Description: Ajos sacha is quite well known and popular in the cities and towns in the Amazon and has a long history of use in herbal medicine systems in Peru and Brazil. It is considered analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antirheumatic and widely used for arthritis, rheumatism, body aches and pain, and muscle aches, injuries and pain.* To see pictures of ajos sacha, click here. For more detailed information about ajos sacha (Mansoa alliacea), please see the Plant Database File for Ajos Sacha in the Tropical Plant Database and Leslie Taylor's Blog on Ajos Sacha. More information can also be found in the Antimicrobial Guide.
Properties/Actions Documented by Research: analgesic, antibacterial, anticancerous, antifungal, antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, COX-inhibitor, hypocholesterolemic (lowers cholesterol), immune modulator, insecticidal, pediculicide (kills lice)
Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use: anti-arthritic, antirheumatic, antitussive (stops coughing, depurative (mild laxative), febrifuge (lowers fever), purgative, tonic, vermifuge (expels worms)
Suggested Use: Take 1 g 2 - 3 times daily or as directed by a health care professional.
Contraindications: None reported
Drug Interactions: None

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All available third-party research on ajos sacha can be found at PubMed. A partial listing of the published research on ajos sacha through April 2020 is shown below:

Antimicrobial Actions:
Roumey, V., et al. "Viral hepatitis in the Peruvian Amazon: Ethnomedical context and phytomedical resource." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2020 Jun; 255: 112735.
da Silva, C., et al. "Antimicrobial activity of alcoholic extracts of medicinal plants against phytopathogenic fungi." J. Experiment. Agri. Intl. 2019; 41(6): 1-7.
Sudirga, S. et al." Antifungal activity of leaf extract of Mansoa alliacea against Colletotrichum acutatum the cause of anthracnose disease on chili pepper." Earth Environ. Sci.2019; 347: 012058.
Santos, A., et al. "Atividade antifúngica do óleo essencial de Mansoa standleyi (Steyerm.) A. H. Gentry, do Acará, Pará, Brasil." In: Souza-Filho A., et al. "Cipó-d'alho: aspectos botânicos, químicos e moléculas bioativas. Brasília: Embrapa; 2012. p. 157-65.
Araújo, N., "In vitro antimicrobial activity of plant extracts on microorganisms related to injury of oral mucositis." Dissertação, Universidade Federal do Pará, 2010.
Zoghbi, M., et al. "The genus Mansoa (Bignoniaceae): A source of organosulfur compounds. Braz. J. Pharmacog. 2009; 19: 795-804.
Chirunthorn, R., et al. "Study on biological activities of Mansao hymenaea (DC.) A. Gentry leaf extracts." Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol. 2005; 27(Suppl. 2): 489-495.
Canapaty, S., et al. "Composition of leaf oil from Adenocalymma alliaceum and its antimicrobial activity." Indian Perfumer. 2004; 48(3): 323-329.
Rana, B. K., et al. "Antifungal activity of an aqueous extract of leaves of garlic creeper (Adenocaymma alliaceum Miers.)." Pharma. Biol. 1999; 37(1):. 13-16.
Freixa, B., et al. Screening for antifungal activity of nineteen Latin American plants." Phytother. Res. 1998; 12: 27-43.
Ushamalini, C., et al. "Management of charcoal rot of cowpea using biocontrol agents and plant products." Indian Phytopathol. 1997; 50(4): 504-507.
Ushamalini, C., et al. "Suppression of charcoal rot and wilt pathogens of cowpea by botanicals." Plant Disease Research 1997; 12(2): 113-117.
Singh, U., et al. "A rapid method for detecting fungi-toxic substances." World J. Microbio. Biotech. 1996; 12(3): 301-302.
Rao, A. M., et al. "Antimicrobial activity of the leaf extract of Adenocalymma alliaceum." Indian Drugs. 1985: 22(7): 364-365.
Khurana, S., et al. "Effect of plant extracts on the activity of three papaya viruses." J. Gen. Appl. Microbiol. 1970; 16: 225-230.

Anti-inflammatory & Pain-Relieving Actions:
Hamann, R., et al. "Mansoa alliacea extract presents antinociceptive effect in a chronic inflammatory pain model in mice through opioid mechanisms." Neurochem Int. 2019 Jan; 122: 157-169.
Zoghbi, M., et al. "The genus Mansoa (Bignoniaceae): A source of organosulfur compounds. Braz. J. Pharmacog. 2009; 19: 795-804.
Dunstan, C., et al. "Evaluation of some Samoan and Peruvian medicinal plants by prostaglandin biosynthesis and rat ear oedema assays." J. Ethnopharmacol. 1997; 57: 35-56.

