• Ammonia treated quinic acid, ancajsillo (Peru), ancayacu, aublet, auri huasca, bejuco de agua (Spanish), cat's claw inner bark extract, cell line green Uth-3, C-Med-100®, deixa paraguayo, gambir, garabato, garabato amarillo, garabato blanco, garbato casha, garbato colorado, garbato gavilán, garra gavilán, geissoschizine methyl ether, Gou-Teng, griffe du chat, hawk's claw, jijyuwamyúho, jipotatsa, Krallendorn®, kugkuukjagki, life-giving vine of Peru, misho-mentis, mitraphylline, nature's aspirin, Nauclea aculeate, Nauclea oculeata, Nauclea tomentosa, Ourouparia guianensis, Ourouparia tomentosa, paotati-mösha, paraguaya, Peruvian cat's claw, pole catechu, popokainangra, QA, QAA, quinic acid, radix Uncariae tomentosae (Willd.), rangayo, Rubiaceae (family), samento, tambor hausca, tomcat's claw, torõn, tsachik, tua juncara, Uncaria guianensis, Uncaria tomentosa, uña de gato, uña de gato de altura, uña de gato del bajo, uña de gavilán, uña a huasca, Uncaria guianensis, Uncaria tomentosa, unganangi, unganangui, un huasca, UT extract, UTE, vegicaps.
• Note: There are 34 Unicaria species other than Uncaria tomentosa.

• Originally found in Peru, the use of cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) has been said to date back to the Inca civilization, possibly as far back as 2,000 years. It has been used for birth control, as an anti-inflammatory, as an immunostimulant, for cancer, and as an antiviral. The Peruvian Ashaninka priests considered cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) to have great powers and life-giving properties and therefore used it to ward off disease.
• Multiple plant species are marketed under the name cat's claw, the most common being Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianensis. Both are used to treat the same indications, although supposedly the former may be a more efficacious immunostimulant.
• Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) may be contaminated with other Uncaria species, including Uncaria rhynchophylla (used in Chinese herbal preparations under the name Gou-Teng), which purportedly may lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, or act as a neuroinhibitor. Reports exist of the potentially toxic Texan grown plant, Acacia gregii, being substituted for cat's claw in commercial preparations.
• In Germany and Austria, cat's claw is a registered pharmaceutical and can only be dispensed with a prescription. Currently, cat's claw is widely used and is one of the top herbal remedies sold in the United States despite a lack of high quality human evidence.

• Abscesses, acne, aging, Alzheimer's disease, amnesia, antibacterial, anticonvulsive, antifungal, antihistamine, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiparasitic, antiviral, appetite stimulant, arrhythmia, asthma, atopic dermatitis, birth control, bowel disease, bursitis, candidal infection, cervical dysplasia, chemical sensitivities, childbirth (recovery), chronic fatigue syndrome, cirrhosis, colds, colitis, Crohn's disease, cysts, dementia, depression, diabetes, diarrhea, digestive problems, diverticulitis, dysentery, edema, endometriosis, fever, fibromyalgia, fistulas, gastritis, gastrointestinal disorders, genetic damage (enhances DNA repair), gingivitis, gonorrhea, gout, heart disease, hemorrhage, hemorrhoids, hepatoprotection, herpes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, HIV, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), influenza, kidney cleanser, kidney disease, leaky gut syndrome, leukopenia (chemotherapy-induced), liver disease, long-term debility, lung inflammation, lupus, menstrual irregularity, multidrug resistance of tumor cells, multiple sclerosis (MS), nerve pain, neuroprotection, pain, premenstrual syndrome, prostate problems, radiation side effects, rosacea, sexually transmitted diseases, shingles, sinusitis, skin disorders, sore throats, stimulant, stomach pain, stomach ulcers, stroke, sunscreen, tonic, tumors, ulcers, urinary tract infections, vasorelaxant, weakness, wound healing.

