Uzara (Xysmalobium undulatum) – An underutilized anti-diarrhoeic and spasmolytic herbal remedy

Brendler, Thomas; Cameron, Silke; Kuchta, Kenny

doi:10.1016/j.jep.2023.116999

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 57 publications

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“…and uzara [ Xysmalobium undulatum (L.) W.T. Aiton] ( Stander et al, 2019 ; Brendler, 2021 ; Brendler and Abdel-Tawab, 2022 ; Brendler and Cock, 2022 ; Brendler et al, 2023 ), its arrival in Europe was driven by entrepreneurship and, as opposed to later (and less successful) attempts, such as hoodia [ Hoodia gordonii (Masson) Sweet ex Decne] and sceletium ( Mesembryanthemum tortuosum L.) ( Brendler, 2020 ; Brendler et al, 2021 ), uninhibited by regulations. Suffering from tuberculosis, Charles H. Stevens was sent by his doctor for convalescence to South Africa, where he was miraculously cured by a local Sotho healer.…”

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confidence: 99%

Stevens’ Cure (Umckaloabo)—the vindication of a patent medicine

Brendler,

Stander,

van Wyk

2024

Front. Pharmacol.

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Stevens’ Cure (Umckaloabo) emerged as a patent medicine claiming to treat tuberculosis in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the 20th century. However, due to its identity being shrouded in secrecy, it was never truly accepted by the medical community. It was “rediscovered” in the 1970s and subsequently developed into a very popular and successful phytopharmaceutical for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. Whether Stevens’ Cure contained the same ingredient(s) as the modern Umckaloabo has not yet been demonstrated. We attempted to elucidate for the first time the identity of the original ingredient by comparative analysis of historical product samples. Three historical samples of Stevens’ Cure were compared with Pelargonium sidoides DC. and P. reniforme Curt. root per UPLC-MS analysis. We confirm that the ingredient–P. sidoides DC.—is indeed the same as used in modern phytotherapy. We also attribute the first ethnopharmacological record of P. sidoides DC. being used for the treatment of tuberculosis to C. H. Stevens, the “creator” of Umckaloabo.

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