A botanical formula which combines 7 plants traditionally used in South America for asthma, COPD and other lung problems* For more information on the individual ingredients in Amazon Lung Support, follow the links provided below to the plant database files in the Tropical Plant Database.

Ingredients: A herbal blend of amor seco, embauba, avenca, mullaca, jatoba, mutamba, and samambaia. To prepare this natural remedy yourself: use three parts amor seco, two parts embauba, and one part each of the remaining plants in the list. To make a small amount... "1 part" could be one tablespoon (you'd have 10 tablespoons of the blended herbal formula). For larger amounts, use "1 part" as one ounce or one cup or one pound. Combine all the herbs together well. The herbal mixture can then be stuffed into capsules or brewed into tea, stirred into juice or other liquid, or taken however you'd like.

Suggested Use: Take 1 to 1.5 grams 2-3 times daily. (1 gram is approximately 1 teaspoon by volume)
Contraindications:
1. Not to be used during pregnancy or while breast-feeding.
2. This formula should not be used in combination with digitalis.
3. Those with cardiac disorders should be monitored more closely when taking this formula.
Drug Interactions: None reported; however, based on animal studies, it may potentiate digitalis, ACE-inhibitor, hypoglycemic, and hypotensive drugs.
Other Practitioner Observations:
1. Several plants in this formula have been documented to reduce blood pressure in animal studies. Individuals with low blood pressure should be monitored for this possible effect.
2. Several ingredients have shown a hypoglycemic effect in animal studies. Those with hypoglycemia should monitor their blood sugar levels for this possible effect.

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Third-Party Published Research*

This rainforest formula has not been the subject of any clinical research. A partial listing of third-party published research on each herbal ingredient in the formula is shown below. Please refer to the plant database files by clicking on the plant names below to see all available documentation and research on each plant ingredient.

Amor Seco (Desmodium adscendens)
Barreto, G. S. "Effect of butanolic fraction of Desmodium adscendens on the anococcygeus of the rat." Braz. J. Biol. 2002; 62(2): 223-30.
Addy, M. E., et al. "Dose-response effects of Desmodium adscendens aqueous extract on histamine response, content and anaphylactic reactions in the guinea pig." J. Ethnopharmacol. 1996; 18(1): 13-20.
Addy, M. E., et al. "An extract of Desmodium adscendens activates cyclooxygenase and increases prostaglandin synthesis by ram seminal vesicle microsomes." Phytother. Res. 1995; 9(4): 287-93.
McManus, O. B., et al. "An activator of calcium-dependent potassium channels isolated from a medicinal herb." Biochemistry 1993; 32(24): 6128-33.
Addy, M. E., et al. "Some secondary plant metabolites in Desmodium adscendens and their effects on arachidonic acid metabolism." Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Essent. Fatty Acids 1992; 47(1): 85-91.
Boye, G. and O. Ampopo. "Plants and traditional medicine in Ghana." Economic and Medicinal Plant Research 4 1990. Devon, England: Academic Press Ltd.: 33-4.
Addy, M. E., et al. "Effect of Desmodium adscendens fraction 3 on contractions of respiratory smooth muscle." J. Ethnopharmacol. 1990; 29(3): 325-35.
Addy, M. E., et al. "Effect of Desmodium adscendens fraction F1 (DAFL) on tone and agonist-induced contractions of guinea pig airway smooth muscle." Phytother. Res. 1989; 3(3): 85-90.
Addy, M. E., et al. "Several chromatographically distinct fractions of Desmodium adscendens inhibit smooth muscle contractions." Int. J. Crude Drug Res. 1989; 27(2): 81-91.
Addy, M. E., et al. "Effect of Desmodium adscendens fractions on antigen- and arachidonic acid-induced contractions of guinea pig airways." Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 1987; 66(6): 820-25.
Addy, M. E., et al. "Dose-response effect of one subfraction of Desmodium adscendens aqueous extract on antigen- and arachidonic acid-induced contractions of guinea pig airways." Phytother. Res. 1987; 1(4): 180-86.
Addy, M. E., et al. "Effects of the extracts of Desmodium adscendens on anaphylaxis." J. Ethnopharmacol. 1984; 11(3): 283-92.

Embauba (Cecropia peltata)
Carbajal, D., et al. "Pharmacological screening of plant decoctions commonly used in Cuban folk medicine." J. Ethnopharmacol. 1991; 33: 21-4.
Perea Guerrero, C., et al. "A pharmacological study of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol. aqueous extract." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2001; 76(3): 279-84.
Feng, P. C., et al. "Pharmacological screening of some West Indian medicinal plants." J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 1962; 14: 556-61. 
Velazquez, E., et al. "Antioxidant activity of Paraguayan plant extracts." Fitoterapia. 2003; 74(1-2): 91-7.

Avenca (Adiantum capillus-veneris)
Mahmoud, M. J., et al. "In vitro antimicrobial activity of Salsola rosmarinus and Adiantum capillus-veneris." Int. J. Crude Drug Res. 1989; 27(1): 14-16.
Husson, G. P., et al. "Research into antiviral properties of a few natural extracts." Ann. Pharm. Fr. 1986; 44(1): 41-8.

