring in the British "traditional" cola drink manufactured by Fentimans, Fentiman's Curiosity Cola.

In Patric O'Neil's book Sideways: Travels with Kafka, Hunter S. & Kerouac he ingests Catuaba, producing an aphrodisiac effect.

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". J Chromatogr A 119 (1–2): 257–263. ISSN 0021-9673. |}} (CODEN JCRAEY)
• Campos MM, Fernandes ES, Ferreira J, Santos AR, Calixto JB (October 2005). "Antidepressant-like effects of Trichilia catigua (Catuaba) extract: evidence for dopaminergic-mediated mechanisms". Psychopharmacology (Berl.) 182 (1): 45–53. doi:10.1007/s00213-005-0052-1. PMID 15991001. 
• 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 45 (1): 179–194. doi:10.2307/4114446. ISSN 0075-5974. JSTOR 4114446.  (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" (PDF). Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia (Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy) 14 (1): 67–77. ISSN 0102-695X. http://www.sbfgnosia.org.br/admin/pages/revista/artigo/arquivos/425-arquivo-67_77.pdf.  (CODEN RBFAEL).
• 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) 14 (2): 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" (PDF). Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia (Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy) 15 (1): 77–81. ISSN 0102-695X. http://www.sbfgnosia.org.br/admin/pages/revista/artigo/arquivos/224-arquivo-77_81.pdf.  (CODEN RBFAEL).
• Da Silva, Rodolpho Albino Dias (1929): Catuaba (Anemopaegma mirandum (Chamisso) Alph. De Candolle). Pharmacopeia dos Estados Unidos do Brasil; Companhia Editora Nacional, São Paulo, Brasil, p. 194, 385.
• Da Silva, Rodolpho Albino Dias (1934). "Catuaba". Revista de Flora Medicinal 1 (5): 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 3 (2–3): 265–277. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(81)90057-X. ISSN 0378-8741. PMID 7242110. 
• Garcez, W.S.; Garcez, F.R.; Ramos, L.; Camargo, M.J.; Damasceno jr., G.A. (1997). "Sesquiterpenes from Trichilia catigua". Fitoterapia 68: 87–8. 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 71: 113–9. 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: 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) 310 (12): 1005–10. doi:10.1002/ardp.19773101211. ISSN 0365-6233.  (CODEN ARPMAS).
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• Marques, L.C. (1998). [1807-166X "Contribuição ao esclarecimento da identidade botânica da droga vegetal Catuaba"]. Revista Racine (São Paulo) 8 (43): 8–11. 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).
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• Pizzolatti M.G.; Venson, A.F.; Smania jr., A.; Smania, E.F.A.; Braz-Filho, R. (2002). [0939-5075 "Two epimeric flavalignans from Trichilia catigua (Meliaceae) with antimicrobial activity"]. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung 57C: 483–8. 0939-5075.  (CODEN ZNCBDA).
• Satoh, M. (2000). [1340-3443 "Cytotoxic constituents from Erythroxylum catuaba. Isolation and cytotoxic activities of cinchonain"]. Natural Medicines 54 (2): 97–100. 1340-3443. , (CODEN NMEDEO).
• Rolim, A.; et al. (2006). [0378-5173 "Total flavonoids quantification from O/W emulsion with extract of Brazilian plants"]. International Journal of Pharmaceutics 308 (1–2): 107–114. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2005.10.031. PMID 16324808. 0378-5173. 
• Zanolari B, Wolfender JL, Guilet D, et al. (December 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". J Chromatogr A 1020 (1): 75–89. doi:10.1016/j.chroma.2003.08.052. PMID 14661759. 
• Zanolari B, Guilet D, Marston A, Queiroz EF, Paulo Mde Q, Hostettmann K (August 2005). "Methylpyrrole tropane alkaloids from the bark of Erythroxylum vacciniifolium". J. Nat. Prod. 68 (8): 1153–8. doi:10.1021/np040144h. PMID 16124752. 
• Zanolari B, Guilet D, Marston A, Queiroz EF, Paulo Mde Q, Hostettmann K (April 2003). "Tropane alkaloids from the bark of Erythroxylum vacciniifolium". J. Nat. Prod. 66 (4): 497–502. doi:10.1021/np020512m. PMID 12713400. 

External links

• Pharmacists review of the effectiveness, benefits and side effects of catuaba