Pueraria mirifica
Encyclopedia
Pueraria mirifica, also known as กวาวเครือ Kwao Krua (but not exclusively), is a plant found in northern and north eastern Thailand
and Myanmar
.
In Thailand, the plant known as “Kwao Krua” is considered to be a rejuvenating adaptogenic herb and has a history of use in folk medicine. Although the name “Kwao Krua” had been applied to several species of plants having tuberous roots, it was definitively identified as Pueraria mirifica in 1952. An unusual estrogenic phenol
, miroestrol
, was isolated eight years later from this plant.
Kwao Krua is a native herbal plant found in deep forests of the northern region of Thailand. Researchers in the last few years have examined its properties and assessed its possible medical uses.
There are 4 varieties of kwao krua that are considered beneficial and can be used for medicinal, food supplementary and cosmetic purposes. They are White Kwao Krua (Pueraria mirifica), Red Kwao Krua (Butea superba), Black Kwao Krua and Dull Grey Kwao Krua. Local communities in Thailand have used Pueraria mirifica for well over one hundred years, specifically for its supposed rejuvenating qualities.
including miroestrol
, deoxymiroestrol, daidzein
, genistin
, genistein
, B-Sitosterol, stigmasterol
, coumestrol
, pueraria
, campesterol
, mirificoumestan, kwakhurin, and mirificine.
Some cosmetic products and herbal supplements claim various health benefits of the extracts of Pueraria mirifica including increasing appetite, enlarging breasts, improving hair growth, and other rejuvenating effects; however, there is no scientific evidence to support any these claims. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission
has taken action against manufacturers who make such fraudulent claims.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
.
In Thailand, the plant known as “Kwao Krua” is considered to be a rejuvenating adaptogenic herb and has a history of use in folk medicine. Although the name “Kwao Krua” had been applied to several species of plants having tuberous roots, it was definitively identified as Pueraria mirifica in 1952. An unusual estrogenic phenol
Natural phenol
Natural phenols, bioavailable phenols, plant phenolics, low molecular weight phenols or phenoloids are a class of natural products. They are small molecules containing one or more phenolic group. These molecules are smaller in size than polyphenols, containing less than 12 phenolic groups...
, miroestrol
Miroestrol
Miroestrol is a phytoestrogen, a plant-derived chemical that mimics the biological activity of the hormone estrogen. Miroestrol was first reportedly isolated from the Thai herb Pueraria mirifica in 1960 and thought to be responsible for the supposed rejuvenating properties of the plant...
, was isolated eight years later from this plant.
History
Arimuttama was the old capital of the Pookham City of Myanmar. They had a sacred Buddhist precinct and one-day the sacred Buddhist precinct was broken down. The Buddhist monks found this ingredient that was inscribed on the palm leaf and placed it in the sacred Buddhist precinct. The information is as below:To take the tuberous root of Pueraria with big leaves, pound and blend with cow’s milk. The benefits of this medicine is to support memory, talk big, and be able to remember three books of the astrology, make the skin smooth like six year old kid, live more than 1,000 years and parasite diseases are not able to be of trouble
Kwao Krua is a native herbal plant found in deep forests of the northern region of Thailand. Researchers in the last few years have examined its properties and assessed its possible medical uses.
There are 4 varieties of kwao krua that are considered beneficial and can be used for medicinal, food supplementary and cosmetic purposes. They are White Kwao Krua (Pueraria mirifica), Red Kwao Krua (Butea superba), Black Kwao Krua and Dull Grey Kwao Krua. Local communities in Thailand have used Pueraria mirifica for well over one hundred years, specifically for its supposed rejuvenating qualities.
Uses
Pueraria mirifica, also known as 'white kwao krua', is a natural tuberous herbal root and contains high levels of natural phytoestrogensPhytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens are plant-derived xenoestrogens functioning as the primary female sex hormone not generated within the endocrine system but consumed by eating phytoestrogonic plants...
including miroestrol
Miroestrol
Miroestrol is a phytoestrogen, a plant-derived chemical that mimics the biological activity of the hormone estrogen. Miroestrol was first reportedly isolated from the Thai herb Pueraria mirifica in 1960 and thought to be responsible for the supposed rejuvenating properties of the plant...
, deoxymiroestrol, daidzein
Daidzein
Daidzein belongs to the group of isoflavones. Daidzein and other isoflavone compounds, such as genistein, are present in a number of plants and herbs like the Thai Kwao Krua or Pueraria mirifica, Kudzu or Pueraria lobata, and in food sources such as soybeans and soy products like tofu and textured...
, genistin
Genistin
Genistin is an isoflavone found in a number of dietary plants like soy and kudzu. It was first isolated in 1931 from the 90% methanol extract of a soybean meal, when it was found that hydrolysis with hydrochloric acid produced 1 mole each of genistein and glucose...
, genistein
Genistein
Genistein is one of several known isoflavones. Isoflavones, such as genistein and daidzein, are found in a number of plants including lupin, fava beans, soybeans, kudzu, and psoralea being the primary food source, also in the medicinal plant, Flemingia vestita and coffee Besides functioning as...
, B-Sitosterol, stigmasterol
Stigmasterol
Stigmasterol is one of a group of plant sterols, or phytosterols, that include beta-sitosterol, campesterol, ergosterol , brassicasterol, delta-7-stigmasterol and delta-7-avenasterol, that are chemically similar to animal cholesterol...
, coumestrol
Coumestrol
Coumestrol is a natural organic compound in the class of phytochemicals known as coumestans. It has garnered research interest because of its estrogenic activity and its prevalence in some foods, such as soybeans....
, pueraria
Pueraria
Pueraria is a genus of 15–20 species of plants native to Asia.The genus is polyphyletic, with different species being related to species in Glycine , Amphicarpaea, Nogra, Teyleria, Neonotonia, Pseudovigna, Pseudeminia, Pachyrhizus , and other genera of the tribe Phaseoleae.- Species :The...
, campesterol
Campesterol
Campesterol is a phytosterol whose chemical structure similar to that of cholesterol. Many vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds contain campesterol, but in low concentrations. Banana, pomegranate, pepper, coffee, grapefruit, cucumber, onion, oat, potato and lemon grass are few examples of common...
, mirificoumestan, kwakhurin, and mirificine.
Some cosmetic products and herbal supplements claim various health benefits of the extracts of Pueraria mirifica including increasing appetite, enlarging breasts, improving hair growth, and other rejuvenating effects; however, there is no scientific evidence to support any these claims. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
has taken action against manufacturers who make such fraudulent claims.