Carrapichinho: A Comprehensive Encyclopedic Reference
Nomenclatural Note: Two Distinct Plants Share One Common Name
The popular Brazilian name carrapichinho (also spelled carrapicho or carrapichinho) is a vernacular umbrella that attaches to at least two botanically unrelated species, both of which are small, low-growing plants whose fruits bear hooked spines that cling to animal fur and clothing — the characteristic evoked by the name. The two principal species are:
- Acanthospermum australe (Loefl.) O. Kuntze — an annual herb of the family Asteraceae (tribe Heliantheae, subtribe Melampodinae). This is the species most consistently referred to as carrapichinho in Brazilian ethnobotanical and pharmacognostic literature.
- Desmodium adscendens (Sw.) DC. — a spreading leguminous herb of the family Fabaceae (subfamily Faboideae), referred to as carrapichinho or amores do campo in Mato Grosso, and as pega-pega in São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul.
Acanthospermum australe (Loefl.) Kuntze is an annual shrub widely distributed in South America; in Brazil, where it is popularly known as carrapichinho or carrapicho-de-carneiro, it grows vigorously in agricultural fields, pasture, and fallow soil. In Mato Grosso, Desmodium adscendens is known as amores do campo or carrapichinho, and in São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul as pega-pega.
Because these two species have distinct phytochemical profiles and pharmacological properties, this article treats each species separately while acknowledging the shared vernacular name. The preponderance of Brazilian pharmacognostic literature using the name carrapichinho in the context of a formal drug study refers specifically to Acanthospermum australe. The Desmodium adscendens literature is large and emanates primarily from West Africa and South America and is incorporated here given its documented Brazilian vernacular synonymy.
Part I: Acanthospermum australe (Loefl.) O. Kuntze — The Primary Carrapichinho
Botanical Identity and Natural Source
Acanthospermum australe (Loefl.) Kuntze is an herbaceous plant belonging to the family Asteraceae, tribe Heliantheae, subtribe Melampodinae; in Brazil it is commonly known as carrapichinho, carrapicho-de-carneiro, carrapicho-rasteiro, amor-de-negro, mata-pasto, picão-da-praia, and maroto, among others. The species is broadly dispersed throughout Brazil, where it grows vigorously in agricultural soils, particularly those of sandy texture originating from open fields and cerrado, in pastures, and in fallow land; it is considered a weed by farmers.
Acanthospermum australe (Loefl.) O. Kuntze, known popularly in Brazil as carrapichinho, belongs to the family Asteraceae and is used in traditional medicine as a hepatoprotector, diaphoretic, anti-gonorrheal, antimalarial, and for other functions. Leaves and roots of Acanthospermum australe (Asteraceae) have been used in Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of various ailments including diarrhea, skin diseases, blennorrhagia, dyspepsia, parasitic worms, and malaria.
Traditional and Historical Use
Its aerial parts are used in folk medicine as a tonic, diaphoretic, eupeptic, vermifuge, antidiarrheal, antimalarial, antigonorrheal, febrifuge, and antianemic.
Shimizu et al. (1987) reported the oral use of A. australe in the treatment of blood stagnation, rheumatism, and arthritis, and its topical use on swellings and hemorrhages; in that study, the ethanol crude extract of A. australe was analyzed for inhibitory activity against the aldose reductase enzyme in mice.
According to Rodrigues and Carvalho (2001) and Lorenzi and Matos (2002), the branches of A. australe are widely employed in Brazilian traditional medicine in the form of teas prepared by infusion or decoction, used as a tonic, diaphoretic, eupeptic, vermifuge, antidiarrheal, antimalarial, aromatic, antigonorrheal, febrifuge, and antianemic.
Common Forms and Preparations
In Brazilian traditional medicine, the branches are employed in the form of teas prepared by infusion or decoction. Academic pharmacognostic investigations have also employed hydroethanolic (hydroalcoholic) extracts, methanolic extracts, aqueous infusions, and aqueous root decoctions as experimental preparations. In a 2018 Brazilian Journal of Biology study, aqueous leaf extracts were obtained by infusion while aqueous root extracts were obtained by decoction; hydroalcoholic leaf and root extracts were prepared by maceration in 90% ethanol for three days.
