Guamura

In Mexico the leaf of C. obtusifolia is one of the most widely used folk remedies for type 2 diabetes ^{1,5,27Reference 1Andrade-Cetto et al. · 2005ReviewMexican plants with hypoglycaemic effect used in the treatment of diabetes — reviewView study →Reference 5Alonso-Castro et al. · 2008In vitroCecropia obtusifolia Bertol and its active compound, chlorogenic acid, stimulate 2-NBDglucose uptake in insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant 3T3 adipocytes — in vitroView study →Reference 27Toledo et al. · 2008AnimalGenotoxicity testing of Cecropia obtusifolia extracts in two in vivo assays: the wing somatic mutation and recombination test of Drosophila and the human cytokinesis-block micronucleus test — animal / human toxicologyView study →}. It is also used for cardiovascular complaints in Mexico and Guatemala ^{23Reference 23Al Shammari et al. · 2024ReviewPhytochemical diversity, therapeutic potential, and ecological roles of the genus Cecropia — reviewView study →}.

The leaf is used as an anti-inflammatory, and for rheumatic and kidney inflammation ^{24Reference 24Pérez-Guerrero et al. · 2001A pharmacological study of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol aqueous extract — animal studyView study →}.

Across Latin America, Cecropia species are used for asthma and bronchitis, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disorders, heart complaints and inflammation ^{23Reference 23Al Shammari et al. · 2024ReviewPhytochemical diversity, therapeutic potential, and ecological roles of the genus Cecropia — reviewView study →}. The leaves are the main part used, though bark and roots are also taken ^{23Reference 23Al Shammari et al. · 2024ReviewPhytochemical diversity, therapeutic potential, and ecological roles of the genus Cecropia — reviewView study →}.

In Brazil, C. glaziovii is used for heart failure, cough, asthma and bronchitis ^{7Reference 7Lima-Landman et al. · 2007AnimalAntihypertensive effect of a standardized aqueous extract of Cecropia glaziovii Sneth in rats: in vivo hypotensive mechanism — animal studyView study →}. C. pachystachya, called ambay, is widely used in South America for cough and asthma ^{26Reference 26Consolini et al. · 2006AnimalCardiotonic and sedative effects of Cecropia pachystachya Mart. (ambay) on isolated rat hearts and conscious mice — animal / ex vivoView study →}.

A single oral dose of aqueous (90 and 150 mg/kg) or butanolic (9 and 15 mg/kg) leaf extract of C. obtusifolia lowered plasma glucose in streptozotocin-diabetic rats within three hours, about as much as glibenclamide. Isoorientin and chlorogenic acid were isolated as the main constituents of both extracts ^{3Reference 3Andrade-Cetto et al. · 2001AnimalHypoglycemic effect of Cecropia obtusifolia on streptozotocin diabetic rats — animal studyView study →}.

Methanol leaf extracts lowered blood glucose in healthy mice, and the effect tracked chlorogenic-acid content across two Cecropia species ^{4Reference 4Nicasio et al. · 2005Hypoglycemic effect and chlorogenic acid content in two Cecropia species — animal studyView study →}.

In cultured fat cells, the aqueous extract and chlorogenic acid increased glucose uptake, in both insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant cells ^{5Reference 5Alonso-Castro et al. · 2008In vitroCecropia obtusifolia Bertol and its active compound, chlorogenic acid, stimulate 2-NBDglucose uptake in insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant 3T3 adipocytes — in vitroView study →}. Chlorogenic acid isolated from C. obtusifolia also increased insulin secretion from pancreatic cells and raised PPAR-γ, PPAR-α and GLUT4 expression in fat cells ^{6Reference 6Sanchez et al. · 2017In vitroChlorogenic acid as a multitarget agent: insulin-secretagogue and PPAR α/γ dual agonist — in vitro mechanisticView study →}.

In the one human study, 12 people with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes, controlled by diet and exercise alone, took the aqueous leaf extract daily for 32 weeks. Glucose fell significantly after 4 weeks and stayed down after 18 weeks, and HbA1c fell after 6 weeks. Insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides and liver enzymes did not change, and no side effects were seen. After the extract was stopped, glucose and HbA1c rose above their starting levels ^{2Reference 2Revilla-Monsalve et al. · 2007Clinical trialHypoglycemic effect of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol aqueous extracts on type 2 diabetic patients — clinical trialView study →}.

