Amor seco

Amor Seco (Desmodium adscendens): A Comprehensive Reference

1. Identity and Botanical Classification

Botanical and Chemical Names

Amor seco, known by its botanical name Desmodium adscendens, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the legume family (Fabaceae). Documented synonyms include Desmodium coeruleum, D. caespitosum, D. glaucescens, D. heterophyllum, D. molliculum, D. oxalidifolium, D. triflorum, Hedysarum adscendens, H. caespitosum, and Meibomia adscendens.

The Latin name desmodium derives from the Greek word desmos, meaning "bond," while adscendens refers to the plant's ascending habit. The plant belongs to the genus Desmodium (Fabaceae, alt. Leguminosae, subfamily Faboideae), one of two important and well-explored species that have been used extensively as traditional medicines over a long period of time.

Common Names

Common names include amor seco, amor-do-campo, strong back, pega pega, margarita, beggar-lice, burbur, desmodium, manayupa, hard man, hard stick, mundubirana, barba de boi, mundurana, owono-bocon, dipinda dimukuyi, dusa karnira, tick-clover, and tick-trefoil. In the Caribbean, the popular name is "Strong Back"; in Peru, the indigenous people call it "Amor Seco" or "Pega Pega."

Morphology and Geographic Distribution

Desmodium is a climbing biennial herbaceous plant of the Fabaceae family, common in moist, shaded places in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, Africa, and India. About fifty centimetres tall, its leaves resemble those of a clover, and its flowers, small and mauve, become after flowering small bean-like pods covered with hairs that cling to animals or walkers' clothing in order to be dispersed in nature.

Indigenous to the tropical Americas, amor seco is now widespread in West Africa and Southeast Asia, thriving in disturbed soils and easily recognized by its trifoliate leaves and tiny purple or white flowers. The name "amor seco" loosely translates to "dry love," referring to the plant's dry, easily detachable seed pods.

Plant Parts Used

The parts used medicinally are the aerial parts and leaves. The leaves are the parts principally used medicinally. Active constituents are mainly contained in the trunk and leaves.

Commercial Forms and Preparations

Amor seco is available in the United States under various labels in tinctures, non-alcohol extracts, capsules, and bulk powders. One U.S. manufacturer calls their product "Burbur" and another sells their product under the name "Manayupa," both referring to different common names by which Desmodium adscendens is known. As a food supplement, it is available in the form of standardized extract of fresh plant or dry extract in capsules; standardized fluid extract of fresh plant at 5 ml twice daily in water; hydroalcoholic fluid extract at 30 to 50 drops three times a day in water; and as a decoction of 5 to 10 g boiled in 1 litre of water, consumed as several cups per day.

2. Traditional and Historical Use

West Africa

It is especially in Africa, and particularly in the West — from Senegal to the Congo via the Ivory Coast — that amor seco is used intensively in traditional medicine to treat various liver diseases, including viral hepatitis. Desmodium is very popular in African traditional medicine for treating hepatitis and was introduced to France in the late 1960s by Dr. Pierre Tubéry. Tubéry first encountered the plant's properties during his work at a dispensary in Cameroon, upon learning about surprising results obtained with desmodium decoctions in the treatment of the icteric phase of viral hepatitis.

Herbalists in Ghana have long used amor seco leaves to treat bronchial asthma; the treatment was so successful that it attracted attention from the scientific community. Desmodium adscendens is widely used for the treatment of asthma in Ghana, Africa.

South America and the Caribbean

Indigenous peoples, especially in the Amazon and Andean regions, have long used amor seco infusions and poultices to treat asthma, muscle spasms, hepatitis, and urinary issues. The traditional usage in Peru includes supporting the lungs, helping to cough up phlegm, and relaxing tight, cramped muscles. In Jamaica, the plant is called "Strong Back Herb" for its purported ability to relieve back and neck pain.

One traditional preparation involves soaking the entire plant in rum for 24 hours, and then taking ¼ cup three times daily for seven to ten days as a treatment for backaches and to strengthen the kidneys. Native American traditional healers in Venezuela have used it to treat epilepsy.

In Ecuadorian traditional medicine, two species of the Desmodium genus, D. adscendens and D. molliculum, are used interchangeably for the treatment of various ailments, particularly those related to inflammatory processes, wound healing, stomach ulcers, and liver disorders.

Other Regions and Uses

The plant is recorded as analgesic, antiasthmatic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antitussive, bronchodilator, digestive, galactagogue, laxative, nervine, vermifuge, and vulnerary in ethnobotanical literature. A decoction is used as a laxative and to treat convulsions, and to soothe urinary disorders in cases of venereal diseases. The plant is also used in baths to treat vaginal infections.