Key Phytochemical Constituents
Overall, 12 of the compounds identified in a 2025 UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis were tentatively characterized; these included six hydroxycinnamic acids, three flavanol derivatives, and three methylated flavones. The major peak in the chromatogram was assigned to a dicaffeoylquinic acid.
Earlier classical phytochemical investigations established additional compound classes:
- Sesquiterpene lactones (melampolides): The investigation of the ethanol extract of A. australe collected in Misiones, Argentina yielded eight melampolides of the acanthospermal type; two of them — 8β-hydroxy-9α-(2-methylbutyryloxy)-14-oxo-acanthospermolide and 9α-hydroxy-8β-(2-methylbutyryloxy)-14-oxo-acanthospermolide — were new compounds.
- Diterpene lactone: From the aerial parts of A. australe, a diterpene lactone named acanthoaustralide acetate was isolated, along with the flavonoids quercetin and chrysosplenol D.
- Flavonoids: From the hydroethanolic extract of the aerial parts of A. australe, two flavonoids were identified: quercetin and chrysosplenol D.
Phytochemical characterization of the extract of A. australe revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, tannins, and steroids.
Scientific Evidence by Area of Use
1. Anti-Inflammatory Activity
A 2025 study published in PLOS One (Salinas et al., Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Paraguay) addressed the anti-inflammatory activity of A. australe, a medicinal plant traditionally used to alleviate inflammation, noting that this activity had not yet been formally explored. The study aimed to evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of the species using network pharmacology, UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis, and in vitro assays.
Network pharmacology analysis revealed involvement of immune system processes; among the main targets of A. australe related to inflammation were innate immune responses, toll-like receptors (TLRs), and T cell receptor signaling pathways. The potential targets predicted by network pharmacology were validated in vitro using monocytic THP-1 cells and splenocytes. RT-qPCR analysis indicated that A. australe significantly inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, as well as chemokine CCL-2, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cells. The extract also significantly decreased concanavalin A (ConA)-induced T cell proliferation.
Evidence strength: Preliminary. All current anti-inflammatory evidence for A. australe is in vitro and in silico only; no human or animal clinical trials have been conducted.
2. Antiviral Activity
A study published in Pharmaceutical Biology (2011) evaluated the in vitro antiviral activity of a crude extract and fractions from A. australe against bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1) and poliovirus. The cytotoxic activity of this plant on HEp-2 cells was also evaluated.
Both Acanthospermum hispidum and Acanthospermum australe were found to possess antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and to affect different steps of the viral cycle; these characteristics were concluded to make them good candidates for developing phytotherapeutic products against HSV-1.
Evidence strength: Preliminary; in vitro only. No human trials have been conducted.
3. Antimalarial Activity
Other studies have reported activity of A. australe extract against Plasmodium falciparum in mice (Carvalho et al., 1991; Krettli et al., 2001). This is consistent with its long-standing traditional use as an antimalarial agent in Brazil.
Evidence strength: Preliminary; animal model data only. No controlled human trials have been reported.
4. Antibacterial and Antidiarrheal Activity
A study published in the Brazilian Journal of Biology (2018) characterized the chemical profiles of aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of leaves and roots of A. australe and evaluated their antimicrobial activities against diarrhea-inducing bacteria — Enterococcus faecalis, Shigella dysenteriae, and Yersinia enterocolitica — as well as their cytotoxic properties.
Although root extracts were not effective against E. faecalis, leaf extracts at concentrations of 20 mg/mL exhibited bactericidal activities against this microorganism. The hydroalcoholic root extract was unique in presenting a bactericidal effect against S. dysenteriae. None of the extracts showed bacteriostatic or bactericidal activities against Y. enterocolitica.
The results demonstrated that the Gram-positive E. faecalis and the Gram-negative S. dysenteriae were susceptible to A. australe extracts, although bacteriostatic/bactericidal activities were only observed at concentrations considered too high for clinical application; the authors noted that further studies are required to determine anti-diarrheal effects and the toxicities of the extracts in vivo.
For the sesquiterpene lactone constituents, eight melampolides of the acanthospermal type were isolated from an ethanol extract of A. australe, and some of them displayed slight antibiotic activity against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis.
Evidence strength: In vitro only; concentrations demonstrating bactericidal activity exceeded levels considered clinically applicable. No in vivo or human studies available.