The authors concluded that the extract does not work by stimulating insulin secretion ^{2Reference 2Revilla-Monsalve et al. · 2007Clinical trialHypoglycemic effect of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol aqueous extracts on type 2 diabetic patients — clinical trialView study →}.

Gap: no randomised controlled trial; the human data come from 12 patients with no placebo group, and no standard dose has been set.

The blood-pressure research is on C. glaziovii. A standardised aqueous extract and its butanolic fraction lowered blood pressure in normotensive rats and in three models of hypertension. The effect built up over two to three weeks of daily dosing, lasted as long as 60 days of treatment, and reversed when dosing stopped ^{7Reference 7Lima-Landman et al. · 2007AnimalAntihypertensive effect of a standardized aqueous extract of Cecropia glaziovii Sneth in rats: in vivo hypotensive mechanism — animal studyView study →}.

The effect is not due to ACE inhibition: plasma ACE activity was unchanged after 30 days of treatment, while blood pressure fell by about 20 mmHg ^{8Reference 8Ninahuaman et al. · 2007ACE activity during the hypotension produced by standardized aqueous extract of Cecropia glaziovii Sneth: comparison to captopril — animal studyView study →}.

A standardised extract relaxed rat aortic rings in an endothelium-dependent way ^{11Reference 11Dos Santos et al. · 2018In vitroVasorelaxant effect of standardized Cecropia glaziovii extract encapsulated in PLGA microparticles — in vitroView study →}. Procyanidins, catechin, epicatechin, orientin, isoorientin and isovitexin from C. glaziovii mobilised calcium in endothelial cells through several pathways ^{10Reference 10Trettel et al. · 2021In vitroMechanisms of calcium mobilization by procyanidins, flavonols and flavonoids from Cecropia glaziovii Sneth in pulmonary endothelial cell cultures — in vitroView study →}.

Which compounds carry the effect is not settled. Compounds isolated from C. glaziovii caused only brief falls in blood pressure when injected, unlike the delayed, sustained effect of the oral extract ^{7Reference 7Lima-Landman et al. · 2007AnimalAntihypertensive effect of a standardized aqueous extract of Cecropia glaziovii Sneth in rats: in vivo hypotensive mechanism — animal studyView study →}. In C. lyratiloba, the isolated flavonoids did not account for the extract’s relaxation of the aorta ^{21Reference 21Ramos Almeida et al. · 2006AnimalActivity of Cecropia lyratiloba extract on contractility of cardiac and smooth muscles in Wistar rats — animal studyView study →}.

Results in other species differ. An extract of C. pachystachya leaves was diuretic in rats but showed no hypotensive or vasodilator activity ^{12Reference 12Machado et al. · 2021Ethnopharmacological investigations of the leaves of Cecropia pachystachya Trécul (Urticaceae) — animal studyView study →}. A different C. pachystachya extract lessened the rise in blood pressure in rats with kidney damage ^{13Reference 13Maquiaveli et al. · 2014AnimalCecropia pachystachya extract attenuated the renal lesion in 5/6 nephrectomized rats by reducing inflammation and renal arginase activity — animal studyView study →}.

Gap: entirely preclinical, with no human blood-pressure data in any Cecropia species and none in this one.

C. pachystachya methanol extract showed strong antioxidant activity in DPPH, reducing-power, β-carotene-bleaching and TBARS assays ^{14Reference 14Pacheco et al. · 2014In vitroCecropia pachystachya: expressive in vivo topical anti-inflammatory and in vitro antioxidant effects — animal and in vitro studyView study →}. C. glaziovii aqueous extract reduced lipid and protein oxidative damage in an animal model of pleurisy ^{15Reference 15Müller et al. · 2016Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of aqueous extract of Cecropia glaziovii leaves — animal studyView study →}.

The activity has been linked to chlorogenic acid and the flavone C-glycosides ^{14,15Reference 14Pacheco et al. · 2014In vitroCecropia pachystachya: expressive in vivo topical anti-inflammatory and in vitro antioxidant effects — animal and in vitro studyView study →Reference 15Müller et al. · 2016Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of aqueous extract of Cecropia glaziovii leaves — animal studyView study →}.

Gap: in vitro and animal work in other species, with no clinical benefit established.

