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Common names | Tayuya
Scientific name | Cayaponia tayuya
Used part | Root
Known active compounds | cucurbitacins, cayaponosides, isoorientin
Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory
Product name | Tayuya Root-ANB
Plant Story
Tayuya (Cayaponia tayuya) is a woody vine growing in the Amazonian rainforest especially in Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia. Its long tap-root has been medicinally used by South American natives for a long time as a tonic and blood cleanser. It was also used to treat snakebites, rheumatism, sore eyes, and skin problems. It is one of the herbal drugs listed in Brazilian Pharmacopoeia and used as a pain reliever, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, tonic, and detoxifier in Brazil.
Tayuya is rich in flavones, glucosides, and cucurbitacin triterpenes. The main phytochemicals found in tayuya include alkaloids, cayaponosides, cucurbitacins, isoorientin, isovitexin, orientin, saponins, vitexin, spinosyn, swertisin, and isoswertisin. The flavonoid enriched fraction of tayuya extract showed anti-inflammatory properties both in vivo and in vitro. It inhibited mouse ear oedema and NO production, iNOS and COX-2 expressions in macrophages. Anti-inflammatory properties were demonstrated when tested with cucurbitacins isolated from tayuya roots on mouse paw oedema.