Pao pereira

Traditional use of Pao pereira

Pao pereira (Geissospermum Vellosii, or Geissospermum leave Velloso), also spelled Pau pereira, is a well-known tree, native to South America.  This plant, which has been used in traditional medicine for centuries, is also very present in South American popular culture.

Use of this plant extract spans a period of over three centuries, and information about its traditional use in South America, North America and Europe has been featured in a number of important publications.

Pao pereira: monography  of 1848

On December 7, 1848, Ezequiel Correa Dos Santos presented his thesis “Monographia do Geissospermum vellosii vulgo Pao Pereira” at the Faculty of Medicine of Rio de Janeiro.  This document has come to be regarded as the first official monography on the benefits of Pao pereira. In the third part of the study (p.17 “Therapeutica”), Ezequiel Correa dos Santos presented twenty-one cases of therapeutic use of Pao pereira.  Before outlining the details of each case history, Dr. Dos Santos summarizes his study with the following statement: “The administration of the Pao pereira bark was beneficial in cases of induration of cellular tissues, chronic diarrhea, passive hemorrhage, asthenia, as well as erysipelas.”

The subject was revisited in 1879 by the journal Medical Times (Vol. X p. 276 – Philadelphia) which published a two-page article devoted to Pao Pereira. After a description of the method of extracting the alkaloid pereirina, Dr. Torres Homem, Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Academy of Rio de Janeiro states, “There is not a doctor in Brazil who has not obtained good results from the use of this bark in the treatment of intermittent fevers.” He mentions in particular the case of a patient for whom quinine was ineffective but who was cured after daily baths and oral administration of the Pao pereira bark extract.

Pao pereira to “stay healthy”

The article “Antimalarial remedies in French Guiana: A knowledge attitudes and practices study” published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology [98 (2005) 351-360], details a study on 117 people from five different ethnical groups and backgrounds, the alcoholic extract of Geissospermum (Pao pereira) at the onset of fevers.

“For example it was quite a surprise to see that one of the most renowned antimalarial Amazonian species, Geissospermum spp., was so poorly employed as curative, but on the contrary, used much more in favor as preventive.” (p. 358.) According to a questionnaire submitted by the authors, the main reason leading for using this traditional medicine was to “stay healthy.” (p. 355)

In line with the decline in the number of cases of malaria, Geissospermum continues to be considered very useful, though for a different purpose.

A “Precious Bark” from Brazil

A Brazilian journal on medicinal plants, “Revista Da Flora Medicinal, (No. 9, September 1942, Rio de Janeiro), offers a botanical illustration (p. 463) and description of the tree (p. 464-465). It says that the “precious bark” can be found on “one of the most common and well–known trees in Brazil” and “is available for all herbalists” and concludes that, “the inner bark of Pao pereira is considered as one of the best tonic and febrifuge of the Brazilian flora.”

In “Livro verde das plantas medicinais e industriais do Brasil” (1965), the therapeutic usage of the Pao pereira is described as follows: “It is an excellent tonic and powerful remedy against intermittent fevers.” It is also recommended for digestive problems, lack of appetite, stomachaches and constipation.

19th century: North America discovers Pao pereira

It is most likely that the Pao pereira extract made its way to Northern America and Europe around the time of the big universal exhibitions, at the end of the 19th century.

Pao pereira was exhibited at the Universal Exhibition in Philadelphia and was included in the brochure:  The Empire of Brazil at the Universal Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia—Medicinal Plants (p. 61).

It is interesting to note that the distinction between Geissospermum vellosii, and a somewhat similar botanical called Aspidosperma, was already made in 1876.

In 1895, The American Journal of Pharmacy recommended Pao pereira as an anti-fever tonic, especially to combat the periodic fevers.

In 1907, The Merck Index indicates that the roots of Geissospermum Vellosii have anti-peristaltic and anti-fever effects.

European interest in Pao pereira 

Europe also showed early interest for Pao pereira.  In  “Notes, Queries and Replies” (p. 443 of “The Medical Times” London) published in 1884, Richard G. Daunt comments: “the efficacy of pereirina is extraordinary, and I have often observed its success after the failure of quinine.”

The same year in France, Dr. Tibiriça indicates in “La revue des journaux” (l’Union Médicale p.429 – Paris), “The Pereirine (extract from the bark of Pao pereira, Geissospermum leaf) fulfills the indication in a more satisfactory way than the quinine. It doubles the therapeutic action at the same time as it prevents the bad effects when pushed to a higher dose.”

Belgium made Pao pereira an official “new remedy” : in 1887 in “le Journal de Médecine, de Chirurgie et de Phamacologie” (Bruxelles) published in “Nouveaux remèdes” the following note: “the alkaloid pereirine would be more effective than quinine against malarial fevers. The dose of 2 g of hydrochloride is to be taken four hours prior the access.”

In 1933, in Milan, Italy, Pao pereira is listed in the dictionary of drugs “Medicamenta, Guida Teorico-pratica per Sanitari” (Dizionario dei Medicamenti p. 2389) including in the description are instructions for the pharmaceutical preparation and dosage: Internal, Decoction (30 gr: 1000) 1-2 glasses a day. Pereirine Chloride 2gr.

European scientists soon got interested in analyzing this valuable product with the means of modern chemistry.

In Belgium in 1959, Puisieux published and article on the nature of some of the alkaloids from Geissospermum (Ann Pharm Fr 1959 Oct-Dec; 17:626-33).

Mirko Beljanski and Pao pereira

In France, Mirko Beljanski PhD. (1923- 1998) working at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, was the first to investigate the anticancer activity of Geissospermum (Pao Pereira) as an extract that would be effective against cancer cells, but not penetrate healthy cells.

Several publications published on the anticancer effect of his Pao pereira extract, which he called PB-100 (Pao pereira Beljanski 100), are dedicated to the efficiency and selectivity of its action:

“PB-100: a potent and selective inhibitor of human BCNU resistant glioblastoma cell multiplication.“ Anticancer Res. 1993 Nov-Dec, 13 (6A) :2301-8.

“The anticancer agent PB-100 concentrates in the nucleus and nucleoli of human glioblastoma cells purpose does not enter normal astrocytes.” Int. J. Oncol. 1995 Jul; 7 (1) :81-5.

“The selective anticancer agents PB-100 and BG-8 are active against human melanoma cells, do not affect on-goal malignant fibroblasts.” Int. J. of Oncol . 1996 Jun; 8 (6) :1143-8.

Toxicology studies, clastogenecity studies and mutagenecity studies have confirmed the safety of the extract.

In 1996, Dr. Marcowith, friend and collaborator of Dr. Beljanski passed away, leaving behind notes on the use of Pao pereira in modern medicine. These notes were published in French in the book “Cancer: l’Approche Beljanski” (editions Tredaniel) and then in English in the book “Cancer’s cause, Cancer Cure” by Morton Walker (editions Hugo Publishers).

Beljanski’s Pao pereira extract is still studied worldwide

Since Mirko Beljanski’s death, under the auspice of The Beljanski Foundation, Inc., several publications by renowned universities have confirmed the efficacy and lack of toxicity of Pao pereira extract (as prepared by Dr. Beljanski and provided by Natural Source International, Ltd.):

“B-Carboline Alkaloid-Enriched Extract from the Amazonian Rain Forest Tree Pao Pereira suppresses Prostate Cancer Cells” (Journal of Society Integrative Oncology 7 (2) 59-65 (2009) );

“Inhibition of pancreatic cancer and potentiation of gemcitabine effects by the extracts of Pao Pereira » (Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeuthics, University of Kansas Medical Center, 2013), Oncology Reports vol 30 n°1 :149-156 (2013)

«The plant extract of Pao pereira potentiates carboplatin effects against ovarian cancer» (Pharmaceutical Biology 2013) : DOI : 10.3109/13880209.2013.808232

« Pao pereira extract suppresses castration-resistant prostate cancer cell growth, survival and invasion through inhibition of NFkB signaling. Integrative Cancer Therapies » 1-10 (2013) DOI.1177/1534735413510557.