Uncaria guianensis, the cat's claw, is a plant species in the genus Uncaria

Uncaria

Uncaria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It has about 40 species. Their distribution is pantropical, with most species native to tropical Asia, three from Africa and the Mediterranean and two from the neotropics. They are known colloquially as Gambier, Cat's Claw or Uña de...

found in Guyana

Guyana

Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...

. Other names for the plant include Garabato, Garabato Amarillo, Garabato Colorado, Hawk's Claw, Life-giving vine of Peru, Paraguayo, Samento, Saventaro, Tambor huasca, Una de Gato, and Una de Gavilan.

U. guianensis contains many phytochemicals ((-)-epicatechin, alkaloid, beta-Sitosterol, campesterol

Campesterol

Campesterol is a phytosterol whose chemical structure similar to that of cholesterol. Many vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds contain campesterol, but in low concentrations. Banana, pomegranate, pepper, coffee, grapefruit, cucumber, onion, oat, potato and lemon grass are few examples of common...

, campherol, catechol, catechutannic acid, chlorogenic acid

Chlorogenic acid

Chlorogenic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid, a member of a family of naturally occurring organic compounds. These are esters of polyphenolic caffeic acid and cyclitol -quinic acid. It is an important biosynthetic intermediate. It also is one of the phenols found in coffee, bamboo Phyllostachys...

, ellagic acid

Ellagic acid

Ellagic acid is a natural phenol antioxidant found in numerous fruits and vegetables including blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, walnuts, pecans, pomegranates, wolfberry and other plant foods...

, gallic acid

Gallic acid

Gallic acid is a trihydroxybenzoic acid, a type of phenolic acid, a type of organic acid, also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, found in gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, oak bark, and other plants. The chemical formula is C6H23COOH. Gallic acid is found both free and as part of...

, hyperin, oleanolic acid

Oleanolic acid

Oleanolic acid or oleanic acid is a naturally occurring triterpenoid, widely distributed in food and medicinal plants, related to betulinic acid. It can be found in Phytolacca americana , and Syzygium spp, garlic, etc...

, rutin

Rutin

Rutin, also called rutoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and sophorin, is a citrus flavonoid glycoside found in buckwheat, the leaves and petioles of Rheum species, and asparagus...

, stigmasterol

Stigmasterol

Stigmasterol is one of a group of plant sterols, or phytosterols, that include beta-sitosterol, campesterol, ergosterol , brassicasterol, delta-7-stigmasterol and delta-7-avenasterol, that are chemically similar to animal cholesterol...

, ursolic acid

Ursolic acid

Ursolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpene acid, used in cosmetics, that is also capable of inhibiting various types of cancer cells by inhibiting the STAT3 activation pathway and human fibrosarcoma cells by reducing the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 by acting through the glucocorticoid...

) and proanthocyanidin B1

Proanthocyanidin B1

Proanthocyanidin B1 is a B type proanthocyanidin.It is a molecule with a 4→8 bond . Proanthocyanidin-B1 can be found in Cinnamomum verum , in Uncaria guianensis , and in Vitis vinifera ....

 and proanthocyanidin B2

Proanthocyanidin B2

Proanthocyanidin B2 is a B type proanthocyanidin .Proanthocyanidin B2 can be found in Cinchona pubescens , in Cinnamomum verum , in Crataegus monogyna , in Uncaria guianensis ,...

, B type proanthocyanidins, in the root.

U. guianensis may be useful for osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Symptoms may include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, locking, and sometimes an effusion...

..

U. guianensis has been shown to suppress cartilage degradation in joints.