Focus on Food supplement Ingredients N° 5: Cat’s claw

Did you hear about Cat’s Claw? This fifth Food supplement ingredients focus will help you to know Cat’s Claw.

From its Latin name Uncaria tomentosa, cat’s claw is a well renowned plant of multiple properties. It is principally used to strengthen immunity and limit inflammation.

Here are 3 assets that make cat’s claw a richness for your food supplement :

1) A cherished species of the Amazonian Forest

Nicknamed “Peru’s liana”, cat’s claw is a climbing woody vine reaching 30 m hight and possessing stalks with a diameter of up to 20 cm. Its name “cat’s claw” or “Uña de gato”, comes from its claw shaped thorns that allow it to cling to tree trunks and remind of the claws of a cat.

Besides its size particularities, this huge plant from Peru has been considered sacred to the Gods for more than 2000 years. According to the Ashaninkas medicinal system (Amazonian people), cat’s claw allows body and mind healing thanks to its properties strengthening immunity and limiting inflammation.

As a consequence, the benefits of cat’s claw gained popularity and the plant was introduced in Europe and North America at the end of the 1980’s. Its success was such that the harvest of cat’s claw became monitored in 1999 and controlled by Peruvian authorities in order to ensure its sustainability. Indeed, it takes nearly 10 years to be able to harvest and cut the trunk down to 1m hight to ensure regrowth of a new plant. This allows to isolate the interesting part of the cat’s claw, namely, the bark.

2) Essential benefits for our daily wellbeing

• Immunity strengthening

Numerous studies were carried out on the immunomodulatory properties of cat’s claw. They were mentioned, in April 2020, in a publication ⁽¹⁾ from ANSES ( French National Food Health Safety Agency) on food supplement consumption in the COVID context.

Moreover, two of these studies focus on the increase of immune cells survival time ⁽²⁾ and lymphocyte activation (responsible for immunity response) which testifies to its efficacy on immune cells.

Finally, an In Vivo ⁽³⁾ study demonstrated a significantly higher immune response (vs placebo) after an oral intake of 2×350 mg a day of cat’s claw extract over 2 months.

• Limitation of inflammation

Cat’s claw contains more than 30 compounds among which: polyphenols (including anti-oxidant flavonoids), triterpenes and sterols. This rich composition earned it several allegations based on scientific studies ^(4)(5)(6). Cat’s claw is indicated to help maintain joint mobility and also to contribute to natural immune defenses.

3) A holistic use

Cat’s claw takes part into the In & Out trend since it is usable in drops, cream or gel. In the work frame of a holistic approach, cat’s claw can also be presented in infusion.

In your food supplement formulation, it is better to choose a standardized extract, because its composition and titration can vary (HPLC High Performance Liquid Chromatography titration offers more guaranties). Only bark is allowed and it is recommended to favor standardized extracts containing 3% alcaloids or 1.3% pentacyclic oxindoles.

Eventually, for your information, Kares-up leaves at your disposal a complete formula for immunity based on cat’s claw, strengthened with lactic ferments which will allow good intestinal function, first defense against pathogenic bacteria.

Do not hesitate to contact our team for any further information at contact@kares-up.com.

Loubna BELMOUDEN
Scientific and Marketing development Officer at Kares-Up

Raphaëlle DA COSTA
Kares-Up Founder

———————————

1. ANSES opinion, Referral No. 2020-SA-0045.
2. Akesson C, Ivars F. C-Med 100 (R), a hot water extract of Uncaria tomentosa, prolongs lymphocyte survival in vivo. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 1 févr 2003.
3. Lamm S, Sheng Y, Pero RW. Persistent response to pneumococcal vaccine in individuals supplemented with a novel water soluble extract of Uncaria tomentosa, C-Med-100. Phytomedicine. juill 2001.
4. Sandoval M, Okuhama NN, Zhang XJ, Condezo LA, Lao J, Angeles’ FM, et al. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianensis) are independent of their alkaloid content. Phytomedicine. mai 2002.
5. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianensis) are independent of their alkaloid content – PubMed.
6. Rojas-Duran R, González-Aspajo G, Ruiz-Martel C, Bourdy G, Doroteo-Ortega VH, Alban-Castillo J, et al. Anti-inflammatory activity of Mitraphylline isolated from Uncaria tomentosa bark. J Ethnopharmacol. 11 oct 2012.