Antioxidant Actions:
Pires, F., et al. "Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the phenolic content of Connarus var. angustifolius, Cecropia obtusa, Cecropia palmata and Mansoa alliacea based on HPLC-DAD and UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS." Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia 27 (2017) 426-433.
Zoghbi, M., et al. "The genus Mansoa (Bignoniaceae): A source of organosulfur compounds. Braz. J. Pharmacog. 2009; 19: 795-804.
Desmarchelier, C., et al. "Total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP) and total antioxidant reactivity (TAR) of medicinal plants used in Southwest Amazona (Bolivia and Peru)." Int. J. Pharmacog. 1997; 35(4): 288-296.
Prasad, K.,et al. "Antioxidant activity of allicin, an active principle in garlic." Mol. Cellular. Biochem. 1995; 148: 183-189.
Scogin, R. "Anthocyanins of the Bignoniaceae." Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 1980; 273-276.

Anti-tumorous & Anti-cancerous Actions:
Towne C., et al. "Effect of Mansoa alliacea (Bignonaceae) leaf extract on embryonic and tumorigenic mouse cell lines." J. Med. Plants Res. 2015; 9(29): 799-805.
Dvoáková, M., et al. "Garlic sulfur compounds suppress cancerogenesis and oxidative stress: A Review. Animal Sciences. Scientia Agricultura e Bohemica. 2015; 46: 65-72,
Chirunthorn, R., et al. "Study on biological activities of Mansao hymenaea (DC.) A. Gentry leaf extracts." Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol. 2005; 27(Suppl. 2): 489-495.
Itokawa, H., et al. "Cytotoxic naphthoquinones from Mansoa alliacea." Phytochemistry. 1992; 31(3): 1061-1062.

Cholesterol-Lowering Actions:
Yeh, Y., et al. "Cholesterol-lowering effect of garlic extracts and organosulfur compounds: human and animal studies." J. Nutr. 2001 Mar; 131(3s): 989S-993S.
Srinivasan, M., et al. "Hypocholesterolemic efficacy of garlic-smelling flower Adenocalymma alliaceum Miers. in experimental rats." Indian J. Exp. Biol. 1995; 33(1): 64-66.

Antihistamine Actions:
Oliveira, D., "Triagem de cinco espécies de plantas medicinais usadas na Amazônia através da análise de secreção de histamina." Tese, Universidade Federal do Pará, 2013.

Pediculicidal (kills head lice) & Insecticidal Actions:
Fanela, T., et al. "Lethal and inhibitory activities of plant-derived essential oils against Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) biotype B in tomato." Neotrop Entomol. 2016 Apr; 45(2): 201-10.
Chirunthorn, R., et al. "Study on biological activities of Mansao hymenaea (DC.) A. Gentry leaf extracts." Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol. 2005; 27(Suppl. 2): 489-495.

Chemicals Identified:
Woniak, L., et al "Ursolic Acid--A pentacyclic triterpenoid with a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities." Molecules 2015; 20(11): 20614-20641.
Zoghbi, M. G. B., et al. "Volatile constituents from Adenococalymma alliaceum Miers. and Petiveria alliacea L., Two medicinal herbs of the Amazon." Flavour and Fragrance Journal 2002; 17(2): 133-135.
Rao, L., et al. "Chemical composition of the volatile oil from garlic creeper (Adenocalymma alliaceum)." J. Med. Aromat. Plant Sci.1999; 21(4): 987-989.
Sharma, R. K.. "Phytosterols: Wide-spectrum antibacterial agents." Bioorg. Chem. 1993; 21(1): 49-60.
Pandey, H., "et al. "Glycyrrhetol and beta-Peltoboykinolic acid from Adenocalymma alliaceum."
Planta Med. 1992 Apr; 58(2): 225
Das Gracas, B., et al. "Volatile sulfides of the Amazonian garlic bush." J. Agr. Food Chem. 1984; 32(5): 1009-1010.
Apparao, M., et al. "Aliin in the garlicky taxon Adenocalymma alliaceum (Bignoniaceae)." Phytochemistry. 1981; 20: 822-823.
Rao, M., et al. "Flavonoids of the flowers of Adenocalymma alliaceum." Curr. Sci. 1980; 49: 468-469.
Apparao, M., et al. "Chemical components of Adenocalymma alliaceae." Indian J. Pharm. Sci. 1978; 40: 224A. 9.
Apparao, M., et al. "Diallyl, Di-, Tri- and Tetrasulphide from Adenocalymma alliaceae." Phytochemistry. 1978; 17: 1660-1661.

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