Safety of Use:
Drug interactions: none known
Side Effects: none known
Desmodium adscendens preparations have been in longstanding use as traditional medicines. Thriving in the tropical zone, its therapeutic applications are documented in ethnographic records from Central America, South America. the Caribbean Islands, Africa and Asia. More recently, D. adscendens has been accepted as a safe food supplement by the Italian Commission for Diet and Nutrition (June 20, 2007) and is currently available to the market in the European Union. There are no know toxicities associated with of any of the many species of Desmodium that are utilized as common herbal remedies.
Tests conducted by the International Center for Toxicology (Evreux, France) on the aqueous extracts of Desmodium adscendens (aerial parts) detected no toxicity, even at elevated dosage levels :
Studies conducted to determine the acute toxicity of ethanol extracts of the leaves of D.adscendens by N’gouemo et al. (Laboratoire de Médicine Expèrimentale, Institut de Biologie, Montpellier, 1994) revealed no observable effects and have lead to the assessment of these extracts as suitable for therapeutic applications (Baretto, G.S., “Effect of butanolic fraction of Desmodium adscendens on the anococcygeus of the rat”, Brazil. J. Biol. 62 (2): 223-230, 2002).
The United Natural Products Alliance has included Desmodium adscendens in the ‘Old Dietary Ingredient List’. The list is authored by the American Herbal Products Association, the Council for Responsible Nutrition and the Natural Products Association. D. adscendens has also been identified by the World health Organization as one of the medicinal plants that they advocate for therapeutic utility - Development directions, 2 (4): 16 (1979). Since 1977 the Center for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (Ghana) has documented the medicinal application of this plant in their clinical program.
The use of D. adscendens as livestock fodder also speaks to the absence of toxicity to animals. It’s record as a valued feedstock for cattle, goats and horses, is documented in the following texts :
Precautions: As a matter of precaution, preparations of Desmodium adscendens should not be used by children under the age of five, or by women when pregnant or attempting to conceive.
Drug interactions: none known
Side Effects: none known
Desmodium adscendens preparations have been in longstanding use as traditional medicines. Thriving in the tropical zone, its therapeutic applications are documented in ethnographic records from Central America, South America. the Caribbean Islands, Africa and Asia. More recently, D. adscendens has been accepted as a safe food supplement by the Italian Commission for Diet and Nutrition (June 20, 2007) and is currently available to the market in the European Union. There are no know toxicities associated with of any of the many species of Desmodium that are utilized as common herbal remedies.
Tests conducted by the International Center for Toxicology (Evreux, France) on the aqueous extracts of Desmodium adscendens (aerial parts) detected no toxicity, even at elevated dosage levels :
- “Evaluation de la toxicité aiguë par voie orale chez le rat" C.I.T. - Centre International de Toxicologie - Evreux, France n° 5374 TAR (18/10/1989)
- “Test du micronoyau chez la souris" C.I.T. - Centre International de Toxicologie - Evreux, France (15/12/1989)
- "Essai de mutation reverse par le test d'Ames" C.I.T. - Centre International de Technologie - Evreux, France (08/01/1990)
Studies conducted to determine the acute toxicity of ethanol extracts of the leaves of D.adscendens by N’gouemo et al. (Laboratoire de Médicine Expèrimentale, Institut de Biologie, Montpellier, 1994) revealed no observable effects and have lead to the assessment of these extracts as suitable for therapeutic applications (Baretto, G.S., “Effect of butanolic fraction of Desmodium adscendens on the anococcygeus of the rat”, Brazil. J. Biol. 62 (2): 223-230, 2002).
The United Natural Products Alliance has included Desmodium adscendens in the ‘Old Dietary Ingredient List’. The list is authored by the American Herbal Products Association, the Council for Responsible Nutrition and the Natural Products Association. D. adscendens has also been identified by the World health Organization as one of the medicinal plants that they advocate for therapeutic utility - Development directions, 2 (4): 16 (1979). Since 1977 the Center for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (Ghana) has documented the medicinal application of this plant in their clinical program.
The use of D. adscendens as livestock fodder also speaks to the absence of toxicity to animals. It’s record as a valued feedstock for cattle, goats and horses, is documented in the following texts :
- Berhaut, J., 1976, Flore Illustrée du Senegal, Gouvernement du Senegal, Ministere du Developpement Rural et de l'Hydraulique, Direction des Eaux et Forets, Dakar
- Correa, M.P., 1926, Dicionário de plantas uteis do Brasil e das exóticas cultivadas, vol 3, Imprensa Nacional Brasília, Rio de Janeiro : p 93
- Dalzeil, J.M., 1937, Useful plants of tropical West Africa, The Crown agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London : p 238
- The Mansfeld's World Database of Agriculture and Horticultural Crops Datenvollafp.webloc
- Sabbiiti, E.N. et al, 1988 “Evaluation of Desmodium adscendens through vegetative propagation in natural and planted pastures”, in Dzowela, B.H., African forage plant genetic resources, evaluation of forage germplasm and extensive livestock production systems : proceedings of the third workshop held at the International Conference Centre, Arusha, Tanzania, 27-30 April 1987, International Livestock Centre for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1988
- Subudhi H.N., Shankar Vinod, Singh J.P., 1997, Ecology and potentialsforage desmodiums, Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources, 10 (1) 1997
Precautions: As a matter of precaution, preparations of Desmodium adscendens should not be used by children under the age of five, or by women when pregnant or attempting to conceive.
