Cissampelos pareira herb health benefit

Cissampelos pareira is the botanical name for a plant that grows in the Amazon rainforest and is known as abuta. This plant is known as Laghupatha or Laghukatha in India and is an important medicinal plant in Indian traditional system of medicine. As of March 2010 we have not seen published human trials with this herbal medicine.

Cissampelos pareira composition
Cissampelos pareira has several alkaloids including cissampareine, pareirubrines A and B, and protoberberine alkaloids. Cissampelos pareira roots have hayatin, hayatinin, and hayatidin.

Cissampelos pareira potential benefit
Cissampelos pareira has anti-inflammatory activity without causing ulcers suggesting its potential as an anti-inflammatory agent for use in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. In animal studies, Cissampelos pareira has shown to reduce pain and may be helpful in reducing symptoms of arthritis. For more information on glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM used in the treatment of arthritis.

Folklore use
In Assam, India, temporary methods of birth control include the use of Cissampelos pareira herb. Mice studies confirm the anti-fertility effects of this herb. Cissampelos pareira herb extract alters gonadotropin release (LH, FSH and prolactin) and estradiol secretion.

Safety and side effects
Toxicological screening of traditional medicine Laghupatha (Cissampelos pareira) in experimental animals.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2008. Amresh G, Singh PN, Rao CV. Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacology Division, National Botanical Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
In present study 50% aqueous ethanolic extract of Cissampelos pareira (Menispermaceae) was evaluated for the acute and subacute toxicity. In the acute toxicity test, oral administration of 2g/kg of Cissampelos pareira produced neither mortality nor changes in behavior or any other physiological activities in mice. In subacute toxicity studies, no mortality was observed when the two doses of 1 or 2g/kg day of 50% aqueous ethanolic extract of Cissampelos pareira were administered p.o. for a period of 28 days in rats. There were no significant changes occurred in the blood chemistry analysis including glucose, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, chloride, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, triglycerides, total protein, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, conjugated billirrubin, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, total billirrubin, albumin, prothrombin time and thromboplastin partial time in both sexes of animals. Hematological analysis showed no marked differences in any of the parameters examined (WBC count, platelet and hemoglobin estimation) in either the control or treated group of both sexes. The urinalysis was negative for glucose, ketonic bodies, casts, red blood cells, and albumin in the control and treatment groups. There were no significant differences in the body and organ weights between controls and treated animals of both sexes. Pathologically, neither gross abnormalities nor histopathological changes were observed. Cissampelos pareira was found safe in acute and subacute toxicities studies.