Cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. ex Schult.) DC.) is a plant originally used in Peruvian Amazonian areas for a wide variety of physical disorders.
Several groups of plant chemicals account for much of the plant’s actions and uses: oxindole alkaloids with immunostimulant and antileukemic properties, quinovic acid glycosides with anti-inflammatory and antiviral actions, antioxidant molecules (tannins, catechins and procyanidins) and plant sterols (beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol) with anti-inflammatory properties.