Uña de gato/Cat’s Claw

A neighbor has a vine hanging over the sidewalk in front of her house. Last week I noticed fruit covering the plant, unusual fruit. I can’t recall other fruit similar to this as it has leaves growing directly from the skin of the fruit. Of course, I asked what it was. 

“Uña de gato/Cat’s Claw,” my neighbor said.

I googled Cat’s Claw and found it is an important Traditional/Ethnobotanical medicinal plant reputed to be effective for curing cancer.

Today, Cat’s Claw and its extract, Samento, a supplement containing pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids extracted from the Cat’s Claw plant, is used as a dietary supplement for a variety of health conditions. including viral infections (such as herpes, shingles, and HIV), Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, arthritis, diverticulitis, peptic ulcers, colitis, gastritis, hemorrhoids, parasites, and leaky bowel syndrome. Whoa!

Cat’s Claw has a long history of folklore use, and the species Uncaria tomentosa , is endemic to Mexico, Central and South America.

My neighbor told me she made an agua from the fruit and drank it to improve her immune system. However, articles I reviewed on the internet indicate the inner bark of the vine and the roots are the preferred parts of the plant for medical use. Common applications are wound healing, treating osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach ulcers, intestinal disorders, and some skin disorders,  and tumors. 

It is believed Cat’s Claw contains chemicals that may stimulate the immune system, kill cancer cells, and fight viruses.