C. obtusifolia aqueous leaf extract showed topical and systemic anti-inflammatory effects in animals, along with a peripheral pain-relieving effect ^{24Reference 24Pérez-Guerrero et al. · 2001A pharmacological study of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol aqueous extract — animal studyView study →}.

C. glaziovii aqueous extract reduced cell migration, the cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, and myeloperoxidase activity in an animal model of pleurisy, with results similar to dexamethasone ^{15Reference 15Müller et al. · 2016Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of aqueous extract of Cecropia glaziovii leaves — animal studyView study →}.

C. pachystachya methanol extract reduced ear inflammation in several mouse models when applied to the skin ^{14Reference 14Pacheco et al. · 2014In vitroCecropia pachystachya: expressive in vivo topical anti-inflammatory and in vitro antioxidant effects — animal and in vitro studyView study →}.

Gap: no human data, and topical and injected models say little about what an oral tea would do.

A standardised aqueous extract of C. glaziovii showed bronchodilator activity in vivo when its effects on respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive and nervous-system function were profiled together ^{9Reference 9Tanae et al. · 2007Chemical standardization of the aqueous extract of Cecropia glaziovii Sneth with antihypertensive, bronchodilator, antiacid-secretion and antidepressant-like activities — animal studyView study →}.

A methanol extract and flavonoid fraction of C. lyratiloba did not change the tone of pre-contracted rat trachea ^{21Reference 21Ramos Almeida et al. · 2006AnimalActivity of Cecropia lyratiloba extract on contractility of cardiac and smooth muscles in Wistar rats — animal studyView study →}.

C. pachystachya had a sedative effect in mice, which its authors suggested could help in treating cough ^{26Reference 26Consolini et al. · 2006AnimalCardiotonic and sedative effects of Cecropia pachystachya Mart. (ambay) on isolated rat hearts and conscious mice — animal / ex vivoView study →}.

Gap: one species’ in vivo data, a negative tracheal result in another, no controlled human respiratory outcomes, and no work on this species.

C. glaziovii hydroethanolic extract at 20 mg/kg reduced liver damage from carbon tetrachloride in animals, lowering ALT and AST and raising antioxidant enzymes ^{18Reference 18Petronilho et al. · 2012In vitroHepatoprotective effects and HSV-1 activity of the hydroethanolic extract of Cecropia glaziovii against an acyclovir-resistant strain — animal and in vitro studyView study →}. A formulation containing C. pachystachya reduced weight gain, blood sugar and fatty liver in mice on a high-calorie diet for 13 weeks ^{19Reference 19Campos et al. · 2021AnimalAntiobesity, hepatoprotective and anti-hyperglycemic effects of a formulation containing Cecropia pachystachya Trécul in mice fed a hypercaloric diet — animal studyView study →}.

Gap: animal models in other species only, with no dose or human relevance established.

An enriched C-glycosyl-flavonoid fraction of C. pachystachya reversed depression-like behaviour in rats under chronic mild stress, and reduced markers of oxidative stress in the brain ^{16Reference 16Ortmann et al. · 2016AnimalEnriched flavonoid fraction from Cecropia pachystachya Trécul leaves exerts antidepressant-like behavior and protects brain against oxidative stress in rats subjected to chronic mild stress — animal studyView study →}. At 50 and 100 mg/kg it reduced immobility in the forced swim test without changing movement ^{17Reference 17Ortmann et al. · 2017LC/QTOF profile and antidepressant-like activity of an enriched flavonoid fraction of Cecropia pachystachya Trécul leaves — animal studyView study →}.

C. obtusifolia aqueous extract had a marked central depressant effect in animals, with muscle relaxation and loss of coordination ^{24Reference 24Pérez-Guerrero et al. · 2001A pharmacological study of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol aqueous extract — animal studyView study →}. C. glaziovii extract also showed antidepressant-like activity ^{9Reference 9Tanae et al. · 2007Chemical standardization of the aqueous extract of Cecropia glaziovii Sneth with antihypertensive, bronchodilator, antiacid-secretion and antidepressant-like activities — animal studyView study →}.

Gap: the fraction tested is an enriched flavonoid extract, not the whole-leaf tea.

