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TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS

Abstract of publications

Tribuls terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae) (English: Caltrop) is an annual herb, up to 50 cm high, with thorny, bitter tasting fruits. The fruits are listed as medicinal drug in the Chinese Pharmocopeia (1985). In the classical Chinese medicine they are used as tonic in cases of neurasthenia and stomach sickness, also as astringent against inflammations of the oral mucous membranes. The normally administered dose is 7 to 10 grams (KEYS, 1976).

TOMOWA et al. (1981) report on an enhanced spermatogenesis in male and an increase of the fertility in female rats, probably caused by steroids in T. terrestris.

T. terrestris contains steroid saponines which yield on hydrolysis the sapogenine Ruscogenin (TOMOWA et al., 1974) and is used for its commercial production. Ruscobenin is a veinal therapeutic and has an anti-edematous effect. It contracts veines and reduces inflammation (HAGER, 1993)

According to MILES (1994) Tribulus extract contains the glycosides of the sagogenins diosgenin, yamogenin, epismilagenin, tigogenin, neotigogenin, gitogenin and neogitogenin in the ratio 10:7:1:11:7:35:25.

In pasture animals (especially sheep) locomotory disturbances are observed after ingestion of large quantities of Tribulus (when other food is scarce) (BOURKE, 1984; GLASTONBURY et al., 1984, BOURKE, 1992).

A clinical study on the effect of T. terrestris saponins in cases of coronary heart disease was carried out by Chinese scientists (WANG et al., 1990). The group of patients treated with T. terrestris showed a lower incidence of renewed Angina pectoris attacks and mmore favorable electrocardiographic values than the control group. An improved coronary perfusion was found. Side effect were not observed even at long term administration.

References

BOURKE, C.A., 1984: Staggers in sheep associated with the ingestion of Tribulus terrestris. Aust. Vet. J. 61:360-363 (1984)
BOURKE, C.A., Stevens, G.R., and Carrigan, M.J., 1992: Locomotor effects in sheep of alkaloids identified in Australian Tribulus terrestris. Aust. Vet. J. 69: 163-165 (1992)
GLASTONBURY, J.R., et al., 1984: A syndrome of hepatogenous photosensitisation, resembling geeldikkop, in sheep grazing Tribulus terrestris. Aust. Vet. J. 61:314-316 (1984)
HAGERS Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 5. Auflage, Bd. 9, Springer Verlag, Berlin 1993.
KEYS, J.D., C.E. Tuttle, 1976: Chinese Herbs, Rutland (VT) and Tokyo, 1976
MILES, C.O. et al., 1994: Photosensitivity in South Africa. VII. Chemical composition of biliary crystals from a sheep with experimentally induced geeldikkop. Onderstepoort J. Vet. Res. 1994 Sep;61(3):215-22
TOMOWA, M., et al., 1974: Steroidsaponine und Steroidsapogenine. IV. Saponine aus Tribulus terrestris. Planta Med. 25: 231-237 (1974)
TOMOWA, M., et al., 1981: Steroidal saponins from T. terrestris with a stimulating action on the sexual functions. Int. Conf. Chem. Biotechnol. Biol. Act. Nat. Prod. 3: 298-302 (1981)
WANG, B., Ma, L., and Liu, T., 1990: 406 cases of angina pectoris in coronary heart disease treated with saponin of Tribulus terrestris. Chung Hsi I Chieh Ho Tsa Chih (ISSN 0254-9034), 10: 85-87 (1990)
YAN, W., et al., 1996: Steroidal saponins from fruits of Tribulus terrestris. Phytochemistry 42: 1417-22 (1996)

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