Hoodia

Hoodia pilifera

Desert Cactus Ghaap Hoodia Parts used Uses Habitat and cultivation Constituents How much to take

The plant is a leafless succulent of up to 0.5 m in height, with fleshy, ribbed and thorny stems arising from a common base. The flowers are dark purple to almost black, with a smell of decaying flesh to attract flies and blowflies (the main pollinators). The seed capsules resemble the horns of a goat and contain numerous brown seeds with silky seed hairs. Three subspecies of H. pilifera are known. Subsp. pilifera: flowers purple-brown, up to 20 mm in diameter; subsp. annulata: flowers dark purple to black, 20-30 mm in diameter, with spreading lobes; subsp. pillansii: flowers yellow to pinkish, without the raised rim (annulus) as in the other subspecies. The main species under commercial development is H. gordonii. It has large, flesh-colored flowers.

PARTS USED

The fleshy stems.

USES

The stems of Hoodia species and several other succulents known as carrion flowers or stapeliads (locally referred to as "ghaap") are traditionally used by the Khoi-San herders of South Africa and Namibia as appetite and thirst suppressants. The appetite suppressant principle has been isolated, identified and patented and is currently being studied with the aim of developing an anti-obesity drug.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Hoodia is native to Southern Africa (arid parts). Hoodia is grown on an experimental scale and is not yet fully commercialized.

CONSTITUENTS

Like many members of the family, these plants contain cardiac glycosides or bio-chemically related compounds, such as pregnane derivatives. The main active compound in hoodia is a pregnane glycoside known as P57.

HOW MUCH TO TAKE

A small piece of the stem is peeled to remove the thorns and is eaten fresh. The optimal dose of the active compound is not yet known.