it's a fern, looked up the name Polypodium leucotomos...Kalawalla

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Family: Polypodiaceae

Genus: Polypodium

Species: decumanum, leucotomos, aureum

Synonyms: Phlebodium decumanum, P. multiseriale, Chrysopteris decumana

Common Names: Samambaia, calaguala, huayhuashi-shupa, cotochupa, mirane,

temakaje

Parts Used: Rhizome, Leaves

From _The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs_

(http://www.rain-tree.com/book2.htm) :

Samambaia is a fern that grows in the rainforests of South America as well

as drier tropical forests in Latin America. The Polypody family contains

three-quarters of all ferns—over 6,000 species of plants, mostly native to

the

tropics of both hemispheres. There are 75 species of plants in the Polypodium

genus, many of which have been used medicinally for centuries. The name is

derived from poly, meaning “many,†and podus, meaning “foot,†for the

many

foot-like divisions of the root or rhizomes of polypody ferns. Polypodium

leucotomos (also classified as Polypodium aureum) and Polypodium decumanum

(also

classified as Phlebodium decumanum) are indigenous to the Honduran rainforests

but also can be found throughout the South American tropics and in parts of

Latin America and the Caribbean. In Brazil, the common name is samambaia; in

Mexico and other Spanish-speaking tropical countries, the plant is known as

calaguala.

TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES

Samambaia, like most ferns, has an intricate, creeping root system; it is

this rhizome, as well as the fronds or leaves, that is used most medicinally.

The plant historically has been used by the indigenous peoples of Honduras for

malignant tumors, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis. In the Amazon

rainforest a maceration of the rhizome is used for fever; grated fresh, it is

made

into a tea for whooping cough and kidney problems. The Boras Indians (in the

Peruvian Amazon) prepare the leaves in a drink for coughs. The Witotos Indians

(in the northwest Amazon) use the rhizome for treating coughs. Other

Peruvian indigenous tribes use the rhizome for problems of the pancreas.

Indigenous

groups in Latin America use the rhizome and leaves for many different

maladies including cancer, psoriasis, peptic ulcers, kidney problems, diarrhea,

arthritis, and pains in joints and tendons. It is generally considered

throughout

the Amazon to be a general tonic, to detoxify the body, and to support the

immune system.

Many types of ferns are used in traditional medicine around the world. Most,

including samambaia, are considered a tonic, blood cleanser, expectorant,

and are used for numerous upper respiratory conditions. In Honduran traditional

medicine systems today, samambaia commonly is used for tumors, psoriasis,

atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, rheumatoid arthritis, and arthritis. In Brazilian

traditional medicine samambaia is considered a blood cleanser,

sweat-promoter, tonic, and expectorant; it is widely used for coughs,

bronchitis, colds and

flu, and other upper respiratory problems - as well as for rheumatism and

skin problems (including psoriasis and dermatitis). In Peruvian herbal medicine

the rhizome is used for coughs, fevers, and urinary infections, as well as

skin problems such as psoriasis, boils, ulcers, and abscesses.

PLANT CHEMICALS

Samambaia contains flavonoids, alkaloids and lipids. It is a rich source of

lipids and fatty acids and its therapeutic activity is attributed to these

groups of chemicals. Within its lipids are a group of chemicals called

sulphoquinovosyldiacylglycerols, which have been documented and patented as

part of

the plant's " active " chemicals. The main plant chemicals identified in

samambaia thus far include adenosine, alkaloids, arachidonic acid,

arabinopyranosides, calagualine, ecdysone, ecdysterone, eicosapentaenoic acid,

elaidic acid,

juglanin, kaempferols,linoleic acid, linoleic acids, linolenic acids,

melilotoside, oleic acid, polypodaureine, ricinoleic acid, rutin, selligueain,

and

sulphoquinovosyldiacylglycerols.

BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH

Toxicity studies on samambaia with mice and rats have demonstrated no

toxicity in acute or chronic dosages; in humans, oral doses greater than 1000

mg

have not shown toxicity.

