pharmacognosy

Harpagofito or devil's claw

Harpagophytum (or devil's claw): Harpagophytum procumbens, Pedaliacee family. African creeping plant whose secondary roots are used: harvested, cut into slices and left to dry in the sun.

The roots are used in popular medicine as an antipyretic, an anti-inflammatory and an anti-arthritic. Hypocholesterolemic properties are also associated with the harpagophytum.

In the herbalist field the drug is prescribed as anti-arthritic and antirheumatic, and, due to these properties, it can easily be found in topical ointments. Often the harpagophytum is associated with arnica, a plant rich in terpenoid compounds and flavonoids.

The active principles of the harpagophytum, harpagosides, are also of an iridoid nature, but they must be applied very carefully because they present negative interactions with cortisone molecules.