Part II: Desmodium adscendens (Sw.) DC. — The Leguminous Carrapichinho
Botanical Identity and Natural Source
Desmodium adscendens (Sw.) DC. is an important species of genus Desmodium belonging to the family Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae), subfamily Faboideae. The genus Desmodium is a large member of the Fabaceae family, containing about 350 plant species used for both feeding stuffs and herbal medicines, of which only about 30 species have been phytochemically or pharmacologically investigated.
In Mato Grosso, the plant is known as amores do campo or carrapichinho; in São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul as pega-pega. In Brazil it is easily found in the Northeast, Center-West, and Southeast regions. Beyond Brazil, the species occurs across tropical West Africa, South and Central America. In Ghana and Sierra Leone it is widely used by traditional healers.
Other common names in the broader literature include amor seco (dry love; Peru and Amazon region), pega-pega (Brazilian Portuguese), and in English, "beggar's lice" or "tick clover."
Traditional and Historical Use
Desmodium adscendens is a plant of the Fabaceae family especially rich in flavonoids but also in alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, phenols, phenylpropanoids, glycosides, and volatiles. This herb has been traditionally used in numerous countries all over the world for its pharmacological and biological properties, including use in the treatment of diarrheas, fever, epilepsy, asthma, leishmaniasis, gastroduodenal ulcer, diabetes, and hepatic diseases.
The other important Desmodium species, Desmodium adscendens, is used in the treatment of asthma in Ghana, Africa. In Ghana and Sierra Leone, the plant is used in traditional medicine to treat asthma.
In Ecuadorian traditional medicine, two species of the Desmodium genus — D. adscendens and D. molliculum — are used interchangeably for the treatment of various ailments, particularly those related to inflammatory processes, wound healing, stomach ulcers, and liver disorders.
In West Africa, the traditional preparation for asthma management involved oral administration of the dried plant. When the use of this plant against asthma was studied in Ghana, 1–2 teaspoons of dry powder given in three divided doses daily was reported to prevent asthma in an adult (Ampofo, 1977).
Common Forms and Preparations
Traditional preparations include aqueous decoctions and infusions of the leaves and stems, whole-plant decoctions, and dried powder. A leaf decoction is drunk for pulmonary conditions (consumption); pounded leaves are applied with lime juice to wounds; and a leaf infusion is used for convulsions and venereal sores, according to ethno-botanical records. In contemporary supplement commerce, the plant is sold as dried aerial parts for tea preparation, as standardized hydroalcoholic extracts, and in capsule form. The amount of D-pinitol found in commercial supplements has ranged from 1.8 mg/capsule to 30 mg/capsule, and 2.0 mg/mL in solution preparations.
Key Phytochemical Constituents
Phytochemical examination of Desmodium species indicated the presence of isoflavones, glycosyl-flavonoids, coumarone-chromones, pterocarpons, triterpenoids, saponins, tetrahydroisoquinolones, phenylethylamines, indole-3-alkylamines, lipids, and alkaloids.
More specifically for D. adscendens:
- Triterpenoid saponins: Phytochemical research has led to the isolation of triterpenoid saponins, phenylethylamines, and indole-3-alkyl amines from Desmodium adscendens. The principal identified saponins are soyasaponins I and III, and dehydrosoyasaponin I.
- Flavonoids: Flavonoids identified include isovitexin 2″-O-xyloside, vitexin 2″-O-xyloside, vitexin, and isovitexin. Studies showed that the main metabolites correspond to soyasaponins, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds including caffeic acid, quercetin, p-coumaric acid, epicatechin, and rutin, as well as simple heterocyclic alkaloids.
- Cyclitol — D-pinitol: Amor seco (D. adscendens) contains a significant amount — 5% or more by dry weight — of the active chemical D-pinitol (3-O-methyl-D-chiro-inositol).
- Alkaloids: Indole alkaloids, phenylethylamine alkaloids, pyrrolidine alkaloids, amide alkaloids, and simple alkylamine were the main alkaloids found in D. adscendens.
- Polyphenols and tannins: Desmodium adscendens has high content of flavonoids, polyphenols, and reducing sugar; alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, and tannins were also present, though not at equally high concentrations.
