Talk:Uncaria tomentosa

message: #Referenced article on Cat's Claw 
#Summary article on uses of Cat's Claw 
#a b c Heitzman, M.E., Neto, C.C., Winiarz, E., Vaisberg, A.J. & Hammon, G.B. (2005). Ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Uncaria (Rubiaceae). Phytochemistry, 66(1), 5-29.  
#NutraSanus article on Cat's Claw 
Only Reference no 3 above appears to be a reliable source. 
*"The Ashánika are considered the most knowledgeable of this herb,[1] and consider the herb sacred.[2]"  Please see WP:AWW.  
*"Other possible uses include the treatment of AIDS in combination with AZT, the treatment and prevention of arthritis and rheumatism, diabetes, PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, and prostrate conditions.[4]"  Unless there are PMID studies to back these statements, they shouldn't be inserted based on website claims.  Peer review is not the right place for content disputes:  see WP:RFC.   Sandy 00:17, 8 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Reliable sources 

message: Here's a point-by-point summary of why I'm reverting Mystar's edits.  Please reply.
*Uncaria tomentosa Cat's Claw or Uña de Gato)
You don't need a reference saying that this is cat's claw, and the external link here looks messy.  I've removed it, and placed the weblink in the references.  Since the information is contained in the references, where individuals can refer to it, there is no need for a specific reference within the text, especially on such a basic point. 
*is an liana, 
It should be 'a', not 'an'
*There are two types of Cat's Claw, Unicaria tomentosa and Unicaria guianensis; the two are frequently confused but generally U. tomentosa is the species used medicinally. 
The original reference that you removed discussed the differences between the two at length.  The chemotypes which you again removed provided a discussion of the chemical properties of the plant, and how different chemotypes can be physically identical but have different chemical make-ups.  There's a wikilink for a definition.  It seems important to me.  Why did you take it out?  
Also, both the references you removed from the first paragrpah are paper references.  Go to your local university and look up Phytomedicine and Journal of Ethnopharmacology, or check out both on google scholar.  I'll be replacing the Ethno one with an on-line PDF link, as it is more accessible.  As for the Phytonmedicine link, it is not "non-working", it is a perfectly acceptable peer-reviewed publication which is accessible either on-line through a library account at a university or by physically visiting a library with peer-reviewed journals.  I happened to read the on-line version that I have access to.  If you look up the title of the Phytomedicine article on google scholar, you can get an abstract of the complete article.  
*it is native to Central and South America, Also occurring in tropical rainforests from Guatemala south to Peru nomally 
Guatemala is in Central America, forming the norther boundary, Peru is in South America, and the vine will not limit itself to political boundaries, as I have stated before.  Since it says that it is limited to tropical areas, there is no need for political boundaries, unless you wanted to indicate that Peru is the southern boundary of the tropical areas of South America.  I don't know if that fact is true, but I think, given the notation of 'limited to tropical areas', the countries are not needed.  Tropical means bounded roughly by the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn to the north and south, eliminating the need for political boundaries for limits to habitat.  
The external links you embedded in the text look messy, hence I use the references, which puts them all at the bottom of the page where they are still accessible.  I kept the first line as "deriving its name from hook-like thorns that resemble the claws of a cat" because it makes more sense to have the reason for the name come before the description of the leaves.  I'll leave in the sub-family reference since you seem attached to it, and there's no real reason to remove it (nor is there much of a reason to have it, but in the interest of compromise...) but I'm taking out the mention of the family 'cause it is in the taxobox.  
If you have any further changes to the first paragraph, please discuss them, providing reasons for your edits.  
Also, your change of "systemic lupus erythematosus" to "Lupus SLE" is kinda weird, 'cause Lupus SLE is systemic lupus erythematosus.  Why are you duplicating the term?  Alternatively, what's the difference between the two?
WLU 18:33, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Why I am reverting Mystar's edits 

message: I removed the sentence "Care and consultation with your physician should be taken when taking this or any type of remedies." for two reasons.  First, it should not be presented in the voice it is, i.e. using the word 'your'.  Second, wikipedia is not a place to be turning to for advice - see this section of WP:NOT, particularly point 4 - "...Wikipedia articles should not include instructions or advice (legal, medical, or otherwise)..."  I think the inclusion of the allergic reaction is sufficient.  Again, there is a disclaimer at the bottom of every single page, so we're obligated to include encyclopaedic knowledge, not warnings or instructions.  WLU 02:33, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  removed sentence 

message: I tried to edit / fix but can't "see the list." Hopefully someone else can update this.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.90.238.202 (talk) 11:43, 8 May 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Some of the Links lead to Page not found... 