There has been a great deal of scientific interest in Polypodium plants,

mostly focusing on their ability to treat psoriasis. In the mid-1970s, rhizome

extracts of samambaia were first reported to decrease the over-growth of skin

cells and skin thickening, and reduce the severity and extent of skin lesions

in psoriasis patients. In the early 1980s, a company in Spain produced an

herbal drug from a water extract of samambaia (P. leucotomos) rhizome and named

it Anapsos. Since that time it has been a prescription drug registered by

the Health Ministry of Spain for the treatment of psoriasis. Clinical research

also has been published on Anapsos since then (including various double-blind

placebo human trials) indicating it to be an effective treatment for

psoriasis - as well as dermatitis and vitiligo (with a 3-6 month course of

treatment

required).

The mechanism of action in treating psoriasis is thought to be related to

the modulation of certain cellular processes found in inflammation and

psoriatic skin. Scientists have shown that psoriatic skin has abnormally high

quantities of chemicals produced in the body called leukotriene and PAF

(platelet-activating factor) Both are implicated in the cause and progression

of

psoriasis. In clinical research samambaia (and/or some of its novel chemicals)

have

shown to be effective in blocking excess leukotriene production as well as

excess PAF. Psoriasis is also considered an autoimmune disease (as many of the

immune cells are overstimulated, while others are suppressed). Extracts of

samambaia have clearly demonstrated in clinical studies to possess some of the

specific immune modulating effects needed to treat the imbalances in the

immune system that are peculiar to psoriasis. Additionally, extracts of

samambaia

have been documented to have a direct anti-inflammatory activity in mice,

rats, and humans with psoriasis.

Some of the more recent research on samambaia has focused on other chronic

and degenerative diseases. A U.S. patent was filed (in 2001) on a samambaia

rhizome extract that indicated its suitability in the treatment of AIDS- and

cancer- related wasting syndrome, reporting marked benefits in several

non-randomized human studies with cancer and AIDS patients. In 1997, a U.S.

patent

was filed on a samambaia leaf and rhizome extract capable of treating brain

disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The patent and several in

vivo clinical studies indicate samambaia protects against brain cell

degeneration, promotes repair of damaged brain cells, and has a protective

effect to

brain cells. This was discovered when psoriasis patients in Europe taking

anapsos (who also had Alzeimer’s) reported an improvement in their

Alzheimer’s

symptoms. This led the drug manufacturer to fund clinical trials on its use for

brain disorders. In a double-blind placebo human trial (in 2000),

researchers reported that a dosage of 360 mg per day of anapsos given to

patients with

senile dementia improved cognitive performance, increased the blood supply to

the brain, and also increased the electrical impulses in the brain. The

results were better with Alzheimer’s patients and those with mild dementia

than

those with severe dementia and extensive brain cell degeneration. Anapsos now

is used in Spain and Europe for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The same protective effects to brain cells seem to extend to skin cells as

well. A 1997 U.S. patent was filed on an extract of samambaia, which indicated

it is effective in preventing sunburn and skin damage (taken internally, as

well as applied topically prior to exposure). Its protective effect against

ultraviolet radiation was reported to be due, in part, to an antioxidant

effect. One of the in vivo human studies confirming this activity was performed

at

Massachusetts General Hospital’s dermatology department. Another study (with

hairless mice), conducted at Harvard medical school in 1999, reported that a

samambaia extract applied topically helped to avoid skin damage and

sun-associated skin aging, as well as reduced the number of UV-induced skin

tumors in

mice. The Harvard researchers published a human study in 2004 reporting that

samambaia evidenced “substantial benefits of skin protection†to prevent

sunburn and prevent skin aging when it was taken internally (at 7.5 mg/kg).

Based on some in vitro studies, other university student researchers suggested

that samambaia may help prevent sun damage and skin aging at low dosages while

higher dosages may actually reverse the loss of normal elastic fibers

associated with intrinsic aging of the skin. A pharmaceutical company in Spain

has

also published a study indicating that samambaia is suitable to use as a

preventative treatment for sunburn and skin damage.

The last area of research concerns samambaia’s possible uses for cancer.

Researchers at M. D. Cancer Center in Houston, Texas published their

first study on samambaia and one of its main chemicals (calagualine) in 2003.

They reported that some of the intercellular processes blocked during

psoriasis (NF-kappaB and tumor necrosis factor chemicals) also evidenced the

ability

to block and suppress inflammation, tumor formation, and tumor growth.

