The Healing Power of Rainforest Plants
The Tropical Plant Database
Tamamuri
Taxon: Brosimum acutifolium Huber
Synonyms: Brosimopsis acutifolia (Huber) Ducke., Brosimum acutifolium spp. obovatum Ducke., Brosimopsis obovata Ducke., Brosimum caniceps Standl., Piratinera acutifolia (Huber) Pittier.
Common names: ahua jonra, amapá doce, bois mondan, bururé, congona, leche-caspi, manichi, mercuio-vegetal, mercurio vegetal, mercurio-da-terra-firma, morure, muira-piranga, murare, murure, murure-da-terra-firma, murure-vermelho, mururi, quecho, takini, takweni, tamamuri, tauni, urupi, vegetable mercury
Parts Used: Bark
The below text has been pre-printed from: The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs, 2nd edition © 2019 by Leslie Taylor
MAIN ACTIONS | OTHER ACTIONS | STANDARD DOSAGE |
| Bark | ||
| Tincture: 2 ml three times daily | ||
| Decoction: 1 cup 3 times daily | ||
| Capsules: 1 g 3 times daily | ||
Tamamuri is a large canopy tree of the Amazon rainforest that grows 15 to 25 m high. It produces a white to light pink latex when the smooth trunk bark is wounded or the leaf stems are broken from the branches. It has oblong veined leaves about 8 to 15 cm long by 4-5 cm wide. Tamamuri is found throughout the lower elevations of the Amazon basin, usually growing alongside streams and rivers where its fruits (similar to a fig but with one large seed inside) are eaten by fish when it falls from the tree.
Tamamuri is in the Mulberry family and the Brosimum genus includes approximately 50 species of tropical and warm-temperate trees in South America.
TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES
Shipibo-Conibo Indians on the Ucayali River in the Peruvian Amazon have a legend about tamamuri. They believe that when a man ingests the white latex of the tamamuri tree that he will father light-skinned male children. They also use the bark medicinally (in decoctions) for gastro-intestinal disorders, to purify the blood and to regulate the nervous system. The Wayãpi Indians in Guyana also attribute magical properties to the tree. They believe the latex of the tree will help protect them from witchcraft and bad spells. They also prepare a decoction of the roots to treat headaches and to improve memory and put the bark in baths to treat fevers.
Tamamuri is a very common and well-respected remedy for rheumatism and arthritis throughout the Amazon and in traditional medicine systems in South America. It is also a very common remedy for syphilis, which is how it earned one of its common names, "vegetable mercury." Mercury was the leading treatment for syphilis in the late 1800s and early 1900s. . . and before we knew any better!
In herbal medicine systems in Peru, tamamuri is considered a pain-reliever, anti-inflammatory, blood cleanser, aphrodisiac and tonic. It is used for arthritis and rheumatism (including rheumatoid arthritis), muscle pain and injuries, for intestinal worms, anemia, vertigo and loss of balance, to help regulate the nervous system, as a general tonic for debility, for fungal and yeast infections, gastric ulcers and gastrointestinal disorders, as well as for syphilis.
In Brazilian herbal medicine the tree is called mururé and it is widely used for arthritis, rheumatism and syphilis, as well as for gastric ulcers and skin ulcers, and as an aphrodisiac and tonic.
PLANT CHEMICALS
Tamamuri bark contains flavans, flavanoids, lignans, phenylpropanoids, benezoids, and steroids. Many of these chemicals are novel ones never before seen by scientists, including 6 chemicals they’ve named acutifolins and 13 chemicals they’ve named brosimacutins. Some of these novel chemicals have been documented with anti-inflammatory and anticancerous actions. Tamamuri also contains an very active natural plant chemical called liquiritigenin which has been documented with antiviral, antibacterial, estrogenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancerous actions. In addition, tamamuri is a good source of another well known active chemical named 4-Hydroxylonchocarpin. This natural plant compound has been documented with antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant actions. Some of tamamuri's tested properties and actions can be attributed to these active chemicals' presence in the extracts tested by scientists.