Its role in promoting liver detoxification and protecting hepatic function has made it a staple in folk remedies, often brewed as a tea or decoction.

3. Key Phytochemical Constituents

Overview of Chemical Composition

Main chemicals identified in amor seco include astragalin, beta-phenylethylamines, cosmosiin, cyanidin-3-o-sophoroside, D-pinitol, dehydrosoyasaponins, hordenine, isovitexin, pelargonidin-3-o-rhamnoside, salsoline, soyasaponins, tectorigenin, tetrahydroisoquinolines, vicenin-2, vitexin, isoschaftoside, schaftoside, 2″-O-xylosylvitexin, 2″-O-pentosyl-C-hexosyl apigenin, and O-hexosyl-C-hexosyl apigenin.

Documented compounds include the triterpenoid saponins soyasaponin I, soyasaponin III, dehydrosoyasaponin I, sapogenol B and E; the nitrogen-containing compounds salsoline, hordenine, tyramine, dimethoxyphenylethylamine, and indole-3-alkyl amines such as dimethyltryptamine; and flavonoids such as vitexin, isovitexin, and rutin.

High-performance liquid chromatography and spectroscopic analysis of biologically active fractions showed two pairs of flavonoid isomers — vitexin/vitexin 2″-O-xyloside and isovitexin/isovitexin 2″-O-xyloside — as the dominant constituents. Active compounds also isolated include phenylethylamines, indole-3-alkylamines, tetrahydroisoquinolines, and triterpenoid saponins, as well as tyramine and hordenine.

High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has further reported the presence of 22 flavonoid C-glycosides and 13 flavonoid O-glycosides, the glycosides being apigenin, diosmetin, or kaempferol derivatives.

Studies of the phytochemistry of D. adscendens show that its main metabolites correspond to soyasaponins, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds (caffeic acid, quercetin, p-coumaric acid, epicatechin, and rutin) and simple heterocyclic alkaloids.

Key Individual Compounds

D-pinitol (3-O-methyl-D-chiro-inositol): D-pinitol has been characterized as a potentially active compound and a major constituent of the aqueous decoction of Desmodium adscendens, being responsible at least in part for the hepatoprotective activity — specifically the prevention of D-galactosamine-induced liver damage — although results suggested a synergistic effect by other compounds as well. D-pinitol levels of approximately 5% have been measured in lyophilized decoctions. The amount of D-pinitol found in commercially available supplements has ranged from 1.8 mg/capsule to 30 mg/capsule and 2.0 mg/mL in liquid form.

Vitexin and Isovitexin: Vitexin (apigenin-8-C-glucoside) has received increased scientific attention due to its wide range of pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and neuroprotective effects. Isovitexin (apigenin-6-C-glucoside) similarly exhibits diverse biological activities including strong antioxidant and cellular protective actions as well as anti-inflammatory properties.

Soyasaponins (Triterpenoid Saponins): The triterpenoid saponins soyasaponin I, soyasaponin III, and especially dehydrosoyasaponin I have been identified as the constituents responsible for the activation of calcium-dependent potassium channels, a mechanism expected to relax airway smooth muscle cells.

Gastrointestinal Stability: Research using an in vitro gastrointestinal dialysis model combined with HPLC found that vitexin and C-glycosides were stable during passage through the gastrointestinal model, while the O-glycosidic bonds of O-glycosides of vitexin were metabolized by colon bacteria. The flavonoid fraction overall was stable since no biotransformation occurred in the colonic phase, and D-pinitol was also very stable throughout the gastric, small intestinal, and colonic phases.

4. Mechanisms of Action

Respiratory / Anti-Anaphylactic Mechanisms

In ten different studies, researchers found that amor seco interfered with the production of many of the chemicals normally produced during an asthma attack: chemicals called spasmogens that cause contractions in the lung; histamine that triggers the allergic response; and leukotrienes that are known to stimulate bronchoconstriction and increase mucus production in the airway — all key features of asthma.

Other studies show that the aqueous extract of Desmodium contains several types of active substances that act at different levels in the arachidonic acid cascade, thereby effectively and synergistically inhibiting the release of bronchoconstrictive compounds and antigens, confirming the antiasthmatic and antiallergic activity of this plant.

