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Hoodia Research

History of Hoodia Research

Extracted from Hoodia California

Hoodia research started when a dutch anthropologist studying the San tribe discovered the san people chewed the hoodia gordonii plants to suppress appetite during hunting trips. Year 1937.

Research on Hoodia Gordonii

Increased ATP content/production in the hypothalamus may be a signal for energy-sensing of satiety: studies of the anorectic mechanism of a plant steroidal glycoside.

This research was developed by MacLean DB and Luo LG, at the Division of Endocrinology, Hallett Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Brown Medical School, Providence.

Briefing of the report:

A steroidal glycoside with anorectic activity in animals, termed P57AS3 (P57), was isolated from Hoodia gordonii and found to have homologies to the steroidal core of cardiac glycosides. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injections of the purified P57AS3 demonstrated that the compound has a likely central (CNS) mechanism of action.

There is no evidence of P57AS3 binding to or altering activity of known receptors or proteins, including Na/K-ATPase, the putative target of cardiac glycosides. The studies demonstrated that the compound increases the content of ATP by 50-150% in hypothalamic neurons.

P57 - Cardiac Glycoside

 Is P57 a Cardiac Glycoside?

MacLean DB and Luo LG, two researchers at the Division of Endocrinology, Hallett Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, Brown Medical School, were intrigued by the fact that P57 is chemically similar to a class of plant-derived compounds called cardiac glycosides, of which the ones derived from various foxglove species (genus Digitalis) are the best known. These powerful drugs increase the force of contraction of the heart muscle and help maintain normal heart rate and rhythm. A common side effect of the cardiac glycosides is loss of appetite.

Patent 7166611 on Hoodia

The patent # 7166611 is related to Pharmaceutical compositions having appetite suppressant activity, and was assigned to CSIR, from South Africa.

The inventors were Van Heerden; Fanie Retief (Fairland, ZA), Vleggaar; Robert (Faerie Glen, ZA), Horak; Roelof Marthinus (Elardus Park, ZA), Learmonth; Robin Alec (Elardus Park, ZA), Maharaj; Vinesh (Heuweloord, ZA), Whittal; Rory Desmond (Heuweloord, ZA).

Patent 7033616 on Hoodia

The patent # 7033616 is related to extracts, compounds and pharmaceutical compositions having anti-diabetic activity and their use, and was assigned to Phytopharm, UK.

The inventors were Rubin; Ian Duncan (Nottingham, GB), Bindra; Jasjit Singh (Groton, CT), Cawthorne; Michael Anthony (Milton Keynes, GB)

Patent 6376657 on Hoodia

The patent # 6376657 for the hoodia as an appetite suppressant was assigned to CSIR from South Africa.

The inventors are Van Heerden; Fanie Retief (Fairland, ZA), Vleggaar; Robert (Pretoria, ZA), Horak; Roelof Marthinus (Pretoria, ZA), Learmonth; Robin Alec (Pretoria, ZA), Maharaj; Vinesh (Pretoria, ZA), Whittal; Rory Desmond (Pretoria, ZA).

Patent 6488967 on Hoodia

The patent # 6488967 is related to gastric acid secretion, but the invention is related to hoodia, and was assigned to Phytopharm, UK.

The inventors were Hakkinen; John (North Stonington, CT), Horak; Roelof Marthinus (Pretoria, ZA), Maharaj; Vinesh (Pretoria, ZA)

Hoodia Research Papers

This is a complete list of research (both botanical and clinic research) and bibliographical references on Hoodia and steroidal glycosides:

  • E Borowski et al., "Chemical Studies on Amphotericin B II. 2-Methylheptadecanedioic Acid From Perhydrogenated Amphotericin B", Tetrahedron Letters, No. 9, pp. 473-478, 1965.
  • Bando H et al., "Constituents of Asclepiacaceae plants. XXXI. Component of Stapelia grandiflora MASS", Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 1974; 22(5):1209-1211.
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