Handbook of Medicinal Herbs

S

STROPHANTHUS, CLIMBING OLEANDER

(Strophanthus gratus (Wall. & Hook.) Baill.) X

Synonym: Roupellia grata Wall. & Hook.

See also kombe, Strophanthus hispidus DC.

Activities (Strophanthus) — Anxiolytic (f; PH2); Cardiotonic (1; PH2); Curare (1; HDN; FNF);

Digitalic (1; PH2); Diuretic (f; EFS); Negative Chronotropic (1; HDN); Negative Dromotropic (1;

HDN); Pediculicide (f; HDN); Positive Bathmotropic (1; HDN); Positive Inotropic (1; HDN).

Indications (Strophanthus) — Anxiety (f; PH2); Asthma (f; MAD); Atherosclerosis (f; PH2);

Bradycardia (f; HHB); Cancer (f; HDN); Cardiopathy (f; PH2); Debility (f; HDN); Gastrosis (f;

PH2); Gonorrhea (f; HDN); High Blood Pressure (f; PH2); Neurodystonia (f; PH2); Stenocardia

(f; HHB); Syphilis (f; HDN); VD (f; HDN); Water Retention (f; EFS).

Dosages (Strophanthus) — Don’t take it except with physician guidance! (JAD); 0.5–1.5 g

tincture/day (PH2); Cymarin 0.6–0.9 mg ivn man/day, 2.3–2.5 mg orl human (HDN); ouabain

0.25–0.65 mg ivn human/day, 12–48 mg/day orl human (HDN); toxic dose 143 mg/man; k-

strophanthoside 0.2–1.2 mg ivn human/day, to 7.5 mg/day orl human; toxic dose 143 mg/man

(HDN).

Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Strophanthus) — Not covered (AHP).

“Health hazards not known with proper therapeutic dosages” (PH2). Side effects may include

cardiac arrhythmia, headache, ophthalmia (disturbance of color vision), queasiness, stupor, and

vomiting. May enhance effects and side effects with calcium salts, glucocorticoids, laxatives,

quinidine, and saluretics (PH2). Powdered seeds LDlo 23–24 mg/kg ivn dog (HH2); g-strophanthi-

din LDlo 0.33–0.44 mg/kg ivn dog (HH2).

SUMA (Hebanthe eriantha (Poir.) Pedersen) ++

Synonyms: Gomphrena paniculata (Mart.) Moq., Hebanthe paniculata Mart., Pfaffia paniculata

(Mart.) Kuntze.

Activities (Suma) — Adaptogen (f; APA); Antiascites (1; APA); Anticancer (1; APA); Antimela-

nomic (f; APA); Antitumor (1; APA); Antiviral (f; APA); Chemopreventive (f; APA); Immunostim-

ulant (f; APA).

Indications (Suma) — Anemia (1; BJH111:359); Cancer (1; APA); Diabetes (f; APA); EBV (f;

APA); Fatigue (f; APA); Immunodepression (f; APA); Melanoma (f; APA); Menopause (f; APA);

Sickle Cell Anemia (1; BJH111:359); Stress (f; APA); Tumor (1; APA); Virus (f; APA).

Dosages (Suma) — 500–1000 mg dry herb 2–3 ×/day (APA); 1–2 (520 mg) capsules 2 ×/day

(APA).

Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Suma) — Class 1 (AHP). Not covered

(KOM; PHR; PH2). Once a well-known published author offered me a generous consulting fee

to go through the Spanish and Portuguese literature and summarize the folk literature and

information on suma for him. I had written on the plant long ago for the Flora of Panama,

where Pfaffia also occurs. He came from one of the four main entry disciplines to ethnobotany

and herbal medicine and medical botany, (1) anthropology, (2) botany, (3) chemistry, and (4)

pharmacy/pharmacology but I’ll not divulge. I gave him 4 days worth of work and found nothing.

He reneged because my report was negative. Today, that scientist continues to publish, often

copying without citing other ethnobotanical writers’ data. And he is, what I call, one of the

paid hypsters who will write a positive opinion page on a worthless herb, for a fee. Then an