Chemicals identified in tamamuri bark thus far include: acutifolins A thru F, brosimacutins A- M, brosimine A & B, (-) 5-o-beta-d-xylopyranoside epi-catechin, (-) epi-catechin, (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, (-) liquiritigenin, (-) naringenin, 3'-7-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy-flavan, 4'-hydroxy-7-8-(2''-2''-dimethyl- pyranflavan), 4'-7-dihydroxy-flavan, 4'-7-dihydroxy- 8-prenylflavan, 4'-hydroxy-7-8-(3''-hydroxy-2''-2'' -dimethyl-pyranflavan), 4-hydroxylonchocarpin, beta-sitosterol, coniferaldehyde, dihydroconiferyl, hydroxylonchocarpin, icariside E-3 aglycone, iso-hydroxycordoin, isobavachalcone, iso-bavachin, iso-lariciresinol, iso-liquiritigenin, liquiritrigenin, luteolin, mururin A thru C, protocatechuic acid, stigmasterol, and syringaldehyde.
BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH
Tamamuri's long-standing use for arthritis and rheumatism has been the subject of research by Western scientists. In 2003, Brazilian researchers reported that crude extracts of tamamuri bark reduced inflammation induced by various means in laboratory rats. Other researchers have reported that two chemicals in tamamuri (mururin A and B) have the ability to inhibit protein kinase C (PKC) and protein kinase A (PKA). PKC is involved with various conditions and is one of the chemicals that the body uses to actually produce inflammation. People with autoimmune disorders, arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis usually have elevated PKC levels, and PKC inhibitors are a new class of drugs under research for these types of conditions.
In addition to autoimmune disorders and arthritis, PKC, as well as PKA, is also thought to play a role in cancer and tumor cell growth. Tamamuri's ability to inhibit PKC and PKA might be the reason behind its documented actions against cancer cells. Researchers have reported that a crude extract of tamamuri bark was cytotoxic to human colon and lung cancer cell lines in vitro as well as toxic to a leukemia cell line (including a drug-resistant leukemic cell line). However, one of these research groups attributed the cytotoxic action, not to the PKC-inhibitor mururin chemicals, but to the newly discovered brosimacutin chemicals. They have yet to report the mechanism by which these new chemicals can kill cancer cells.
While scientists have yet to test tamamuri specifically against syphilis, researchers at Cornell University reported that tamamuri bark showed in vitro antibacterial actions against other common bacteria—Bacillus and Staphylococcus. This same study reported that it was also active against Helicobacter pylori (the bacteria that is the cause of stomach ulcers) as well as Candida albicans which confirms two other traditional uses of the bark: for gastric ulcers and yeast infections. They also reported that it was active against a common strain of skin fungus.
Toxicity studies with rats conducted in Brazil indicate that tamamuri is non-toxic and without any demonstrable negative side effects.
CURRENT PRACTICAL USES
While American consumers have heard little about tamamuri yet, it remains a very popular remedy in Brazil and Peru for rheumatism and arthritis. It can be found in most of the South American medicinal plant markets, natural product stores and pharmacies. Only one or two tamamuri products are available in the U.S. natural products market today, but demand is likely to increase as more people learn about this wonderful rainforest tree and its many effective uses.
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Main Preparation Method: tincture or decoction Main Actions (in order): anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antisyphilitic, anticandidal Main Uses:
Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use: analgesic, anthelmintic, anti-anemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-leukemic, anti-rheumatic, anti-syphilitic, aphrodisiac, appetite stimulant, depurative, tonic, and vermifuge Cautions: None reported. | |
Traditional Preparation: Tamamuri bark is traditionally prepared in decoctions and tinctures. See Traditional Herbal Remedies Preparation Methods page if necessary for definitions.