Three active compounds — dehydrosoyasaponin I (DHS-I), soyasaponin I, and soyasaponin III — are potent and specific agonists of calcium-dependent potassium channels, explaining the in vitro smooth muscle relaxant effect. These properties are considered promising for conditions related to asthma, ischemia, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Tetrahydroisoquinolines, triterpenoid saponins, and β-phenylethylamines present in Desmodium adscendens were studied for their effects on plasma membrane ion channels, cytochrome P450 NADPH-dependent oxygenation of arachidonic acid, and production of prostaglandins by the cyclooxygenase enzyme system. The saponins were observed to activate the very high-conductance calcium-activated potassium ion channel responsible for the maintenance of tone in smooth muscles.

Hepatoprotective Mechanisms

The plant's hepatoprotective constituents include triterpenic saponosides, soy saponins, indole alkaloids, fatty acids, flavonoids, tannins, and sterol derivatives. D-pinitol is held to be responsible, at least in part, for hepatoprotective activity through prevention of D-galactosamine-induced liver damage, with results suggesting a synergistic contribution from other compounds.

Extracts of Desmodium adscendens have been shown to inhibit CYP2E isozymes and to induce CYP2B1/2B2 isozymes of the cytochrome P450 system.

In vitro evaluation in liver (HepG2) and kidney (LLC-PK1) cell lines showed that pretreatment with 1 mg/mL or 10 mg/mL of a hydroalcoholic DA extract did not alter viability or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release in either cell type, suggesting safety at these concentrations.

Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms

Astragalin, an antibacterial flavonoid also found in the medicinal plant astragalus, is present in amor seco, probably accounting for the plant's traditional uses in treating infections, venereal diseases, and wounds.

5. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use

5.1 Respiratory Health: Asthma and Bronchospasm

Traditional background and early human observation: In 1977, a clinical observational study on humans showed that 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried amor seco leaf powder daily (in three dosages) produced improvement and remission in most asthma patients treated. This observation, attributed to O. Ampofo and published in the Ghana Medical Journal, is the earliest documented human record of therapeutic use. It was not a controlled trial and provides only low-quality evidence by modern standards.

Animal and in vitro mechanistic studies: In a 1984 study, Desmodium adscendens, used by herbalists in Ghana for the treatment of asthma, was shown to be anti-anaphylactic in vitro. In vivo studies using the guinea pig demonstrated that both aqueous and ethanolic extracts, when taken orally, reduce anaphylactic contractions, interfere with histamine-induced contractions, and reduce the amount of smooth muscle stimulating substances released from lung tissue.

Liquid chromatography was used to fractionate the crude aqueous extract, yielding several chromatographically distinct active fractions that inhibited ovalbumin-, histamine-, and carbachol-induced contraction of guinea pig airway tissue in vitro, with quantitative and qualitative differences in inhibition across fractions; preliminary characterization suggested the presence of triterpenoid saponins.

Three fractions (n-butanol, F2, and L5) isolated from an aqueous extract were evaluated for pharmacological activity using ovalbumin- and arachidonic acid-induced contractions of guinea pig airways; all three fractions inhibited ovalbumin-induced contractions of indomethacin-pretreated tracheal spirals from sensitized animals dose-dependently, though only L5 and n-butanol inhibited such contractions in the absence of indomethacin.

A further study evaluated fraction F1, isolated from an aqueous extract by flash chromatography, for its anti-allergic properties using ovalbumin- and arachidonic acid-induced contractions of tracheal spirals and lung parenchymal strips from guinea pigs; F1 inhibited both types of contractions in both tissues dose-dependently, with greater efficacy on tracheal spirals.

Evidence strength: There is one early human observational study and a substantial body of in vitro and animal experimental work supporting bronchospasm inhibition. Desmodium adscendens is regarded as useful against chronic bronchitis and asthma, but the promising results need to be further substantiated by controlled clinical trials. No modern randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in human asthma patients have been identified in the peer-reviewed literature. Evidence remains preliminary.

5.2 Hepatoprotection (Liver Protection)

Animal studies: An aqueous decoction of D. adscendens showed a protective effect in rats against liver damage induced by D-galactosamine and ethanol, and this effect is at least in part due to the presence of D-pinitol. The aqueous decoction of D. adscendens and D-pinitol showed a hepatoprotective effect in rats against acute liver damage caused by D-galactosamine, with a significant protective effect already observed at a dose equivalent to 5 mg/kg D-pinitol.

Both D. adscendens decoction and silymarin (milk thistle extract) exhibited similar protective effects against acute liver damage in rats, with no significant differences in outcomes.

