Chá de Bugre

What Is Chá de Bugre?

Chá de bugre is a small South American tree whose leaf is brewed as a slimming tea. In Brazil it is one of the best-known herbal weight-loss aids, sold in pharmacies and shops, and it is also taken for fluid retention, cough and fever ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

The tree grows in the forests of southern and eastern Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}. Its small red fruit looks like a coffee bean and is roasted and brewed as a coffee substitute, which gives the plant its folk name café do mato, “coffee of the woods” ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

The leaf contains caffeine, and one analysis of commercial raw material found it at levels comparable to green tea and guarana ^{12Reference 12Viana et al. · 2018Detection and determination of undeclared synthetic caffeine in weight loss formulations using HPLC-DAD and UHPLC-MS/MS — analytical studyView study →}. Research on the plant has looked at appetite and body weight in rodents and at antiviral activity in cell culture, and no human trial has been published ^{1,2,3,4Reference 1Nunes et al. · 2022AnimalAnti-obesity, slimming, biochemical and genotoxic effects of Cordia ecalyculata in diet-induced obese rats — animal in vivo studyView study →Reference 2Araldi et al. · 2014In vitroMutagenic potential of Cordia ecalyculata alone and in association with Spirulina maxima for their evaluation as candidate anti-obesity drugs — in vivo mouse and in vitro studyView study →Reference 3da Silva et al. · 2010AnimalEvaluation of the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of crude extracts of Cordia ecalyculata and Echinodorus grandiflorus — animal (mouse) in vivo studyView study →Reference 4Hayashi et al. · 1990In vitroAntiviral activity of an extract of Cordia salicifolia on herpes simplex virus type 1 — in vitro studyView study →}.

Chá de bugre is a different plant from Cordia verbenacea, another Brazilian medicinal Cordia.

How Is Chá de Bugre Used?

Chá de bugre is used mostly as the dried leaf, taken as a tea, tincture, liquid extract or capsule. In Brazil it is drunk before meals as an appetite suppressant during weight loss, and as a mild stimulant and diuretic ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

• Leaf tea — one to two cups daily.
• Tincture or liquid extract — see Dosage below.
• Roasted fruit — brewed as a coffee substitute.
• Leaf, applied externally — used on wounds in folk practice ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

Commercial slimming formulas often combine it with other caffeine-bearing herbs such as guarana, yerba mate and green tea.

Traditional Uses

Brazilian Folk Medicine

The dried leaf is taken as a simple infusion, which is why the plant is called a chá, a tea. The fruit is the other traditional preparation: the small red, coffee-bean-like drupes are roasted and brewed as café do mato, “coffee of the woods” ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

Brazilian practice uses chá de bugre as a stimulant and a diuretic. It is given for fatigue and low energy, for fluid retention and renal oedema, to regulate kidney function, to lower uric acid, and for cough, fever and rheumatism ^{13,14Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →Reference 14Moraes Carlesso et al. · 2025ReviewNephroprotective plant species used in Brazilian traditional medicine for renal diseases: ethnomedical, pharmacological, and chemical insights — reviewView study →}.

Its best-known use is as an appetite suppressant, taken before meals through a period of weight loss ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

Haitian Folk Medicine

In Haiti the leaf is used for cough and for kidney complaints, and it is applied to wounds.

Indications

• Weight loss and appetite suppression [leaf; Brazilian folk use] ⚠Caution: Rodent studies disagree. Extracts reduced food intake or weight gain at 300–500 mg/kg, but a study at 2,000 mg/kg found no effect on weight or food intake ^1,2,3.
• Fatigue and low energy [leaf tea; Brazilian folk use]
• Fluid retention and oedema [leaf; Brazilian folk use]
• Kidney and urinary complaints [leaf; Brazilian and Haitian folk use]
• Raised uric acid and gout [leaf infusion; Brazilian folk use]
• Cough [leaf; Brazilian and Haitian folk use]
• Wounds [leaf, applied externally; Haitian and Brazilian folk use]

Botany

Chá de bugre is a small evergreen tree in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It grows 8–12 m tall, with a dense, oval crown and a trunk about 30–40 cm across ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

Its fruit is a round red drupe up to 20 mm across, with a sticky, succulent pulp around the seed ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

The herb is traded under the name Cordia salicifolia, from the Latin for “willow-leaved”. That name is now treated as a synonym of the accepted Cordia ecalyculata, and much of the research uses the newer name ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

Distribution

Chá de bugre grows in South America, in southern and eastern Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}. It is an understorey tree of dense primary and secondary semi-deciduous forest, on moist, fertile soils ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

The leaf in trade is largely harvested from wild trees ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}, so it is worth asking a supplier where it was collected and whether it has been tested for heavy metals.