Contraindications: Tamamuri contains two plant chemicals with documented estrogenic actions in animal studies. Women with estrogen-positive cancers should avoid the use of tamamuri until further research confirms tamamuri's effect on estrogen.
Drug Interactions: None reported.
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| Amazonia | for arthritis and rheumatism |
| Brazil | as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, aphrodisiac, depurative, and tonic; for arthritis, childbirth pain, gastric ulcers, menstrual pain, muscle pain, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatism, skin ulcers, and syphilis |
| Colombia | as a anti-asthmatic, digestive, laxative, and tonic |
| Guyanas | for fever, headaches, magic, muscle pains, and poor memory |
| Peru | as an analgesic, anthelmintic, anti-anemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, anti-syphilitic, aphrodisiac, appetite stimulant, depurative, tonic, and vermifuge; for anemia, arthritis, diabetes, debility, fever, fungal infections, gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, muscle pain, nervous system regulation, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatism, syphilis, vertigo, yeast infections |
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Published Research on Tamamuri
All available third-party research on tamamuri be found at PubMed. A partial listing of the third-party published research on tamamuri updated through Feb 2019 is shown below:
Anti-inflammatory, PKC Inhibitory & Pain-relieving Actions:
Researchers report that at least five plant chemicals in tamamuri inhibit PKA, one inhibits PKC, and another inhibits both PKA and PKC.
Reginato, F., et al. "Evaluation of the flavonoids used in the treatment of the inflammation." Rev. Cuba. Pharm. 2015; 49(3): 569-582.
Kuete, V., et al. "Chemistry and pharmacology of 4-hydroxylonchocarpin: A review." Chin. J. Integr. Med. 2013 Jun; 19(6): 475-80.
Moraes, W. [Characterization of the mechanism of anti-inflammatory action of flavonoid BAS1 isolated from the plant Brosimum acutifolium].” Doctoral Thesis. 2011. Belém: Universidade Federal do Pará; Brazil.
Kim, Y., et al. "Anti-inflammatory effects of liquiritigenin as a consequence of the inhibition of NF-kappaB-dependent iNOS and proinflammatory cytokines production." Br. J. Pharmacol. 2008 May; 154(1): 165-73.
Schumacher, J., et al. “Cyclodextrin-mediated enantiomeric separation of chiral dihydrofuroflavones; A class of compounds with promising pharmacological activity.” J. Liq. Chrom. Rel. Tech. 2005; 28: 169-186.
Aksoy, E., et al. "Protein kinase C epsilon: A new target to control inflammation and immune-mediated disorders." Int. J. Biochem. Cell Biol. 2004; 36(2): 183-8.
Dos Santos, M., et al. "Avaliação do tratamento da artrite induzida por adjuvante completo de freund em ratos Lewis com as frações isoladas de Brosimum acutifolium." Proceedings of the XV Congresso de Iniciação Científica da UFAM. Brazil. Aug. 2003; page 223.
Dos Santos, M., et al. "Avaliação da toxicidade do extrato hidro-alcoólico e das frações isoladas de Brosimum acutifolium no tratamento da artrite induzida por adjuvante completo de freund em ratos Lewis." Proceedings of the XV Congresso de Iniciação Científica da UFAM. Brazil. Aug. 2003; page 222.
Ohsaki, A., et al. "Structures and biological activities of constituents from Brosimum acutifolium." Revista de Fitoterapia. 2002; 2 (S1): 208.
Takashima, J., et al. "Mururins A-C, three new lignoids from Brosimum acutifolium and their protein kinase inhibitory activity." Planta Med. 2002; 68(7): 621-625.
Takashima, J., et al. “Structures and activities of constituents from Brazilian medicinal plant, Brosimum acutifolium.” Symposium on the Chemistry of Natural Products, symposium papers. 2000; 42: 487-492.
Elisabetsky, E., et al. "Plants used as analgesics by Amazonian caboclos as a basis for selecting plants for investigation." Int. J. Crude Drug. Res. 1990; 28(4): 309-320.