However, with respect to reduced mortality of animals, statistical analysis showed only a trend towards significance for the Desmodium group. Additional experiments in rat models of acute acetaminophen-induced and chronic D-galactosamine-induced liver damage indicated that the D. adscendens decoction and pure D-pinitol had no curative effect when given in a dose equivalent to 10 mg/kg/day D-pinitol, or up to 20 mg/kg/day as a pure compound.

In separate in vitro testing, DA extract at 25 µg/mL produced a significant (p<0.01) decrease in HCV (hepatitis C virus) infection compared to a DMSO-treated control group, with findings indicating that Desmodium adscendens aqueous extracts possess promising hepatoprotective effects against CCl₄-induced liver injury and HCV infection.

Human/clinical evidence: A patent was taken out on the use of Desmodium, especially D. adscendens, in the treatment of viral or chemically induced hepatitis (Tubéry and Tubéry, 1989). Clinical trials on Desmodium adscendens were conducted at the Institute of Traditional Medicine, Bamako Hospital, Mali (1995), though full published data from that trial have not been widely accessible in peer-reviewed literature.

Evidence strength: The hepatoprotective evidence is predominantly preclinical (animal and cell-line studies). The comparison to silymarin in rats is notable, but no adequately powered, controlled human clinical trials have been identified. Evidence is promising but remains insufficient by modern clinical standards.

5.3 Oncology Support / Chemotherapy Adjunct

A single-arm feasibility study investigated the efficacy of a combination therapy based on Desmovit® (containing Desmodium and Lithothamnium calcareum) combined with chemotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer. Twelve patients with histological or cytological diagnosis of stage IV head and neck cancer were enrolled, following ethics committee approval and the Declaration of Helsinki guidelines.

The study authors concluded that chemotherapy combined with Desmodium and Lithothamnium improved pain and fatigue in head and neck cancer patients, although they noted they could not confirm whether the improvements were due to Desmodium and Lithothamnium or to the chemotherapy itself.

Evidence strength: This is a very small (n=12), uncontrolled single-arm feasibility study with no comparator group. It cannot establish causality or the specific contribution of amor seco. Evidence is extremely preliminary.

5.4 Musculoskeletal and Smooth Muscle Effects

Studies using butanolic extract showed inhibition of contraction of the ileum and trachea in guinea pigs. In isolated rat anococcygeus preparations, cumulative application of the butanolic fraction relaxed contractions maintained by high potassium but not those induced by phenylephrine. The butanolic fraction reduced in a concentration-dependent way the maximum response of the concentration-response curve to calcium in anococcygeal muscle.

Desmodium adscendens has been traditionally used by indigenous people for a wide variety of medical conditions including muscle cramp, tendon pain, spinal pain, bronchitis, epilepsy, and some central nervous system disorders. However, no human clinical trial evidence specifically targeting musculoskeletal complaints has been identified in the peer-reviewed literature. Evidence for these uses is based on traditional practice and animal pharmacology only.

5.5 Antioxidant and Cellular Protective Effects

Numerous studies have been published about amor seco, vitexin, and D-pinitol's strong antioxidant and cellular protective actions; two research groups reported amor seco extracts provided strong antioxidant activity in studies published in 2011 and again in 2015.

A 2015 peer-reviewed study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine evaluated the safety and protective effect of a hydroalcoholic extract of Desmodium adscendens on liver (HepG2) and kidney (LLC-PK1) cells using viability tests (MTS), a cytotoxicity assay (LDH release), and cell morphology study. Pretreatment with 1 mg/mL or 10 mg/mL DA did not alter viability or LDH release in either cell type.

D-pinitol, one of amor seco's main active constituents, has demonstrated hypoglycemic and antiatherogenic activity in vitro and antihyperglycemic, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory effects in vivo across multiple studies.

5.6 Anti-Allergic and Immunomodulatory Effects

Amor seco is used in traditional medicine in cases of recognized allergic predisposition, including dermatological hypersensitivity, discharges, and allergic rhinitis. Despite the plant being popular as a herbal tea with numerous attributed pharmacological properties, only a few studies have investigated these pharmacological properties and/or toxicities in humans.

6. Body Systems and Health Areas Associated with Amor Seco

• Respiratory system: Amor seco is associated with supporting respiratory health, including soothing effects on conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and allergies.
• Hepatic (liver) system: Its role in promoting liver detoxification and protecting hepatic function has made it a staple in folk remedies, often brewed as a tea or decoction. It has been used traditionally to address liver disorders.
• Musculoskeletal system: Traditional usage includes relaxing tight, cramped muscles.
• Immune and allergic response: Desmodium is traditionally used to help relieve overactive immune and allergic responses.
• Renal (kidney) system: Uses attributed to amor seco include detoxification and hepatorenal protection, with nephroprotection and renal failure as additional traditional indications.
• Nervous system: Ethnobotanical records note use for epilepsy and some central nervous system disorders.
• Gastrointestinal system: The plant has been found useful in the treatment of constipation and other gastrointestinal ailments.

