Pfaffia paniculata / Suma / Amaranthaceae (Amaranth family)

Information

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Other Names

Hebanthe paniculata, Gomphrena paniculata, G. eriantha, Iresine erianthos, I. paniculata, I. tenuis, Pfaffia eriantha, Xeraea paniculata, Suma, Brazilian Ginseng, Pfaffia, Para Toda, Corango-Acu.

Description

Pfaffia paniculata (Suma) is a large shrubby vine native to the rain forests of the Amazon and other tropical regions of Latin America, including Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. The root of the plant is used medicinally. It is sometimes called Brazilian Ginseng, although it is not botanically related to Asian or America Ginseng. (2) Also referred to as para todo (for all things), Pfaffia paniculata has been used by indigenous peoples of the Amazon region for a wide variety of health purposes. (1)

Contents

Suma root contains several major constituents, including the nortriterpene pfaffic acid, six pfaffic acid saponins (pfaffosides A-F), pterosterone, ecdysterone, and ecdysteroid. (2)

Historical

There are many claims and little evidence about the historical use of Pfaffia peniculata. The root has supposedly been used for generations by indigenous peoples of the Amazon region. There are also reports of its use in modern herbal medicine in Brazil, North America, Europe. It has also been called "the Russian secret", claiming that Rusian Olympic athletes have used it for many years. (1)
There is no human clinical research to support most of the wide variety of health benefits attributed to this plant by its advocates. "What little research has been done focuses on the plant's anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and aphrodisiac effects and has been completed only in test tubes or with animals." (2)

Plant Description

Suma is a large, rambling, shrubby ground vine with an intricate, deep, and extensive root system. It is indigenous to the Amazon basin and other tropical parts of (southern) Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. Since its first botanical recording in 1826, it has been referred to by several botanical names, including Pfaffia paniculata, Hebanthe paniculata, and Gomphrena paniculata. The genus Pfaffia is well known in Central and South America, with over 50 species growing in the warmer tropical regions. (1)

References

(1) Suma, Raintree Tropical Plant Database
(2) Suma, Blue Shield of California
Published research on the Pfaffia paniculata can be found at PubMed.