Synonyms in a broader sense
Devil’s claw root, Harpargophyti radix, Harpagophytum procumbens, Chondroprotektiva, Natural remedies, Agnesin forte, Allya, Arthrosettes, Bomarthros, Cefatec, Harpagosan tea, Barnacle
ExplanationDefinition
The healing effect of the devil’s claw (Harpargophyti radix) has been known in folk medicine for a long time. It contains iridoid-type bitter substances, procumbide and free cinnamic acid. They can, for example, relieve the symptoms of rheumatism or arthrosis patients, ease pain, reduce swelling and inhibit inflammatory processes.
The Devil’s Claw is attracting more and more attention in rheumatism therapy. It is used as a supportive therapy for degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system in cases of joint degeneration (arthrosis). Due to the content of bitter substances in Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), the secretion of gastric juice and the promotion of bile flow are also stimulated. Pharmacologically, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects have been demonstrated in animal experiments. The plant is also gaining increasing importance in veterinary medicine.
Harpagophytum procumbens in homeopathy
It owes its name to its attachment. Small barbs on the fruits of the devil’s claw attach themselves to passing people and animals and remain there stubbornly. The distribution of the medicinal plant in the savannahs of the Kalahari desert of South Africa, Botswana and Namibia is thus ensured.
The Devil’s Claw is a herbaceous plant that grows on the ground and produces beautiful red-violet flowers. In southern Africa, this valuable medicinal plant is harvested from wild stocks. Devil’s claw roots (Harpargophyti radix) are dried secondary storage roots of Harpagophytum procumbens.
Harpagophytum- is derived from the Greek, where harpagos = grapnel and phytum = plant and procumbens = shoots lying down on the ground. At the beginning of the 20th century a German soldier learned from African healers the therapeutic use of the Devil’s Claw. Pharmaceutical research was carried out from 1930 by Otto Heinrich Volk (1903 – 2000).
The increasing worldwide demand for this medicinal plant has meanwhile had negative consequences for the uncontrolled growth of this plant species and the local nature. The wild plant has been decimated threateningly by overexploitation. Meanwhile, the Devil’s Claw is collected exclusively in a controlled manner.
Only the thick lateral roots are removed from the plant, so that the wild plant can recover itself and is available for harvesting again after years. But the demand is great. German pharmaceutical companies hope that in a few years they will be able to fall back on medicinal plants from controlled cultivation.
Trial fields are currently being used to test whether and how Devil’s Claw can be cultivated in a targeted manner. The approx. 5 cm large bright red flowers turn into woody fruits with 15 cm long tentacles with barbs. However, the active ingredient is extracted exclusively from the root.