Adults (18 years and older)

• There is no proven effective dose for cat's claw. Capsules, extracts, tinctures, decoctions, and teas are commercially available. As a capsule, 250-1,000 milligrams has been taken by mouth in divided doses, one to three times daily or 500-600 milligrams once daily. Up to 25 grams of the raw bark has been used in decoctions, although this is based on traditional dosing practices.
• Cat's claw is also available in preparations for the skin, but no specific doses have been shown to be safe or effective.

Children (younger than 18 years)

• The dosing and safety of cat's claw have not been studied thoroughly in children, and it is recommended that doses are discussed with the child's healthcare provider before starting therapy.

• This information is based on a systematic review of scientific literature edited and peer-reviewed by contributors to the Natural Standard Research Collaboration (www.naturalstandard.com).

1. Aguilar JL, Rojas P, Marcelo A, et al. Anti-inflammatory activity of two different extracts of Uncaria tomentosa (Rubiaceae). J Ethnopharmacol 2002;81(2):271-276.
2. Akesson C, Lindgren H, Pero RW, et al. An extract of Uncaria tomentosa inhibiting cell division and NF-kappa B activity without inducing cell death. Int Immunopharmacol 2003;3(13-14):1889-1900.
3. Allen-Hall L, Cano P, Arnason JT, et al. Treatment of THP-1 cells with Uncaria tomentosa extracts differentially regulates the expression if IL-1beta and TNF-alpha. J Ethnopharmacol 1-19-2007;109(2):312-317.
4. Ccahuana-Vasquez RA, Santos SS, Koga-Ito CY, et al. Antimicrobial activity of Uncaria tomentosa against oral human pathogens. Braz Oral Res 2007;21(1):46-50.
5. Cheng AC, Jian CB, Huang YT, et al. Induction of apoptosis by Uncaria tomentosa through reactive oxygen species production, cytochrome c release, and caspases activation in human leukemia cells. Food Chem Toxicol 2007;45(11):2206-2218.
6. Garcia Prado E, Garcia Gimenez MD, De la Puerta V, et al. Antiproliferative effects of mitraphylline, a pentacyclic oxindole alkaloid of Uncaria tomentosa on human glioma and neuroblastoma cell lines. Phytomedicine 2007;14(4):280-284.
7. Hardin SR. Cat's claw: an Amazonian vine decreases inflammation in osteoarthritis. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2007 Feb;13(1):25-8.
8. Kitajima M, Hashimoto K, Yokoya M, et al. Two new nor-triterpene glycosides from peruvian "Una de Gato" (Uncaria tomentosa). J Nat Prod 2003;66(2):320-323.
9. Lee J, Son D, Lee P, et al. Alkaloid fraction of Uncaria rhynchophylla protects against N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced apoptosis in rat hippocampal slices. Neurosci Lett 9-4-2003;348(1):51-55.
10. Lee J, Son D, Lee P, et al. Protective effect of methanol extract of Uncaria rhynchophylla against excitotoxicity induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate in rat hippocampus. J Pharmacol Sci 2003;92(1):70-73.
11. Moreno SR, Silva AL, Dire G, et al. Effect of oral ingestion of an extract of the herb Uncaria tomentosa on the biodistribution of sodium pertechnetate in rats. Braz J Med Biol Res 2007;40(1):77-80.
12. Mur E, Hartig F, Eibl G, et al. Randomized double blind trial of an extract from the pentacyclic alkaloid-chemotype of uncaria tomentosa for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol 2002;29(4):678-681.
13. Piscoya J, Rodriguez Z, Bustamante SA, et al. Efficacy and safety of freeze-dried cat's claw in osteoarthritis of the knee: mechanisms of action of the species Uncaria guianensis. Inflamm Res 2001;50(9):442-448.
14. Setty AR, Sigal LH. Herbal medications commonly used in the practice of rheumatology: mechanisms of action, efficacy, and side effects. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2005;34(6):773-784.
15. Valerio LG Jr, Gonzales GF. Toxicological aspects of the South American herbs cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) and Maca (Lepidium meyenii): a critical synopsis. Toxicol Rev 2005;24(1):11-35.