Mullaca is a annual herb indigenous to many parts of the tropics including the Amazon. It can be found on most continents in the tropics including Africa and Asia and the Americas. It grows up to a meter in height, bears small cream colored flowers and produces small, light yellowish-orange edible fruit sometimes referred to as a Cape Gooseberry.

Mullaca has long held a place in natural medicine in the tropical countries where it grows. It's use by rainforest Indians in the Amazon is well documented and it's edible sweet-tart fruits are enjoyed by many rainforest inhabitants, animal and human alike. Indigenous tribes in the Amazon use a leaf infusion as a diuretic.⁽¹⁾ Some Columbian tribes believe the fruits and leaves to have narcotic properties and decoct them as an anti-inflammatory and disinfectant for skin diseases⁽²⁾ while others use a leaf tea for asthma.⁽³⁾ Indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon use the leaf juice internally and externally for worms and the leaves and/or roots for earache, liver problems, malaria, hepatitis, and rheumatism.^{(4 - 6)} Indigenous tribes in the Brazilian Amazon use the sap of the plant for earaches⁽⁷⁾ and the roots for jaundice.⁽⁸⁾

Mullaca is employed in herbal medicine in both Peru and Brazil. In Peruvian herbal medicine the plant is called Mullaca or Bolsa Mullaca. It is used to treat diabetes and the roots of three Mullaca plants are sliced and macerated in 1/4 liter of rum for seven days. Honey is added and ½ glass of this medicine is taken twice daily for 60 days.⁽⁹⁾ In addition, an infusion of the leaves is recommended as a good diuretic, and an infusion of the roots is used to treat hepatitis.⁽⁹⁾ For asthma and malaria, one cup of tea made from the aerial parts of the plant is taken.⁽⁹⁾ In Brazilian herbal medicine, the plant is named Camapu. There it is employed for chronic rheumatism, skin diseases and dermatitis, as a sedative and diuretic, for fever and vomiting, and for many types of kidney, liver and gallbladder problems.⁽¹⁰⁾

Phytochemical studies on Mullaca reveal that it contains flavonoids, alkaloids, and many different types of plant steroids, some of which have never been seen before in science.^{(11 -16)} Mullaca has been the subject of recent clinical research which is still ongoing based upon the preliminary studies showing that it is an effective immune stimulant, is cytotoxic to numerous types of cancer cells and that it has antiviral properties, including against HIV. The new steroids found in Mullaca have received the most attention and many of the documented properties and actions are attributed to these steroids. In several in vivo animal tests and in vitro lab tests, an extract of the entire plant of Mullaca and/or its steroidal fractions demonstrated immune stimulant properties by strongly enhancing blastogenesis, antibody responses and increased T and B lymphocyte production.⁽¹⁷⁾ Various water, alcohol and ethanol extracts of Mullaca and its plant steroids have shown strong in vitro and in vivo (mice) cytotoxic activity against numerous types of cancer cells including; leukemia, lung, colon, cervix and melanomas.^{(18 -20)} Other research groups in Japan have been focusing on Mullaca's antiviral actions and preliminary studies show that it is active in vitro against Polio Virus I, as well as HIV I; demonstrating reverse transcriptase inhibitory effects.^{(21 - 24)} In addition to these actions, Mullaca has demonstrated good antibacterial properties in vitro against numerous types of bacteria,^{(25, 26)} antispasmodic activities in guinea pigs,⁽²⁷⁾ hypotensive properties in cats and isotonic muscle contracting properties in toads,⁽²⁸⁾ and an in vitro anticoagulant effect.⁽²⁹⁾

Interestingly enough, much of the clinical research has ignored the local and indigenous uses of the plant thus many of its effective uses in herbal medicine remain unexplained. It's tested antibacterial properties could validate its uses in as a antiseptic and disinfectant for skin diseases and affections and its use for gonorrhea. Its antiviral properties could well explain its long history of use for hepatitis although scientists have not tested it specifically against hepatitis. Possibly the antispasmodic and muscle contractive properties documented on Mullaca might explain its wide spread use for asthma as well. Yet its use throughout the rainforests for malaria and diabetes are still unexplained by science.