The Amazon has thrown up another potential medical aid, with the news that a natural product derived from a rainforest tree may treat joint, skin and gastrointestinal diseases.
Progrado, an extract from the Croton palanostigma, has been found to have potent antioxidant effects, according to a study in the Journal of Inflammation.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine found that the extract was able to block the action of 'molecular scissors' - enzymes that cut the collagen in human cartilage into tiny pieces during inflammation and thereby destroy the cartilage.
Lead investigator Tariq Haqqi, professor of medicine at the university, described this as "an exciting finding".
"This is the first time a natural product has been shown to directly block these molecular scissors while showing potential to stimulate repair," he claimed.
"This is a testament to the wound healing properties of this traditional medicine and the distinctive therapeutic opportunities that nature offers."
Study co-author Paul Bobrowski added that the extract could provide a range of therapeutic innovations to treat arthritis, irritable bowel disease and skin wrinkling.
The Amazon has thrown up another potential medical aid, with the news that a natural product derived from a rainforest tree may treat joint, skin and gastrointestinal diseases.
