Devil´s Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) from Southern Africa: sustainable use by cultivation combined with controlled harvesting in semi-wild populations

Abstract

Devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), a plant well adapted to the desert conditions of the Kalahari in Southern Africa, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. The herb used is the sliced and dried secondary root tuber developing from the side roots of the succulent main root containing harpagoside as active ingredient. Because the herb is usually collected from the wild the harvesting method used in the past cannot sustain demand on the long term. Experiences of a project for cultivation and sustainable harvest of Harpagophytum in the Kalahari of South Africa paralleled by intensive ecological research will be presented. Methods were established to cultivate the plant and also to transfer gained knowledge to the local communities. The most important step is the training of harvesting methods in the collection of wildgrown tubers and how to avoid adulterants. The cultivation success was achieved by developing an environmentally suitable ‘rain-feed system’ on vegetation-free stripes and successful propagation methods. The main aim of a parallel Scientific Support Project in Ecology was to find out the optimum ecological conditions of Harpagophytum by research in eco-physiology as well as factors influencing yield of tubers and harpagoside contents