Mullaca (Physalis angulata)
Silva, M. T., et al. "Studies on antimicrobial activity, in vitro, of Physalis angulata L. (Solanaceae) fraction and physalin B bringing out the importance of assay determination." Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz. 2005 Nov; 100(7): 779-82.
Bastos, G. N., et al. "Antinociceptive effect of the aqueous extract obtained from roots of Physalis angulata L. on mice." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Jan; 103(2): 241-5.
Vieira, A.T., et al. "Mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory effects of the natural secosteroids physalins in a model of intestinal ischaemia and reperfusion injury." Br. J. Pharmacol. 2005 Sep; 146(2): 244-51.
Choi, E. M., et al. "Investigations of anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of Piper cubeba, Physalis angulata and Rosa hybrida." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2003 Nov; 89(1): 171-5.
Cox, P. A. "Pharmacological activity of the Samoan ethnopharmacopoeia." Econ. Bot. 1989; 43(4): 487-97.
Pietro, R. C., et al. "In vitro antimycobacterial activities of Physalis angulata L." Phytomedicine 2000; 7(4): 335-38.
Januario, A. H., et al. "Antimycobacterial physalins from Physalis angulata L. (Solanaceae)." Phytother. Res. 2002; 16(5): 445-48.
Hussain, H., et al. "Plants in Kano ethnomedicine; screening for antimicrobial activity and alkaloids." Int. J. Pharmacol. 1991; 29(1): 51-56.

Jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril)
Abdel-Kader, M., et al. "Isolation and absolute configuration of ent-Halimane diterpenoids from Hymenaea courbaril from the Suriname rain forest." J. Nat. Prod. 2002; 65(1): 11-5.
Rahalison, L., et al. "Screening for antifungal activity of Panamanian plants." Inst. J. Pharmacog. 1993; 31(1): 68-76.
Verpoorte, R., et al. "Medicinal plants of Surinam. IV. Antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants." J. Ethnopharmacol. 1987; 21(3): 315-18.
Arrhenius, S.P., et al. "Inhibitory effects of Hymenaea and Copaifera leaf resins on the leaf fungus, Pestalotia subcuticulari." Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 1983; 11(4): 361-66.
Giral, F., et al. "Ethnopharmacognostic observation on Panamanian medicinal plants. Part 1." Q. J. Crude Drug Res. 1979; 167(3/4): 115-30.

Mutamba (Guazuma ulmifolia)
Caceres, A., et al. "Plants used in Guatemala for the treatment of respiratory diseases. 2: Evaluation of activity of 16 plants against gram-positive bacteria." J. Ethnopharmacol. 1993; 39(1): 77-82.
Camporese, A., et al. "Screening of anti-bacterial activity of medicinal plants from Belize (Central America)." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2003 Jul; 87(1): 103-7.
Navarro, M. C., et al. "Antibacterial, antiprotozoal and antioxidant activity of five plants used in Izabal for infectious diseases." Phytother. Res. 2003; 17(4): 325-9.
Caceres, A., et al. "Plants used in Guatemala for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. 3. Confirmation of activity against enterobacteria of 16 plants." J. Ethnopharmacol. 1993; 38(1): 31-38.

Samambaia (Polypodium decumanum)
Punzon, C., et al. "In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of Phlebodium decumanum. Modulation of tumor necrosis factor and soluble TNF receptors." Int. Immunopharmacol. 2003; 3(9): 1293-9.
Manna, S. K., et al. "Calagualine inhibits nuclear transcription factors-kappaB activated by various inflammatory and tumor promoting agents." Cancer Lett. 2003; 190(2): 171-82.
Navarro-Blasco, F. J., et al. "Modification of the inflammatory activity of psoriatic arthritis in patients treated with extract of Polypodium leucotomos (Anapsos)." Br. J. Rheumatol. 1998; 37(8): 912.
Reyes, E., et al. "Systemic immunomodulatory effects of Polypodium leucotomos as an adjuvant to PUVA therapy in generalized vitiligo: A pilot study." J. Dermatol. Sci. 2006 Jan 16;
Nogal-Ruiz, J. J., "Modulation by Polypodium leucotomos extract of cytokine patterns in experimental trichomoniasis model." Parasite. 2003 Mar; 10(1): 73-8.
Sempere-Ortells, J. M., et al. "Anapsos (Polypodium leucotomos) modulates lymphoid cells and the expression of adhesion molecules." Pharmacol. Res. 2002; 46(2): 185-90.
Gonzalez, S., et al. "An extract of the fern Polypodium leucotomos (Difur) modulates Th1/Th2 cytokines balance in vitro and appears to exhibit anti-angiogenic activities in vivo: Pathogenic relationships and therapeutic implications." Anticancer Res. 2000; 20(3a): 1567-75.
Sempere-Ortells , J. M., et al. "Effect of Anapsos (Polypodium leucotomos extract) on in vitro production of cytokines." Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 1997; 43(1): 85-9.
Bernd, A., et al. "In vitro studies on the immunomodulating effects of Polypodium leucotomos extract on human leukocyte fractions." Arzneimittelforschung. 1995; 45(8): 901-4.

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