Hebanthe erianthos
| Suma | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | H. eriantha
|
| Binomial name | |
| Hebanthe eriantha (Poir.) Pedersen
| |
| Synonyms | |
Hebanthe eriantha (Pfaffia paniculata, suma, or Brazilian ginseng) is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae.
The root of this rambling ground vine found in South America is used traditionally as a medicine and tonic. Nicknamed "para tudo" which means "for all," suma is a traditional herbal medicine.[1] The indigenous peoples of the Amazon region have used suma root for generations for a wide variety of health purposes, including as a general tonic; as an energy, rejuvenating, and sexual tonic; a calming agent; to treat ulcers; and as a cure-all for at least 300 years.[2]
The root contains phytochemicals including saponins (pfaffosides),[3] pfaffic acid, beta-ecdysterone, glycosides, and nortriterpenes.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Vieira, Roberto F. (1999) Conservation of medicinal and aromatic plants in Brazil. p. 152–159. In: J. Janick (ed.), Perspectives on new crops and new uses. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA.
- ^ a b Leslie Taylor (2005). "The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs". Tropical Plants Database.
- ^ "Triterpenoids from Brazilian Ginseng, Pfaffia paniculata" Jing Li, Atul N. Jadhav, Ikhlas A. Khan Tropical Plant Database Archived May 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine