Uncaria tomentosa: A promising source of therapeutic agents for prevention and treatment of oxidative stress and cancer.

Uncaria tomentosa, called “uña de gato,” belonging to the Rubiaceae family, is a thorny liana that grows wild in the upper Amazon region of Peru and neighboring countries. The indigenous people of Amazonian rain forest have used its root/bark over the centuries for the treatment of several diseases, and this plant is believed to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumoral properties. Many active compounds have been isolated from U. tomentosa, including antioxidants such as tannin, catechins, procyanidins, sterols, triterpenes, flavonoids, carboxyl alkyl esters, and indole and oxindole alkaloids. In particular, alkaloids, the major active components of Uncaria species, have been extensively studied for their potential use as anticancer agents. In this chapter, some aspects of the actions of U. tomentosa on oxidative stress and cancer have been discussed, after having characterized the plant and mentioned the biochemistry of oxidative stress.