Jurubeba is a small tree growing to 3 meters in height and is indigenous to the north of Brazil and other tropical parts of South America. Its heart-shaped leaves are smooth on top and fuzzy underneath. There are both male and female Jurubeba trees with the female species growing slightly taller with larger leaves and bearing fruit. The leaves and roots of both the female and male specimens and the fruit are medicinally used interchangably with equal effectiveness.

The indigenous uses of Jurubeba is very poorly documented, but its use in Brazilian medicine has been described quite well. Jurubeba is listed as an official drug in the Brazilian Pharmacopea as a specific for anemia and for liver disorders.⁽¹⁾ Jurubeba has long been used for liver and digestive disorders. In 1965, Dr. G.L. Cruz wrote that "the roots, leaves and fruit are used as a tonic and decongestive. It stimulates the digestive functions and reduces the swelling of the liver and spleen. It is a good remedy against chronic hepatitis, intermitent fever, uterine tumors, and hydropsy."⁽²⁾ The leaves and roots are commonly used in Brazilian medicine today as a tonic, for fevers, anemia, erysipelas, hepatitis, liver and spleen disorders, urinary tumors, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic gastritis and other digestive functions.^{(1 - 6)} Jurubeba leaf tea is a common household remedy throughout Brazil for hangovers and to relieve indigestion and bloating from too much alcohol and food consumption.^(3-5)

The active consitutents of Jurubeba were documented in 1960's when German researchers discovered novel plant steroids, saponins, glycosides and alkaloids in the root, stem and leaves.^(7-9) The alkaloids are found in more abundance in the roots (.25% to .96%) although they are present in the stem (.28%) and leaves (.20%) ^{(9, 10)} Solanidine and Solasodine were discovered in the leaves and fruit of Jurubeba which accounted for its liver protective properties.^{(11, 12)} The steriods and saponins were found in higher quantities in the roots while the leaves had the greatest amount of glycosides.^{(8, 9, 13,)}

While Jurubeba is a very popular natural remedy, its use has mostly been confined to South America. It is a wonderful remedy for most types of digestive disorders, working quickly and efficiently, deserving of much more attention here in the U.S.

1 "Jurubeba is well-known in Brazil as a hangover remedy. This herb is used after excess food and alcohol consumption to alleviate indigestion and bloating. It is also used for swelling of the liver and spleen, liver disease such as chronic hepatitis or liver obstruction. It helps irritable bowel syndrome." "Jurubeba helps stimulate digestion and can act as an anti-inflammatory to the liver and spleen. It is excellent for alcohol excesses and acts as a diuretic. Jurubeba has been used to treat uterine tumors and is rich in alkaloids." 3 "ACTIONS: Eases indigestion, Tonifies liver, Stimulates proper digestion , Reduces swelling of liver and spleen. TRADITIONAL USE: Brazilians believe Jurubeba to be a powerful tonic for the liver. Recognized throughout Brazil as a remedy for liver inflammation and digestive inconveniences caused by excess alcohol consumption. Jurubeba has been found influential in the treatment of liver and spleen dysfunction. It is also a mild diuretic and has been used to treat uterine tumors. It stimulates digestion and is anti-inflammatory to the liver and spleen. MERIDIAN INDICATIONS: Increases Liver / Gallbladder Yang, Dispels fire in Stomach EVA POINTS: Liver, Spleen, Stomach" 8 "Brazilian uses and Folklore: Most Brazilians, after a heavy meal or drinking bout, know how to help themselves the natural way - they drink a cup of Jurubeba tea. After just a few minutes the symptoms of indigestion and that bloated feeling disappear. Jurubeba tea or extract is found in the kitchen closets of most households and many people carry a little bag of tea around with them - just in case. Jurubeba is a powerful tonic for the liver. G. L. Cruz, in his book "Livro Verde das Plantas Medicinais e Industriais do Brasil" (1965, Belo Horizonte, Vol. 11 p. 554) states that "the roots, leaves and fruit are used as a tonic and decongestive. It stimulates the digestive functions and reduces the swelling of the liver and spleen. It is a good remedy against chronic hepatitis, intermittent fever, uterine tumors, hydropsy". Uses: Influential in the treatment of liver disease (hepatitis, obstruction of); for symptoms of hydropsy, fevers, internal abscesses, uterine tumors. Aid to digestion and tonic." 19 "Solanum, Jurubeba
MED15: Medicinal uses: treats boils and pimples." 21 "SOLANACEAE
Nightshade Family, Potato Family
The Solanaceae comprises up to 3000 species in some 90 genera of herbs, shrubs and a few trees. It is cosmopolitan, occuring around the world except in the arctic areas; its principal centre lies in Andean South America. The family has been divided into five tribes based mainly on ovarian structure. It is one of the most important economic families, a source of many useful species: numerous ornamentals, edible fruits (tomato, egg plant, green peppers, tree tomato, Cape gooseberry, pepino, cocona, naranjillo; a fumatory (tobacco), medicines and narcotics (belladonna, mandrake, datura, etc.); poisons (deadly nightshade, henbane, etc.); a starchy tuber (white potato); a spice (red pepper).
The chemistry of the family is complex but, because of its economic importance, is well known. Tropane alkaloids are characteristic of some sections of the family, steroidal alkaloids of others and several miscellaneous structural types are found. Polyphenols including benzoic acids, coumarins and flavonoids, tannins, steroidal saponins and sapogenins, steroidal lactones, pentacyclic triterpenes, resins, waxes, and ethereal oils along with the pungent principles of Capsicum have all been recorded in the family. Solanum Linnaeus
With some 2000 species of great variability in form and ecological preference, this genus is one of the largest of the Plant Kingdom. It occurs in temperate and tropical regions around the world and includes herbs, shrubs, vines, often small trees; some species are climbers, a few are stongly spiny. The genus is the source of numerous toxic and medicinal species as well as several food plants: the white potato (Solanum tuberosum), the eggplant (S. melongena), the pepino (S. muricatum), and the naranjillo (S. quitoense). The tomato is frequently classified as a species of Solanum, but it is now evident that its assignment to the allied genus Lycopersicon is fully warranted. The genus is rich in potentially biodynamic principles, particularly alkaloids (Ripperberger, 1981) which are of the tropane, steroid and other miscellaneous types.
REFERENCES
Ripperberger, H. And Screiber, K., The alkaloids, Chemistry and Physiology, Academic Press 19 (1981) 81."