Cytotoxic & Antitumor Actions:
Maues, L., et al. "Flavonoids from the Amazon plant Brosimum acutifolium induce C6 glioma cell line apoptosis by disrupting mitochondrial membrane potential and reducing AKT phosphorylation." Biomed. Pharmacother. 2019 May; 113: 108728.
Kuete, V., et al. "Chemistry and pharmacology of 4-hydroxylonchocarpin: A review." Chin. J. Integr. Med. 2013 Jun; 19(6): 475-80.
Stallings-Mann, M., et al. "A novel small-molecule inhibitor of protein kinase Ciota blocks transformed growth of non-small-cell lung cancer cells." Cancer Res. 2006 Feb; 66(3):1767-74.
Costa, D., et al. "Antiproliferative effect and induction of apoptosis on PC12 cells by BSA-1, a flavonoid isolated from Brosimum acutifolium." XX Congresso Brasileirode Microscopia e Microanálise Florianópolis. 2006.
Takashima, J., et al. "Brosimacutins J-M, four new flavonoids from Brosimum acutifolium and their cytotoxic activity." Planta Med. 2005 Jul; 71(7): 654-8.
Cohen, E., et al. "Protein kinase C zeta mediates epidermal growth factor-induced growth of head and neck tumor cells by regulating mitogen-activated protein kinase." Cancer Res. 2006 Jun; 66(12): 6296-303.
S. Gupta, T., et al."Molecular pathway for (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of human prostate carcinoma cells." Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 2003; 410: 177-185.
Monks, N., et al. "Anti-tumour screening of Brazilian plants." Pharma. Biol. 2002; 40(8): 603–616.
Takashima, J., et al. "Brosimacutins J-M, four new flavonoids from Brosimum acutifolium and their cytotoxic activity." Planta Med. 2005; 71(7): 654-8.
Antimicrobial Actions:
Researchers at Cornell University reported that tamamuri bark showed in vitro antibacterial actions against Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Helicobacter pylori and Candida albicans in research published in 2002. They also reported that it was active against a common strain of skin fungus. These actions are probably directely related to two chemicals found in tamamuri, liquiritigenin and 4-hydroxylonchocarpin, which both have strong actions against bacteria and fungi.
Soares et al., "In vitro antifungal activity and cytotoxicity screening of dry crude extracts from Brazilian Amazonia plants." Afr. J. Tradit. Complement. Altern. Med. 2018; 15 (4): 13-21.
Coqueiro, A., et al. “Leishmanicidal activity of Brosimum glaziovii (Moraceae) and chemical composition of the bioactive fractions by using high-resolution gas chromatography and GC-MS.” J. Braz. Chem. Soc. 2014 Oct; 25(10): 1839-1847.
Oliveira, A., et al. "Antimicrobial activity of Amazonian medicinal plants." SpringerPlus. 2013 Dec; 2: 371.
Sashidharaa, K., et al. "Isolation and identification of β-hematin inhibitors from Flacourtia indica as promising antiplasmodial agents." Eur. J. Med. Chem. 2013 Feb; 60: 497-502.
Kuete, V., et al. "Chemistry and pharmacology of 4-hydroxylonchocarpin: A review." Chin. J. Integr. Med. 2013 Jun; 19(6): 475-80.
Dubey, D., et al. “Antimicrobials of plant origin against TB and other infections and Economics of plant drugs – Introspection.” Ind. J. Trad. Knowledge. 2012 Apr; 11(2): 225-23.
Feldman, M., et al. "Comparative evaluation of two structurally related flavonoids, isoliquiritigenin and liquiritigenin, for their oral infection therapeutic potential." J. Nat. Prod. 2011 Sep; 74(9): 1862-7.
Lee, J., et al. "Liquiritigenin, a licorice flavonoid, helps mice resist disseminated candidiasis due to Candida albicans by Th1 immune response, whereas liquiritin, its glycoside form, does not." Int. Immunopharmacol. 2009 May; 9(5): 632-8.
