Herbs & Supplements:
Tylophora
Tylophora indica, Tylophora asthmatica
Principal Proposed Uses
•
Asthma
Other Proposed Uses
•
Allergies, Bronchitis, Colds, Dysentery, Joint Pain
Tylophora indica is a climbing perennial plant indigenous to India, where it grows wild in the southern and eastern regions and has a long-standing reputation as a remedy for asthma (hence the name T. asthmatica).
The leaves and roots of tylophora have been included in the Bengal Pharmacopoeia since 1884. It is said to have laxative, expectorant, diaphoretic (sweating), and purgative (vomiting) properties. It has been used for the treatment of various respiratory problems besides asthma, including allergies, bronchitis and colds, as well as dysentery and joint pain.
What Is Tylophora Used for Today?
Based on its long-standing use as a folk remedy for asthma, tylophora has been evaluated in several studies, but with mixed results.1–8
We don't know how tylophora might work in asthma, but it may have anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, adrenal gland–stimulating, and antispasmodic actions.9–12
What Is the Scientific Evidence for Tylophora?
In a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of 195 individuals with asthma, participants showed significant improvement when given 40 mg of a tylophora alcohol extract daily for 6 days as compared to placebo. Surprisingly (so surprisingly, in fact, that it casts doubt on the study), the difference was even more marked months after use of the herb was stopped.13 Similar long-lasting results were seen in two double-blind placebo-controlled studies involving over 200 individuals with asthma.14,15 However, the design of most of these studies was a bit convoluted, and various pieces of information are missing from the reports, making it difficult to evaluate the validity of these trials.
A higher quality double-blind study that enrolled 135 individuals found no benefit from tylophora in asthma.16
The bottom line: Although tylophora is promising, larger and better studies are necessary to discover whether tylophora is truly effective.
Dosage
The typical dosage of tylophora leaf in dried or capsule form is 200 mg twice daily or 400 mg total in 2 doses.
Safety Issues
In the second study mentioned above, tylophora caused nausea, vomiting, mouth soreness, and alterations in taste sensation in more than half of the participants. The other two studies found similar side effects, but far less frequently. The difference may have been because the second study had people chew the whole leaves from the plant, whereas other studies have used dried leaves or powdered extract in capsule form.
Preliminary studies on animals have found tylophora extracts to be toxic in extremely high doses; however, these extracts were safe in the far smaller doses needed to produce a therapeutic effect.17
Due to the lack of comprehensive safety studies on tylophora, the herb should not be used by children, pregnant or nursing women, or individuals with severe kidney or liver disease. Whether tylophora interacts with any drugs is unknown.
View References
Last reviewed March 2002 by Medical Review Board
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