CURRENT PRACTICAL USES

_SAMAMBAIA PLANT SUMMARY_ (http://www.rain-tree.com/ethnic.htm) Main

Preparation Method: infusion or capsules

Main Actions (in order):

immunomodulator (selectively modulates overactive immune cells),

antipsoriatic, neuroprotective (protects brain cells), cough suppressant,

anti-inflammatory

Main Uses:

1. for psoriasis and other skin conditions

2. for Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and memory problems

3. for coughs, bronchitis, chest colds, and other upper respiratory

problems

4. for autoimmune disorders

5. as a general tonic (tones, balances, strengthens overall body

functions), a cellular-protector, and anti-aging aid

Properties/Actions Documented by Research:

anti-inflammatory, antidysenteric, antimutagenic (cellular protector),

antioxidant, antipsoriatic, immunomodulator, neuroprotective (protects brain

cells)

Other Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use:

anticancerous, cough suppressant, aperient (mild laxative), blood cleanser,

cough suppressant, detoxifier, diaphoretic (promotes sweating), expectorant,

febrifuge (reduces fever), hypotensive (lowers blood pressure), tonic (tones,

balances, strengthens overall body functions)

Cautions:

Do not use in combination with digitalis and some heart drugs.

It is likely that scientists will continue studying samambaia and why it

works; meanwhile, natural health practitioners around the world will continue

to

employ its many purposes without knowing which specific chemicals are

creating the beneficial effects. In addition to psoriasis, vitiligo and

Alzheimer's, health practitioners in the United States are using samambaia for

coughs,

bronchitis, chest colds, flu, and disorders of the respiratory tract, skin,

and immune systems - much as it has been used in indigenous herbal medicine

systems for years.

Traditional Remedy: One-half to 1 cup leaf or root infusion 1-3 times daily

or 2-3 ml of a 4:1 tincture or fluid extract twice daily. Traditionally, a

simple, cold maceration of the rhizome and leaves often is used; therefore, 1-2

g daily of powdered root or leaf in tablets or capsules can be substituted,

if desired. Contraindications: Reports indicate that samambaia may enhance

the effects of the heart drug digitalis (a medication commonly used to increase

the force of heart contractions in those diagnosed with certain heart

conditions). It is therefore contraindicated in combination with digitalis, and

persons with any heart condition should seek the advice of a qualified health

practitioner prior to using samambaia.

Drug Interactions: May potentiate the effects of digitalis and/or other

digitalis-type prescription heart drugs.

The absorption of samambaia is reported to be reduced in the presence of

antacids.

ETHNOBOTANY: WORLDWIDE USES Amazonia for cancer, coughs, detoxification,

fever, immune disorders, kidney problems, pancreatic disorders, psoriasis,

rheumatism, whooping cough Colombia for coughs Brazil for blood cleansing,

bronchitis, colds, coughs, flu, gout, psoriasis, respiratory disorders,

rheumatism, skin disorders, and as an expectorant, tonic, and to increase

perspiration Honduras for arthritis, cancer, dermatitis, joint pains, kidney

disorders, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach ulcers, tendon pain, tumors

Mexico for coughs, fever, respiratory problems, and to increase perspiration

Peru for abscesses, boils, cough, fever, psoriasis, skin disorders, ulcers

(skin), urinary infections, whooping cough United States for Alzheimer's,

bronchitis, colds, cough, dermatitis, detoxification, eczema, flu, gout,

hypertension, immune disorders, psoriasis, skin disorders, respiratory

disorders,

rheumatism, and to increase perspiration and urination Venezuela for venereal

diseases and as a laxative Elsewhere for bronchitis, cancer, colds,

coughs, fever, flu, gout, hypertension, immune disorders, kidney problems,

psoriasis, respiratory disorders, rheumatism, skin disorders, tonic, tumors,

urinary

insufficiency

The above text has been preprinted from _The Healing Power of Rainforest

Herbs_ (http://www.rain-tree.com/book2.htm) by , copyrighted ©

2004

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including

photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system,

including

websites, without written permission.

A complete _Technical Data Report_ (http://www.rain-tree.com/techreport.htm)

is available for this plant.

Jeff el

10360 Pine Lakes Blvd

North Fort Myers, Fl,33903

http://www.msprotocols.com/