Common Name: Condurango

General Information

Marsdenia cundurango is a vigorous climbing shrub, producing woody stems up to 9 metres long and up to 60cm in diameter[].
The plant has a long history of traditional use and is often harvested from the wild. It has become increasingly popular in modern herbalism, particularly for treating digestive problems.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Western S. America - Peru, Colombia, Ecuador.

Habitat

High mountain jungles and cloud forests at elevations between 2,000 - 3,000 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Climber
Height	9.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Condurango has long been used by the indigenous peoples of S. America, who valued the bark especially for treating a variety of digestive and stomach problems[].
Modern research has shown that the plant contains a range of medically active compounds, including a group of novel glycosides and steroids, chlorogenic and caffeic acids, as well as various cyclitols, flavonoids, and coumarin derivatives[].
In studies, the plant has shown anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions[].
In vitro studies have shown it to be highly active against the mycobacterium that causes tuberculosis but inactive against any of the viral strains they tested it against[].
Its use has been shown to increase levels of various digestive enzymes and juices in the stomach[].

In modern herbal medicine, the bark is considered to be analgesic, appetite stimulant, bitter, carminative, cholagogue, haemostatic, stomachic and tonic. It is used for a variety of digestive disorders, including appetite loss, dyspepsia, gastralgia, gastritis, stomach aches, stomach cancer and stomach ulcers - it is especially recommended for bleeding gastric ulcers[]. It is also used to treat neuralgia and rheumatism[]. The plant has also been used in treating cancer, though this use has not as yet been validated[].
A decoction of the fresh or dried leaves and the bark are drunk as a treatment for cancer[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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