Growing Conditions

Cultivation snapshot for Chá de Bugre

• A tropical to subtropical tree; needs a warm, essentially frost-free climate and does not tolerate hard cold.
• Grows best in a sunny position, in moist but well-drained soil ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.
• Young trees can reach about 3 m within two years of planting ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.
• Grown for its leaf (and small red fruit), so it is treated as a long-lived woody perennial rather than a quick crop.

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Pharmacology & Research

About a dozen primary papers have been published on chá de bugre (Cordia salicifolia, now Cordia ecalyculata). Several of them measure contamination or effects on blood-cell radiolabelling ^{7Reference 7Frydman et al. · 2008In vitroAssessment of effects of a Cordia salicifolia extract on the radiolabeling of blood constituents and on the morphology of red blood cells — in vitro / animal studyView study →} rather than therapeutic activity. No human trial has been published ^{1,2,3,4,5,6Reference 1Nunes et al. · 2022AnimalAnti-obesity, slimming, biochemical and genotoxic effects of Cordia ecalyculata in diet-induced obese rats — animal in vivo studyView study →Reference 2Araldi et al. · 2014In vitroMutagenic potential of Cordia ecalyculata alone and in association with Spirulina maxima for their evaluation as candidate anti-obesity drugs — in vivo mouse and in vitro studyView study →Reference 3da Silva et al. · 2010AnimalEvaluation of the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of crude extracts of Cordia ecalyculata and Echinodorus grandiflorus — animal (mouse) in vivo studyView study →Reference 4Hayashi et al. · 1990In vitroAntiviral activity of an extract of Cordia salicifolia on herpes simplex virus type 1 — in vitro studyView study →Reference 5Schezaro-Ramos et al. · 2020In vitroCordia salicifolia and Lafoensia pacari plant extracts against the local effects of Bothrops jararacussu and Philodryas olfersii snake venoms — in vitro / isolated-tissue studyView study →Reference 6Menghini et al. · 2008In vitroPhytochemical investigation on leaf extract of Cordia salicifolia Cham. — in vitro studyView study →}.

Three rodent studies have tested extracts for appetite and body weight, with conflicting results ^{1,2,3Reference 1Nunes et al. · 2022AnimalAnti-obesity, slimming, biochemical and genotoxic effects of Cordia ecalyculata in diet-induced obese rats — animal in vivo studyView study →Reference 2Araldi et al. · 2014In vitroMutagenic potential of Cordia ecalyculata alone and in association with Spirulina maxima for their evaluation as candidate anti-obesity drugs — in vivo mouse and in vitro studyView study →Reference 3da Silva et al. · 2010AnimalEvaluation of the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of crude extracts of Cordia ecalyculata and Echinodorus grandiflorus — animal (mouse) in vivo studyView study →}. A 1990 cell-culture study found near-complete inhibition of herpes simplex virus type 1 ^{4Reference 4Hayashi et al. · 1990In vitroAntiviral activity of an extract of Cordia salicifolia on herpes simplex virus type 1 — in vitro studyView study →}, and a 2020 study found that an extract blocked snake-venom damage in isolated muscle ^{5Reference 5Schezaro-Ramos et al. · 2020In vitroCordia salicifolia and Lafoensia pacari plant extracts against the local effects of Bothrops jararacussu and Philodryas olfersii snake venoms — in vitro / isolated-tissue studyView study →}.

The leaf’s stimulant and diuretic uses are usually attributed to caffeine. One analysis of raw material sold to Brazilian compounding pharmacies found about 4.3% caffeine in material labelled C. ecalyculata, while a sample labelled C. salicifolia had none detectable ^{12Reference 12Viana et al. · 2018Detection and determination of undeclared synthetic caffeine in weight loss formulations using HPLC-DAD and UHPLC-MS/MS — analytical studyView study →}.

1. Weight-Loss & Appetite Suppression

The animal data are mixed. In rats fed a standard or cafeteria diet, a dry C. ecalyculata extract given at 500, 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg for 40 days was tested for weight gain. The lowest dose prevented weight gain on both diets, and in already-obese rats it reduced body weight and food intake. Liver, kidney and lipid markers were unchanged apart from a rise in serum albumin ^{1Reference 1Nunes et al. · 2022AnimalAnti-obesity, slimming, biochemical and genotoxic effects of Cordia ecalyculata in diet-induced obese rats — animal in vivo studyView study →}.

