Sustainable use of Devils Claw

in the Kalahari Sands of the

Hwange District, Northwest
Zimbabwe

Presentation for IFSA

Theme: Sustainable Forest
Management
24 June 2015

Plant
description
Perennial herb with several annual stem from succulent tuberous
taproot

Harpagophytum procumbens (Burch

1822)

Comprises of two
species;

Harpagophytum zeyheri (Decne 1865)

Primary
Tuber

Primary
tuber

Secondary
tubers

Secondary tubers

Dried
tubers

Distribution of the plant

Countries with D.C

Why the interest in the plant?

Popularly known for its medicinal role
Was traditionally used by the Khoi and San communities for its anti
inflammatory and analgesic action & treating ailments such as fever, blood
disease, urinary tract complaints, post partum pain, sprain sores and ulcers
International export of the plant began in 1962 after Merhert had exported
dried tubers of the plant to Germany in the 1950s for studying its medicinal
use
This led to its increasing popularity where currently its use in Europe is mainly
for application to painful conditions of the muscular-skeletal system and
digestive problems (Simon et al. 2007)
The extracts from the tubers are widely used for arthritis, osteoarthritis and
muscular pain (Crubasik et al. 2002)
There are home remedies done in Europe that contain the secondary tubers of
Devils Claw and they are used to induce appetite, relieve dyspeptic
complaints and additionally as support therapy for degenerative disorders of
the locomotor system.(Poukerns-Renwart et al. (1996)

Natural versus synthetic

Medicinal plants are now increasingly being sought after to either complement
or substitute synthetic drugs
The disadvantage of most available anti-inflammatory synthetic drugs is their
toxicity and reappearance of symptoms after discontinuation (Robotin et al.
(2011).
The main synthetic drugs used to treat inflammation and pain are Nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) but one of their major challenges are the
adverse effects they have on patients ranging from gastric irritation, ulceration,
bleeding, renal failure, hepatic failure among many (Goci et al. 2013)
This is unlike natural products where the number of chemical compounds found
within the plant kingdom is said to be part of the physiological function of living
things hence better compatibility with the human body (Sen et al. 2010)

The problem!!!
Commercial trade puts pressure on natural
resources
increase in exports from approximately 10
tonnes in 1992 to 325 tonnes in 2004 (Strohbach
& Cole (2007)
decline in the population of Devils Claw in some
areas in Namibia where previously there were
1000 to 2000 plants per hectare in an area where
it grows naturally and nowadays there is often
only one plant per hectare (Berg & Gensthaler,
2001)

The Zimbabwe situation

Traditional use of Devils claw seemed was
limited to traditionally healers- broader
community saw the plant as a weed
Situation changed in 2006-2007 when a Namibian
NGO teamed up with a Zimbabwean NGO trained
communities on sustainable harvesting of the
plant and the potential the plant has in
contributing to their livelihoods
This has resulted in communities in the Hwange
district being involved in trade of the plant

Research focus
Ecology of Devils Claw in the Hwange District
Sustainable utilisation levels of the plant
Increasing the resource base

Output
A clear understanding of the plant and trade
status of Devils Claw in Zimbabwe
Strategies to ensure effective management of the
resource
Recommendation on best methods to increase
resource base and still have quality products

The End