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Larrea tridentata, or Larrea, recognized as being the oldest living plant on Earth, is native to the southwest deserts of the US and has a long history of use by Native Americans and European settlers. Records show that Larrea has been used as a “medicine chest” for a wide range of infections and inflammatory conditions.

In 1995/96, Larrea jumped to the forefront of HIV research when three scientific articles by scientists at Johns Hopkins University detailed the efficacy of extracts from Larrea tridentata to arrest the replication of HIV, the AIDS virus. These papers showed how two natural compounds isolated from Larrea tridentata inhibit the transcription and replication of HIV-1 by a novel mechanism-they prevent the binding of a protein necessary for viral activation and replication. Additionally, components of Larrea, specifically the unique flavonoid and lignan antioxidants, can arrest the replication of viruses via complementary mechanisms of action. Larrea’s antioxidants have the ability to inhibit an oxidation sensor in cells that can trigger virus replication.

Flavonoid components, which are abundant in Larrea, have also been shown to inhibit reverse transcriptase, an enzyme found in retroviruses, such as HIV. These same flavonoid compounds also inhibit the activation of HIV virus in latently infected cells.

Research dating back to the mid-1980s has helped to develop unique methods to extract the medically active agents from Larrea tridentata. The active ingredient has been in test marketing since 1996 and has been used by over 3,500 customers in more than 34 countries-resulting in four US patents which cover the manufacturing and composition of the ingredient, as well as treatment of herpes virus indications and inflammatory diseases. The active antiviral components from Larrea tridentata have been isolated, purified, and formulated into health products such as dietary supplements and topical products.

Clinicians report that Larrea-based products demonstrate effective resolution of disease conditions caused by herpes viruses including: cold sores, genital herpes, shingles, and Kaposi’s sarcoma. Clinical studies, performed in 1996 with over 40 volunteers including a large percentage of participants with AIDS, revealed effective resolution of herpes symptoms and/or reduced duration of herpes virus infection in over 95% of the individual participants.

Of clinical significance was the fact that Larrea-based products appeared to be well tolerated and effective for treating various herpes virus infections in immunocompromised individuals, including HIV positive individuals and people with full-blown AIDS. Accordingly, Larrea-based antiviral therapy may be superior to currently available prescription antiviral drug therapy as some antiherpes drugs are often not practical in treating herpes virus infections in immunocompromised individuals because these drugs can further suppress immunity and cause other complications.

The successful development of Larrea-based products shows that natural products, rooted in folk-medical history and validated by modern science, do have a place in medicine today.

Source: alive #254, December 2003