A C-glycosylflavonoid-enriched fraction of C. glaziovii was active against herpes simplex viruses types 1 and 2 in vitro. It reduced the infectivity of type 2 only, and blocked virus entry into cells and cell-to-cell spread ^{20Reference 20Silva et al. · 2010In vitroIn vitro antiherpes effects of a C-glycosylflavonoid-enriched fraction of Cecropia glaziovii Sneth — in vitro studyView study →}. A hydroethanolic extract of the same species was active against an acyclovir-resistant HSV-1 strain ^{18Reference 18Petronilho et al. · 2012In vitroHepatoprotective effects and HSV-1 activity of the hydroethanolic extract of Cecropia glaziovii against an acyclovir-resistant strain — animal and in vitro studyView study →}.

Gap: in vitro cell-line data only, using an enriched fraction rather than the tea; no in vivo or human antiviral evidence.

Cecropia is often described as a heart tonic. The two heart-muscle studies in the genus found opposite effects.

An extract of C. pachystachya strengthened contractions of isolated rat hearts. The effect was not blocked by propranolol but was prevented by high potassium, which suggests inhibition of the Na,K-ATPase pump, as with digitalis ^{26Reference 26Consolini et al. · 2006AnimalCardiotonic and sedative effects of Cecropia pachystachya Mart. (ambay) on isolated rat hearts and conscious mice — animal / ex vivoView study →}.

In C. lyratiloba, a flavonoid fraction weakened contractions of rat heart muscle, reducing twitch amplitude to about 57% of control at 500 µg/mL ^{21Reference 21Ramos Almeida et al. · 2006AnimalActivity of Cecropia lyratiloba extract on contractility of cardiac and smooth muscles in Wistar rats — animal studyView study →}.

Gap: two isolated-tissue studies in two other species, with opposite results; no whole-animal or human cardiac data, and nothing on this species.

Toxicity. In animals, C. obtusifolia aqueous leaf extract showed low toxicity ^{24Reference 24Pérez-Guerrero et al. · 2001A pharmacological study of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol aqueous extract — animal studyView study →}. It was not genotoxic in fruit flies, and lymphocytes from six diabetic patients who took 13.5 g of the extract daily for 32–85 days showed no increase in genetic damage ^{27Reference 27Toledo et al. · 2008AnimalGenotoxicity testing of Cecropia obtusifolia extracts in two in vivo assays: the wing somatic mutation and recombination test of Drosophila and the human cytokinesis-block micronucleus test — animal / human toxicologyView study →}. The 12 patients in the 32-week trial had no side effects and no change in liver enzymes ^{2Reference 2Revilla-Monsalve et al. · 2007Clinical trialHypoglycemic effect of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol aqueous extracts on type 2 diabetic patients — clinical trialView study →}.

In a related species, C. pachystachya, a single 2,000 mg/kg dose of aqueous extract lowered haemoglobin in rats after 14 days, but caused no significant toxicity at 28 days. The same extract and its chlorogenic acid were genotoxic to cultured cells at high concentrations ^{22Reference 22Pereira et al. · 2020Acute and subacute toxicity of the crude aqueous extract of Cecropia pachystachya — animal toxicology studyView study →}.

Blood sugar and blood pressure. The leaf lowers blood glucose in diabetic patients ^{2Reference 2Revilla-Monsalve et al. · 2007Clinical trialHypoglycemic effect of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol aqueous extracts on type 2 diabetic patients — clinical trialView study →}, and C. glaziovii lowers blood pressure in rats ^{7Reference 7Lima-Landman et al. · 2007AnimalAntihypertensive effect of a standardized aqueous extract of Cecropia glaziovii Sneth in rats: in vivo hypotensive mechanism — animal studyView study →}. Anyone taking medicines for diabetes or blood pressure should monitor blood sugar and blood pressure. No formal interaction study exists.

Sedation. C. obtusifolia extract had a marked central depressant effect in animals, with muscle relaxation and loss of coordination ^{24Reference 24Pérez-Guerrero et al. · 2001A pharmacological study of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol aqueous extract — animal studyView study →}. C. pachystachya made mice less active and added to the effect of diazepam ^{26Reference 26Consolini et al. · 2006AnimalCardiotonic and sedative effects of Cecropia pachystachya Mart. (ambay) on isolated rat hearts and conscious mice — animal / ex vivoView study →}. Take care with sedative medicines.