Brendler Thomas
Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa.
Plantaphile, Collingswood, NJ 08108, USA.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021 Jul 27;14(8):726. doi: 10.3390/ph14080726.
Devil's claw ( spp., Pedaliaceae) is one of the best-documented phytomedicines. Its mode of action is largely elucidated, and its efficacy and excellent safety profile have been demonstrated in a long list of clinical investigations. The author conducted a bibliographic review which not only included peer-reviewed papers published in scientific journals but also a vast amount of grey literature, such as theses and reports initiated by governmental as well as non-governmental organizations, thus allowing for a more holistic presentation of the available evidence. Close to 700 sources published over the course of two centuries were identified, confirmed, and cataloged. The purpose of the review is three-fold: to trace the historical milestones in devil's claw becoming a modern herbal medicine, to point out gaps in the seemingly all-encompassing body of research, and to provide the reader with a reliable and comprehensive bibliography. The review covers aspects of ethnobotany, taxonomy, history of product development and commercialization, chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, as well as clinical efficacy and safety. It is concluded that three areas stand out in need of further investigation. The taxonomical assessment of the genus is outdated and lacking. A revision is needed to account for intra- and inter-specific, geographical, and chemo-taxonomical variation, including variation in composition. Further research is needed to conclusively elucidate the active compound(s). Confounded by early substitution, intermixture, and blending, it has yet to be demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that both (or all) spp. are equally (and interchangeably) safe and efficacious in clinical practice.
魔鬼爪（角胡麻属，角胡麻科）是记载最为详尽的植物药之一。其作用机制已基本阐明，并且在众多临床研究中证实了其疗效和出色的安全性。作者进行了一次文献综述，不仅纳入了发表在科学期刊上的同行评审论文，还纳入了大量灰色文献，如政府及非政府组织发起的论文和报告，从而能够更全面地展示现有证据。确定、确认并编目了两个世纪以来发表的近700篇文献来源。该综述有三个目的：追溯魔鬼爪成为现代草药的历史里程碑，指出看似全面的研究中存在的空白，并为读者提供一份可靠且全面的参考书目。该综述涵盖了民族植物学、分类学、产品开发与商业化历史、化学、药理学、毒理学以及临床疗效和安全性等方面。得出的结论是，有三个领域需要进一步研究。该属的分类学评估过时且存在不足。需要进行修订，以考虑种内和种间、地理以及化学分类学变异，包括成分变异。需要进一步研究以最终阐明活性化合物。由于早期的替代、混合和掺和，尚未确凿无疑地证明所有角胡麻属物种在临床实践中都同样安全有效（且可相互替代）。