A mouse study found anorectic effects at 300 mg/kg, and for 500 mg/kg combined with 250 mg/kg Spirulina maxima, with no mutagenicity at any dose ^{2Reference 2Araldi et al. · 2014In vitroMutagenic potential of Cordia ecalyculata alone and in association with Spirulina maxima for their evaluation as candidate anti-obesity drugs — in vivo mouse and in vitro studyView study →}.

An earlier study in Swiss mice found that 2,000 mg/kg daily for 15 days did not reduce body-mass gain or food intake, and its authors concluded that the extract was not effective for obesity ^{3Reference 3da Silva et al. · 2010AnimalEvaluation of the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of crude extracts of Cordia ecalyculata and Echinodorus grandiflorus — animal (mouse) in vivo studyView study →}.

The anorectic effect is generally attributed to caffeine, which one analysis found at high levels in commercial raw material ^{12Reference 12Viana et al. · 2018Detection and determination of undeclared synthetic caffeine in weight loss formulations using HPLC-DAD and UHPLC-MS/MS — analytical studyView study →}.

Gap: the animal results contradict each other, and the null study used the highest dose. No human trial exists, and every study used a crude or dry extract at mg/kg rather than the leaf tea people drink.

2. Antiviral (Anti-HSV-1)

A partially purified fraction (COL 1-6) from the whole plant produced greater than 99.9% inhibition of herpes simplex virus type 1 yield in HeLa cells when added 1.5–3 hours before infection, and still gave over 99% inhibition when added eight hours after infection ^{4Reference 4Hayashi et al. · 1990In vitroAntiviral activity of an extract of Cordia salicifolia on herpes simplex virus type 1 — in vitro studyView study →}. The extract acted directly on the virus (virucidal) and blocked viral penetration of the cell without interfering with adsorption ^{4Reference 4Hayashi et al. · 1990In vitroAntiviral activity of an extract of Cordia salicifolia on herpes simplex virus type 1 — in vitro studyView study →}.

Gap: never replicated, with no animal or human follow-up. The active molecule was never identified, and the tested material was a purified whole-plant fraction, not the leaf.

3. Antivenom Adjuvant

Nerve–muscle preparations pretreated with a C. salicifolia extract were protected against more than 90% of the neuromuscular blockade caused by Bothrops jararacussu venom and 52–81% of that caused by Philodryas olfersii venom. The extract also inhibited venom-induced myonecrosis from both venoms, and was more effective against the haemorrhage caused by B. jararacussu ^{5Reference 5Schezaro-Ramos et al. · 2020In vitroCordia salicifolia and Lafoensia pacari plant extracts against the local effects of Bothrops jararacussu and Philodryas olfersii snake venoms — in vitro / isolated-tissue studyView study →}. The plant is used in folk medicine for snakebite ^{3Reference 3da Silva et al. · 2010AnimalEvaluation of the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of crude extracts of Cordia ecalyculata and Echinodorus grandiflorus — animal (mouse) in vivo studyView study →}.

The work is on isolated tissue rather than a live envenomation model, the extract is chemically uncharacterised, and it is a single study.

4. CNS Stimulant

Chá de bugre’s use as a coffee substitute and its inclusion in thermogenic formulas both trace to its caffeine content ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}. An HPLC analysis of bulk raw material used by Brazilian compounding pharmacies found 43,100 mg/kg (about 4.3%) caffeine in material labelled Cordia ecalyculata, higher than the green tea and guarana samples tested alongside it. A sample labelled C. salicifolia had no detectable caffeine ^{12Reference 12Viana et al. · 2018Detection and determination of undeclared synthetic caffeine in weight loss formulations using HPLC-DAD and UHPLC-MS/MS — analytical studyView study →}.

No study has directly measured a central-nervous-system or thermogenic effect of the herb itself.

Gap: a single analysis of two commercial samples, with results that disagree. How much caffeine a cup of the leaf tea delivers has not been measured.

5. Diuretic

A mild diuretic action is one of the herb’s oldest uses in Brazilian folk medicine, including for renal oedema ^{14Reference 14Moraes Carlesso et al. · 2025ReviewNephroprotective plant species used in Brazilian traditional medicine for renal diseases: ethnomedical, pharmacological, and chemical insights — reviewView study →}, and is the basis for its “water-retention” positioning in slimming products. It is generally attributed to caffeine and potassium ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

No experimental study has measured urine output or sodium excretion for chá de bugre.