message: I see cat's claw redirected here. However this doesn't seem to be the plant invariably called "cat's claw" here in South Louisiana. A quick google suggests there are multiple species of quite different plants known under this name. I have therefore been bold and turned cat's claw into a disambiguation. Improvements and/or corrections welcome. -- Infrogmation (talk) 13:49, 18 January 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Cat's claw: Multiple plants? 

message: The article makes it seem, like it is a fact that there are two different chemotypes of Uncaria tomentosa out there. However, I am not sure how valid that is, the foundation for that seems rather shaky to me. (For more about this visit this link) I do think that the passage about the chemotypes should be reworked.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by MadMUHHH (talk • contribs) 11:12, 30 May 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  POA - TOA Controversy 

message: Nahida Tabassum, Feroz Ahmad
Role of natural herbs in the treatment of hypertension
REVIEW ARTICLE
Year : 2011  |  Volume : 5  |  Issue : 9  |  Page : 30-40 	 
DOI: 10.4103/0973-7847.79097
PMID: 22096316
http://www.phcogrev.com/article.asp?issn=0973-7847;year=2011;volume=5;issue=9;spage=30;epage=40;aulast=Tabassum
Uncaria rhynchophylla
(Family: Rubiaceae; Common name: Cat's Claw herb). In traditional oriental medicine, U. rhynchophylla has been used to lower BP and to relieve various neurological symptoms. The hypotensive activity has been attributed to an indole alkaloid called hirsutine, which has been found to act at the Ca 2+ channels. [71] The effects of hirsutine on cytosolic Ca 2+ level ([Ca 2+ ]cyt) were studied by using fura-2- Ca 2+ fluorescence in smooth muscle of the isolated rat aorta. Noradrenaline and high K+ solution produced a sustained increase in [Ca 2+ ]cyt. Application of hirsutine after the increases in [Ca 2+ ]cyt induced by noradrenaline and high K+ notably decreased [Ca 2+ ]cyt, suggesting that hirsutine inhibits Ca 2+ influx mainly through a voltage-dependent Ca 2+ channel. Furthermore, the effect of hirsutine on intracellular Ca 2+ store was studied by using contractile responses to caffeine under the Ca 2+ -free nutrient condition in the rat aorta. When hirsutine was added at 30 μM before caffeine treatment, the agent slightly but significantly reduced the caffeine-induced contraction. When added during Ca 2+ loading, hirsutine definitely augmented the contractile response to caffeine. These results suggest that hirsutine inhibits Ca 2+ release from the Ca 2+ store and increases Ca 2+ uptake into the Ca 2+ store, leading to a reduction of intracellular Ca 2+ level. It is concluded that hirsutine reduces intracellular Ca 2+ level through its effect on the Ca 2+ store as well as through its effect on the voltage-dependent Ca 2+ channel. [85]
A methanol extract of the hooks of an Uncaria species was found to have a potent and long-lasting hypotensive effect in rats and the activity was different from that of U. rhynchophylla and its analogue. Further studies of the extract resulted in the isolation of 3-indole alkaloid, glycoside, cadambine, dihydrocadambine, and isodihydrocadambine. The latter two were found to be the hypotensive principles, whereas cadambine was inactive. [86] 
:71. Amaechina FC, Omogbai EK. Hypotensive effect of aqueous extract of the leaves of Phyllanthus amarus Schum and Thonn (Euphorbiaceae). Acta Pol Pharm 2007;64:547-52.  Back to cited text no. 71
:85. Horie S, Yano S, Aimi N, Sakai S, Watanabe K. Effects of hirsutine, an antihypertensive indole alkaloid from Uncaria rhynchophylla, on intracellular calcium in rat thoracic aorta. Life Sci 1992;50:491-8.  Back to cited text no. 85
    
:86.	Endo K, Oshima Y, Kikuchi H, Koshihara Y, Hikino H. Hypotensive principles of uncaria hooks1. Planta Med 1983;49:188-90.  Back to cited text no. 86  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ocdnctx (talk • contribs) 01:41, 17 September 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Cat's claw extract has a hypotensive effect in traditional oriental medicine, confirmed in rat models 

message: My wife was going to start taking this herb but her NHS Consultant checked it online for her, on a database to which only NHS staff have access, and it is contra-indicated for patients using Corticosteroids or Azathioprine or other immuno-suppressants. I cannot provide references to this, but felt it was important to note since this was an official National Heath Service (UK) directive. I believe this is owing to its reported effects on the immune system. 
(My apologies if this comment is incorrectly formatted - I'm not a Wiki-editor at all) 81.110.230.38 (talk) 13:47, 17 May 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Drug Interactions warning (Immuno-suppressants) 

message: im not a wiki editor either but id like to know about its magical affinities what about that while we're all arguing about medicine? isn't this used for defensive magic..... no one said anything about that, what element is it governed by? what planet/god? 00:34, 27 November 2014 (UTC)
thread_title: Views of Uncaria tomentosa in folk beliefs