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Catechu

The Geber acacia(Catechu) is a plant whose leaves, shoots and wood are used to make medicine. Gerber acacia is used for diarrhea, swelling of the nose and throat, dysentery, colitis, bleeding, stomach upset, osteoarthritis and cancer. Gerber acacia is applied directly to the skin for skin diseases, hemorrhoids, injuries and traumatic injuries, as well as to stop bleeding. Gerber acacia* is contained in mouthwashes and gargle solutions used for gum diseases, pain and swelling in the mouth, sore throats and mouth ulcers. Gerber acacia is used as a flavoring agent in food and beverages.

How does Gerber acacia work?

It is believed that Gerber acacia may contain chemicals that reduce inflammation and kill bacteria.

How effective is Gerber acacia?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of Gerber acacia for osteoarthritis. New research suggests that taking 500 mg of a specific Gerber acacia extract twice daily in combination with a specific Baikal helmetwort flavonoid extract known as flavocoxide significantly reduces symptoms of osteoarthritis around the knee. There is also insufficient scientific data on the effectiveness of Gerber acacia for injuries, diarrhea, swelling around the nose and throat, colitis, bleeding, cancer, skin diseases and hemorrhoids. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of Gerber acacia in all these applications.

Safety and side effects

Gerber acacia is safe and harmless in the amounts found in food. However, there is not enough information to say whether larger amounts used as medicine are safe and harmless. A specific combination product called flavocoxide, which contains Gerber acacia, has been shown in studies to be safe for up to 12 weeks. However, there are concerns that this combination product may cause liver problems in some people. This side effect does not appear to be the norm and may only occur in people who are allergic to this product. It is not known if it is safe and harmless to apply Gerber Acacia directly to the skin.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Gerber Acacia is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women in normal food quantities. However, larger medicinal amounts should be avoided until more is known about their safety.

Low blood pressure: Gerber acacia may lower blood pressure. There are concerns that it could lower blood pressure too much in people who already suffer from low blood pressure and could cause fainting and other symptoms.

Surgeries: Because Gerber acacia may lower blood pressure, there are concerns that Gerber acacia may interfere with blood pressure control during and after surgery. For this reason, the use of Gerber acacia should be discontinued at least 2 weeks prior to upcoming surgery.

Interactions

Care should be taken when using Gerber acacia in combination with the following medications:

Medications for high blood pressure

Gerberacacia could lower blood pressure. Taking Gerber acacia in combination with medication for high blood pressure could result in an excessive drop in blood pressure.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of Gerber acacia depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to determine appropriate dosage ranges for Gerber acacia. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Altavilla D, Squadrito F, Bitto A, et al. Flavocoxid, a dual inhibitor of cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase, blunts pro-inflammatory phenotype activation in endotoxin-stimulated macrophages. Br J Pharmacol 2009;157:1410-18.
  2. Burnett BP, Jia Q, Zhao Y, Levy RM. A medicinal extract of Scutellaria baicalensis and Acacia catechu acts as a dual inhibitor of cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase to reduce inflammation. J Med Food 2007;10:442-51.
  3. Chalasani N, Vuppalanchi R, Navarro V, et al. Acute liver injury due to flavocoxid (Limbrel), a medical food for osteoarthritis: a case series. Ann Intern Med 2012;156:857-60.
  4. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21, Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid= 786bafc6f6343634fbf79fcdca7061e1&rgn=div5&view= text&node=21:3.0.1.1.13&idno=21
  5. Koga T, Meydani M. Effect of plasma metabolites of (+)-catechin and quercetin on monocyte adhesion to human aortic endothelial cells. Am J Clin Nutr 2001;73:941-8.
  6. Levy RM, Khokhlov A, Kopenkin S, et al. Efficacy and safety of flavocoxid, a novel therapeutic, compared with naproxen: a randomized multicenter controlled trial in subjects with osteoarthritis of the knee. Adv Ther 2010;27:731-42.
  7. Levy RM, Saikovsky R, Shmidt E, et al. Flavocoxid is as effective as naproxen for managing the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee in humans: a short-term randomized, double-blind pilot study. Nutr Res 2009;29:298-304.
  8. Li RW, Myers SP, Leach DN, et al. A cross-cultural study: anti-inflammatory activity of Australian and Chinese plants. J Ethnopharmacol 2003;85:25-32.
  9. Morgan SL, Baggott JE, Moreland L, et al. The safety of flavocoxid, a medical food, in the dietary management of knee osteoarthritis. J Med Food 2009;12:1143-8.
  10. PL Detail-Document, Liver Toxicity and Limbrel. Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter. September 2012.
  11. Reichenbach S, Juni P. Medical food and food supplements: not always as safe as generally assumed. Ann Intern Med 2012;156:894-5.
  12. Sham JS, Chiu KW, Pang PK. Hypotensive action of Acacia catechu. Planta Med 1984;50:177-80.