6. Anti-H. pylori

An apolar (dichloromethane) leaf extract contained a high level of the sesquiterpene spathulenol, 0.53% of the extract. The extract’s major component showed only very weak growth inhibition of Helicobacter pylori in vitro ^{6Reference 6Menghini et al. · 2008In vitroPhytochemical investigation on leaf extract of Cordia salicifolia Cham. — in vitro studyView study →}.

This is a single in-vitro assay, and it is the only study to quantify a constituent from the leaf extract.

Mechanisms

The stimulant and diuretic actions are attributed to caffeine, an adenosine-receptor antagonist, and to the leaf’s potassium content ^{12,13Reference 12Viana et al. · 2018Detection and determination of undeclared synthetic caffeine in weight loss formulations using HPLC-DAD and UHPLC-MS/MS — analytical studyView study →Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

The antiviral and antivenom effects were found with extracts whose active molecules have not been identified ^{4,5Reference 4Hayashi et al. · 1990In vitroAntiviral activity of an extract of Cordia salicifolia on herpes simplex virus type 1 — in vitro studyView study →Reference 5Schezaro-Ramos et al. · 2020In vitroCordia salicifolia and Lafoensia pacari plant extracts against the local effects of Bothrops jararacussu and Philodryas olfersii snake venoms — in vitro / isolated-tissue studyView study →}. The weak anti-H. pylori activity comes from an extract rich in the sesquiterpene spathulenol ^{6Reference 6Menghini et al. · 2008In vitroPhytochemical investigation on leaf extract of Cordia salicifolia Cham. — in vitro studyView study →}.

Clinical Trials

No registered clinical trials were identified on ClinicalTrials.gov, and no human study of chá de bugre appears in the literature. The published work is rodent and cell-culture research, plus analytical studies of contamination.

Last checked: July 2026.

Phytochemistry

The leaf contains the purine alkaloid caffeine. One HPLC analysis found 43,100 mg/kg (about 4.3%) in raw material labelled Cordia ecalyculata, and none detectable in a sample labelled C. salicifolia ^{12Reference 12Viana et al. · 2018Detection and determination of undeclared synthetic caffeine in weight loss formulations using HPLC-DAD and UHPLC-MS/MS — analytical studyView study →}. The plant is also reported to contain potassium and the allantoin-related compounds allantoin and allantoic acid ^{13Reference 13Fern et al. · 2002Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculataView study →}.

A dichloromethane leaf extract is rich in the sesquiterpene spathulenol, at 0.53% of the extract ^{6Reference 6Menghini et al. · 2008In vitroPhytochemical investigation on leaf extract of Cordia salicifolia Cham. — in vitro studyView study →}.

The sterol beta-sitosterol is also listed for the plant.

Constituent Summary

Reported from the leaf.

Dosage

Doses follow traditional practice. The research doses below are for crude or dry extracts in rodents.

Research doses in animals, not recommendations.

Traditional Dosage

Safety & Pregnancy

Chá de bugre is generally well tolerated in moderate amounts. Its cautions are those of caffeine, plus the quality of the leaf on the market.

Full Safety & Interactions Detail

Toxicity. In mice, extracts at 150–500 mg/kg showed no clastogenic or genotoxic activity ^{2Reference 2Araldi et al. · 2014In vitroMutagenic potential of Cordia ecalyculata alone and in association with Spirulina maxima for their evaluation as candidate anti-obesity drugs — in vivo mouse and in vitro studyView study →}. At 2,000 mg/kg, one rat study found DNA damage in animals on a cafeteria diet ^{1Reference 1Nunes et al. · 2022AnimalAnti-obesity, slimming, biochemical and genotoxic effects of Cordia ecalyculata in diet-induced obese rats — animal in vivo studyView study →}, and a mouse study found a small rise in micronucleated red blood cells that its authors judged not significant ^{3Reference 3da Silva et al. · 2010AnimalEvaluation of the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of crude extracts of Cordia ecalyculata and Echinodorus grandiflorus — animal (mouse) in vivo studyView study →}.

Caffeine. The stimulant cautions are those of caffeine: nervousness, insomnia, raised heart rate, anxiety and stomach upset, adding to other stimulants and caffeinated drugs. Caffeine speeds the kidneys’ clearance of lithium, so the herb may interact with lithium and with diuretics. Neither interaction has been studied for the herb itself.