7. Dosage Forms and Reported Dosages

Traditional preparations commonly use 1–3 cups of amor seco leaf tea (standard infusion) daily, 4–5 ml of a standard tincture, or 3–4 g of powdered leaves in capsules daily for most conditions.

Reported supplemental dosage forms include standardized fluid extract of fresh plant at 5 mL twice daily in water; hydroalcoholic fluid extract at 30 to 50 drops three times a day in water; and decoction prepared from 5 to 10 g boiled in 1 litre of water, consumed as several cups per day.

In the historical clinical observation from Ghana (Ampofo, 1977), 1 to 2 teaspoons of dry powder given in three divided doses daily was the regimen reported to prevent asthma in an adult.

In rat hepatoprotection studies, a significant protective effect of D. adscendens decoction was observed at a dose containing 5 mg/kg D-pinitol. These are animal-derived dosages and cannot be directly extrapolated to human use.

8. Safety, Toxicology, and Drug Interactions

Acute Toxicity

Oral administration of leaf extract of D. adscendens to white Wistar rats in an acute toxicity study allowed the estimation of an LD50 (median lethal dose) value of 1122 mg/kg body weight. This LD50 is approximately 456 times the prescribed dose in humans, suggesting a wide safety margin in the rat model.

Subchronic Toxicity

In subchronic toxicity studies, the plant extract caused a decrease in zoxazolamine paralysis time and prevented thiopentone from causing sleep in test animals compared to controls. Overall, the results were consistent with the plant extract being safe at the doses administered in humans.

There were no statistically significant differences in body weight changes and organ weights among the different treatment groups, and macroscopically, no significant differences were observed between organs from control and test rats for all extract dose levels.

Cytochrome P450 Interactions and Drug-Drug Interaction Risk

Acute administration of D. adscendens leaf extract was found to inhibit the CYP2E subfamily of enzymes but had no effect on CYP1A1/1A2 isozymes.

The administration of D. adscendens extract decreased zoxazolamine-induced paralysis time and thiopentone-induced sleeping time, indicating that amor seco could cause herb-drug interactions when co-administered with certain drugs.

The observed reduction in paralysis and sleeping times suggests induction of certain isozymes of cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenase capable of metabolizing zoxazolamine and thiopentone.

The induction of CYP enzymes is an indication of a possible drug interaction when the plant extract is co-administered with other drugs. The specific CYP isozymes implicated include CYP2B1 and CYP2B2, which metabolize certain barbiturates, sedatives, and other drugs that share this metabolic pathway.

In Vitro Hepatocyte and Renal Cell Safety

A viability test (MTS), a cytotoxicity assay (LDH release), and study of cell morphology revealed that pretreatment with 1 mg/mL or 10 mg/mL DA did not alter viability or LDH release in HepG2 or LLC-PK1 cells.

Absence of Human Safety Data

Despite its widespread use and numerous attributed pharmacological properties, only a few studies have investigated its pharmacological properties and/or toxicities in humans. Formal characterization of adverse effects, contraindications, and safe upper limits in human populations has not been established through adequately powered clinical trials as of the available literature.

Pregnancy and Special Populations

No peer-reviewed clinical data on the safety of amor seco during pregnancy, lactation, or in pediatric populations were identified in the available literature. Ethnobotanical literature records galactagogue (milk-promoting) uses, but no clinical confirmation of this property or associated safety data was located.

9. Evidence Quality Summary

The majority of scientific research on Desmodium adscendens consists of in vitro pharmacological studies and animal experiments. While the plant is widely used for the treatment of asthma in Ghana and has garnered significant scientific interest, its pharmacological utility against chronic bronchitis and asthma — though supported by preclinical evidence — requires further substantiation by controlled clinical trials. The hepatoprotective literature is similarly based primarily on rodent models, with one patent and limited clinical trial data from a hospital in Mali. The only identified published human interventional study (the 2018 single-arm feasibility trial of Desmodium combined with chemotherapy for head and neck cancer) was small, uncontrolled, and unable to attribute observed outcomes specifically to Desmodium. Taken together, the body of evidence supports biological plausibility for respiratory, hepatic, and anti-inflammatory effects but does not yet meet the evidentiary standard of randomized controlled clinical trials.

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