Correia, A., et al. "Amazonian plant crude extract screening for activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria." Eur. Rev. Med. Pharmacol. Sci. 2008 Nov-Dec; 12(6): 369-80.
Moraes, F., et al. “[Bioactivity of herbal extracts against two groups of pathogenic bacteria in man].” XIII Jornada de Iniciação Científicado PIBIC/ICNPq/FAPEAM/INPA 2004: 118-19.
Herforth, A., et al. "Amazonian Women's Medicine: Treatments for Mycoses." Poster: Society for Economic Botany 2002 vol 56(4).
Herforth, A., et al. " Antifungal plants of the Peruvian Amazon: A survey of ethnomedical uses and biological activity." Cornel University Publication 2002.
Antioxidant Actions:
Martins, F., et al. "Antioxidant activity and potential photoprotective from Amazon native flora extracts." J. Photochem. Photobiol. B. 2016 Aug; 161: 34-9.
Choi, E., et al. "Liquiritigenin restores osteoblast damage through regulating oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction." Phytother. Res. 2014 Jun; 28(6): 880-6.
Kuete, V., et al. "Chemistry and pharmacology of 4-hydroxylonchocarpin: A review." Chin. J. Integr. Med. 2013 Jun; 19(6): 475-80.
Antimelanogenic (skin lightening) Actions:
Lim, J., et al. ""Antimelanogenic effect of 4‐hydroxylonchocarpin through the inhibition of tyrosinase‐related proteins and MAPK phosphatase." Exper. Derma. 2016 Jul; 2(7): 574-576.
Patents:
Ueda, Y. "Hyaluronidase inhibitors containing plant extracts for cosmetic or pharmaceutical uses." Kokai Tokkyo Koho. Koho. Japan. 2001.
Mio, K. "Oral hair growth stimulants containing odd-numbered fatty acids or alcohols, plant or algae extracts, and/or tocotrienol and foods containing them." Japan. Kokai Tokkyo Koho. L. Corp. Japan. 2003.
Chemicals Identified:
Keßberg, A., et al. "Utilizing an o-quinone methide in asymmetric transfer hydrogenation: enantioselective synthesis of brosimine a, brosimine b, and brosimacutin L." Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2016 Jan; 55(3): 1160-3.
Moretti, C., et al. "Identification of 5-hydroxy-tryptamine (bufotenine) in takini (Brosimum acutifolium Huber subsp. acutifolium C.C. Berg, Moraceae), a shamanic potion used in the Guiana Plateau." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Jun; 106(2): 198-202.
Takashima, J., et al. "Brosimacutins J - M, Four New Flavonoids from Brosimum acutifolium and their cytotoxic activity." 2005 Jul; 71(7): 654-8.
Takashima, J., et al. "Brosimacutins A-I, nine new flavonoids from Brosimum acutifolium." J. Nat. Prod. 2002; 65(12): 1843-1847.
Takashima, J., et al. "Acutifolins A-F, a new flavan-derived constituent and five new flavans from Brosimum acutifolium." J. Nat. Prod. 2001: 64(12): 1493-1496.
Teixeira, A., et al. "Structure determination by H and C NMR of a new flavan isolated from Brosimum acutifolium: 4',7-dihydroxy-8-prenylflavan." Magn. Reson. Chem. 2000: 38(4): 301-304.
Torres, S., et al. "Flavonoids from Brosimum acutifolium." Phytochemistry. 2000; 53(8): 1047-1050.
Ferrari, F., et al. "(-)-epicatechin 5-o-beta-d-xylopyranoside from Brosimopsis acutifolium." Phytochemistry. 1998; 47(6): 1165-1166.
Torres, S., et al. "Two flavans from Brosimum acutifolium." Phytochemistry. 1997; 44(2): 347-349.