Heavy metals. Dried chá de bugre leaf sold in Brazil contained lead above the US Pharmacopeia limit for oral products. A decoction of 40 g of leaf in a litre of water delivered cadmium above the USP daily oral exposure value, and the combined hazard index exceeded the safe threshold ^{8Reference 8Tschinkel et al. · 2020The hazardous level of heavy metals in different medicinal plants and their decoctions in water: a public health problem in Brazil — analytical studyView study →}. A separate survey of weight-loss supplements containing the herb found the highest metal levels in products made from other plants ^{9Reference 9Barrella et al. · 2017Metals content in herbal supplements — analytical studyView study →}.

Pesticides. Two methods have been developed to test the leaf for pesticide residues, because Brazil sets no residue limits for medicinal herbs ^{10,11Reference 10de Carvalho et al. · 2009Determination of six pesticides in the medicinal herb Cordia salicifolia by matrix solid-phase dispersion and GC/MS — analytical studyView study →Reference 11de Carvalho et al. · 2009Two-dimensional coordination polymer matrix for solid-phase extraction of pesticide residues from the plant Cordia salicifolia — analytical studyView study →}.

References

1. Nunes, L. F., et al. (2022). Anti-obesity, slimming, biochemical and genotoxic effects of Cordia ecalyculata in diet-induced obese rats — animal in vivo study. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Technologia Alimentaria. https://doi.org/10.17306/J.AFS.0998
2. Araldi, R. P., et al. (2014). Mutagenic potential of Cordia ecalyculata alone and in association with Spirulina maxima for their evaluation as candidate anti-obesity drugs — in vivo mouse and in vitro study. Genetics and Molecular Research. https://doi.org/10.4238/2014.July.7.14
3. da Silva, C. J., Bastos, J. K., & Takahashi, C. S. (2010). Evaluation of the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of crude extracts of Cordia ecalyculata and Echinodorus grandiflorus — animal (mouse) in vivo study. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2009.10.015
4. Hayashi, K., Hayashi, T., Morita, N., & Niwayama, S. (1990). Antiviral activity of an extract of Cordia salicifolia on herpes simplex virus type 1 — in vitro study. Planta Medica. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-961006
5. Schezaro-Ramos, R., et al. (2020). Cordia salicifolia and Lafoensia pacari plant extracts against the local effects of Bothrops jararacussu and Philodryas olfersii snake venoms — in vitro / isolated-tissue study. Journal of Venom Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33024546/
6. Menghini, L., Epifano, F., Leporini, L., Pagiotti, R., & Tirillini, B. (2008). Phytochemical investigation on leaf extract of Cordia salicifolia Cham. — in vitro study. Journal of Medicinal Food. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2007.583
7. Frydman, J. N., et al. (2008). Assessment of effects of a Cordia salicifolia extract on the radiolabeling of blood constituents and on the morphology of red blood cells — in vitro / animal study. Journal of Medicinal Food. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2008.0045
8. Tschinkel, P. F. S., et al. (2020). The hazardous level of heavy metals in different medicinal plants and their decoctions in water: a public health problem in Brazil — analytical study. BioMed Research International. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/1465051
9. Barrella, M. V., et al. (2017). Metals content in herbal supplements — analytical study. Biological Trace Element Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-016-0776-2
10. de Carvalho, P. H., Prata, V. M., Alves, P. B., & Navickiene, S. (2009). Determination of six pesticides in the medicinal herb Cordia salicifolia by matrix solid-phase dispersion and GC/MS — analytical study. Journal of AOAC International. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19714988/
11. de Carvalho, P. H., et al. (2009). Two-dimensional coordination polymer matrix for solid-phase extraction of pesticide residues from the plant Cordia salicifolia — analytical study. Journal of Separation Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/jssc.200900076
12. Viana, C., Zemolin, G. M., Dal Molin, T. R., Gobo, L., Ribeiro, S. M., Leal, G. C., Marcon, G. Z., & de Carvalho, L. M. (2018). Detection and determination of undeclared synthetic caffeine in weight loss formulations using HPLC-DAD and UHPLC-MS/MS — analytical study. Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, 8(6), 366–372. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30595942/
13. Fern, K. (n.d.). Cordia ecalyculata Vell. — habit, range, habitat, uses and cultivation, drawing on Lorenzi, Brazilian Trees Vol. 1 (2002) — species database. Useful Tropical Plants Database. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cordia+ecalyculata
14. Moraes Carlesso, R., Cappellari, Y. L. R., Boeff, D. D., da Costa Pereira, A., Schmitt Rusch, E., de Souza Claudino, T., Ritter, M. R., & Konrath, E. L. (2025). Nephroprotective plant species used in Brazilian traditional medicine for renal diseases: ethnomedical, pharmacological, and chemical insights — review. Plants, 14(5), 648. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40094548/

View all 14 references▾