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Herbal profile Lapacho Bark

Name

Lapacho (Pau d’Arco)

Latin name

Tabebuia avellanedeae, tabebuia impetiginosa, Handroanthus impetiginosus

Traditional uses

In South American folk medicine, it is used against bacterial and fungal infections, as an anti-inflammatory and painkiller, to strengthen the immune system, for digestive problems and sometimes for cancer.

Scientifically proven application(s)

Fungicide, antiviral, antibacterial, anticancerogenic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic, positive effect on gastrointestinal problems and respiratory tract infections

Ingredients

Naphthoquinones (lapachol, ß-lapachone), flavonoids, anthraquinones, benzoederivatives

Contraindications

Blood coagulation disorders

when is it collected

Dry season, as more bioactive compounds are present in the bark during this time.

Which parts of the plant are used

Inner bark (bast). The outer bark contains hardly any valuable active ingredients. Sustainable harvesting is important so that the tree is not damaged.

How is it prepared?

Bark must be boiled for 10 minutes and infused for a further 15 minutes before feeding. If the Lapacho bark is ground, it does not need to be boiled, as the bark can be easily digested by horses in its powdered state. Powder dry over the feed, infuse as tea or stir into wet feed. Daily approx. 12-24 g (ponies about half as much)

Trivia

Grows in the tropical rainforests of South American countries, but also in mountains up to around 4000m above sea level. The plant can adapt to different environmental conditions, but requires moist, well-drained soil and sufficient light.

The Portuguese name “Pau d’Arco” means “bow wood”, which refers to its use in the manufacture of bows. In Paraguay, the Lapacho tree is the National tree. As it blossoms in the dry season, it is a symbol of resilience.

Sanoanimal Herbal advice:

The Incas already used the inner bark of the Lapacho tree as an all-rounder when it came to remedies. It is still used today by the inhabitants of South America to treat many diseases. Compared to its popularity in its home country, Lapacho bark is still relatively unknown in Europe. The Lapacho tree grows in the rainforests of South America, where its bark is harvested and the inner bark is used. As the bark grows back relatively quickly, careful harvesting does not cause any permanent damage to the tree. Only in trees over 40 years old are the valuable substances in the inner bark present in full concentration and optimal composition.

Lapacho is said to have antibacterial and immune-boosting effects, some of which have already been confirmed in scientific studies. Although it is referred to as a “divine tree” in many parts of South America due to its many healing powers, the claim that lapacho is a “miracle plant” against cancer, as can sometimes be seen on the internet, is highly controversial due to the lack of pharmacological studies. Corresponding active ingredients such as ß-lapochon, which is effective against a large number of cancer cells, are included, but according to current knowledge, the dosage of lapacho tea would have to be so high that the side effects would be too severe.

Lapacho bark in a scoop
© Adobe Stock / cirquedesprit

In addition, the toxicity of ß-lapachone in high-dose administration with regard to red blood cells has not yet been sufficiently researched. In anti-tumor doses (10-30 μM), ß-lapachone can trigger dose-dependent hemolysis, causing red blood cells to dissolve. This is due to an influx of calcium from the extracellular space. Due to the toxic potential towards erythrocytes, careful use in chemotherapy is required, as both eryptosis (early activated, programmed cell death of red blood cells) and hemolysis are cytotoxic to human erythrocytes and are known to contribute to chemotherapy-induced anemia. For this reason, treatment of melanomas in grey horses, for example, is strongly discouraged.

Such high doses as are being researched in cancer therapy are not achieved with normal therapeutic administration. Like most herbal plants, care should be taken when feeding Lapacho bark – either ground or as a boiled tea – that a period of six weeks is not exceeded and that the Lapacho bark is not overdosed. When used externally as a wash or liniment, as is sometimes practiced in South America for skin infections, there is no time limit.

As with many other plants, studies were also carried out on an extract of lapacho tea in rats, in which the inhibition of pancreatic lipase and the delay in the rise in triglycerides were investigated. The bark of the red lapacho significantly delayed the increase in plasma triglycerides, whereas the lapachol from the bark itself showed no lipase-inhibiting effect in vitro. This substance therefore does not appear to have the desired effect. Further studies are needed to define the effects (and possibly side effects) of Lapacho bark even more precisely.

Lapacho bark is also being used more and more frequently in horse feed. For example, due to its effect against bacteria and fungi, it can also be used in the treatment of colon restoration, where it can counteract dysbiosis (growth of false germs). Lapacho bark can be added directly to the feed as a ground powder. Alternatively, the bark strips, which are sold as lapacho, must be thoroughly boiled and given as a tea to make the active ingredients effectively available.

Sources

  • Alfhili M.A. et al.(2021): Reprogramming of erythrocyte lifespan by NFκB-TNFα naphthoquinone antagonist β-lapachone is regulated by calcium overload and CK1α. J Food Biochem. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33749832/
  • Fritz, Dr. C., Maleh, S. (2020): Zivilisationskrankheiten des Pferdes – ganzheitliche Behandlung chronischer Krankheiten. Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart. 2.updated edition.
  • Lübeck, W. (2019): Heilen mit Lapacho-Tee: Die Heilkraft des „göttlichen Baumes“. Windpferd Verlag.
  • Marbach, Eva: Lapacho. https://heilkraeuter.de/lexikon/lapacho.htm (zuletzt aufgerufen am 23.05.2023)
  • Kiage-Mokua B.N. et al. (2012): Lapacho tea (Tabebuia impetiginosa) extract inhibits pancreatic lipase and delays postprandial triglyceride increase in rats. Phytother Res. 2012 Dec. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22431070/
  • Santos, L. C. D., Azevedo, L. S., Siqueira, E. P. D., Castro, A. H. F., & Lima, L. A. R. D. S. (2023). Chemical characterization, antioxidant activity, and cytotoxicity of fatty acids methyl esters from Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos (Bignoniaceae) seeds. Natural Product Research, 1-5.
  • Da Silva, Ì. E., Zoca, D. G., Silva, G. N. A. E., Katchborian-Neto, A., Cavallari, P. S. D. S., de Almeida, S. G., … & Silva, M. L. E. (2022). In vivo evaluation of analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of hydroalcoholic extracts from Handroanthus impetiginosus and their chemical composition by UPLC/MS analysis. Natural Product Research, 1-7.
  • Bezerra, J. J. L., Johanes, I., & Pinheiro, A. A. V. (2022). Anticancer potential and toxicity of the genus Handroanthus Mattos (Bignoniaceae): A systematic review. Toxicon.


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