Gentianella Alborosea
Gentianella alborosea
The Andean gentian usually called "hercampuri" in Peru, traditionally used for diabetes, cholesterol, the liver and digestion. It has only been studied in the lab.
Safety at a glance
- PregnancyNothing recorded
- BreastfeedingNothing recorded
- MedicinesNothing recorded
- Who should avoid itNothing recorded
- AllergiesNothing recorded
- ToxicityNothing recorded
Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.
What is Gentianella Alborosea?
- Plant family
- Gentianaceae, the gentian family
- Parts used
- The whole plant
- Where it grows
- The Andes of Peru
- Genus
- Gentianella
- Species
- alborosea
Regional names
Hercampuri, Hercampure
Traditionally used for
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Liver
- Digestion
- Increasing urination
Traditionally described as
- Antioxidant (in lab studies)
Natural compounds
Safety
Contamination
Although this is the species usually described as hercampuri, a 2013 survey of a large Lima market didn't find it once. Other gentian species were sold under the name instead.[1]Study
What does the research say?
Traditional use
These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.
Peruvian sources describe this hercampuri as used:
- for diabetes
- to lower cholesterol
- to increase urination
- to stimulate stomach secretions
- for liver inflammation
- to "purify the blood"
Laboratory & animal research
Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.
In lab tests, an extract showed antioxidant activity and made cervical cancer cells self-destruct, more so at higher doses.[2]Study
Technical detail: methanolic extract; DPPH radical scavenging; apoptosis in HeLa cells.
Chemists found a new type of compound in it, a sesterterpenoid named alborosin.[3]Study
In short
Other gentians are often sold under its name.
Sources
- [1] Peril in the market-classification and dosage of species used as anti-diabetics in Lima, Peru · DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-9-37Peer-reviewed study
- [2] Apoptotic and free radical scavenging properties of the methanolic extract of Gentianella alborosea · DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2006.05.020Peer-reviewed study
- [3] Sesterterpenoid from Gentianella alborosea · DOI: 10.1016/s0031-9422(99)00518-xPeer-reviewed study
This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.