Established Mechanisms of Action
Respiratory / Antiasthmatic Mechanism
The most pharmacologically investigated mechanism concerns airway smooth muscle relaxation. The triterpenoid saponins soyasaponin I, soyasaponin III, and especially dehydrosoyasaponin I were identified as the constituents responsible for the activation of calcium-dependent potassium channels, a mechanism expected to relax airway smooth muscle cells. Recent studies identified potent compounds in Desmodium adscendens that activate potassium channels, providing a pharmacological basis for its antiasthmatic effects.
Hepatoprotective Mechanism
The hepatoprotective effect of desmodium vis-à-vis hepatotoxic compounds is related to its content of triterpenoid saponosides. According to in vitro studies, soyasaponins I and III, dehydrosoyasagenin I, and soyasapogenol E protect liver cells from damage induced by hepatotoxic substances such as carbon tetrachloride, with normalization of hepatic transaminase levels, mainly TGO (ASAT).
D-pinitol has been characterized as contributing independently to hepatoprotection. D-pinitol has hypoglycemic and antiatherogenic activity in vitro, and antihyperglycemic, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory effects in vivo.
Antioxidant Mechanism
Isovitexin (apigenin-6-C-glucoside) exhibits diverse biological activities including strong antioxidant and cellular protective actions, as well as anti-inflammatory actions through an immune modulation mechanism. Additionally, research reports that D-pinitol has antioxidant, cellular protective, anticancerous, hypocholesterolemic, and antidiabetic actions.
Scientific Evidence by Area of Use
1. Respiratory System — Asthma and Bronchospasm
Desmodium adscendens, used by herbalists in Ghana for the treatment of asthma, was found to be anti-anaphylactic in vitro. As the plant material is administered orally, in vivo studies of its anti-anaphylactic property were undertaken using the guinea-pig. The results showed that both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of D. adscendens, when taken orally, reduce anaphylactic contractions, interfere with histamine-induced contractions, and reduce the amount of smooth muscle stimulating substances released from lung tissue of guinea pigs. This study, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 1984 (Addy and Awumey, PMID 6482479), is among the most cited in the D. adscendens literature.
A subsequent study examined dose–response characteristics more granularly. A fraction (F1) isolated from an aqueous extract of D. adscendens by flash chromatography was evaluated for its anti-allergic properties using ovalbumin (OA)- and arachidonic acid (AA)-induced contractions of tracheal spirals and lung parenchymal strips from guinea pigs; F1 inhibited OA- and AA-induced contractions in both tissues dose-dependently.
Results published in 1984 in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology were later expanded in research conducted in the 2000s; in 2011 a team of scientists succeeded in identifying several active principles in Desmodium adscendens: triterpenoid saponins, phenylethylamines, and indole-3-alkyl amines.
Overall, Desmodium adscendens is considered useful against chronic bronchitis and asthma. However, the primary evidence base remains pre-clinical (animal/ex vivo), with no large-scale, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials published in the peer-reviewed literature.
Evidence strength: Moderate preclinical. Multiple independent animal and isolated-tissue studies confirm antispasmodic and anti-anaphylactic effects. One older Ghanaian observational report (Ampofo, 1977) described clinical use in asthma; formal controlled human trials are lacking.
2. Hepatoprotective Activity
A rigorous preclinical study (Magielse et al., 2013, published in Journal of Ethnopharmacology, PMID 23291573) directly tested the hepatoprotective hypothesis in rats. In a first experiment evaluating the protective effect against acute D-galactosamine-induced liver damage in rats, a significant decrease of AST and ALT was observed for the D. adscendens decoction at doses equivalent to 5 mg/kg/day and 20 mg/kg/day D-pinitol, as well as for 20 mg/kg/day pure D-pinitol.
With respect to chronic ethanol-induced liver damage in rats, the protective effects of D. adscendens at doses equivalent to 2 mg/kg/day and 10 mg/kg/day D-pinitol were not observed for serum AST and ALT levels; however, statistical analysis showed a trend towards significance for reduced mortality of animals in the group receiving a dose equivalent to 10 mg/kg/day D-pinitol versus the untreated hepatotoxic animals.
The aqueous decoction of D. adscendens showed a protective effect in rats against liver damage induced by D-galactosamine and ethanol, and this effect is at least in part due to the presence of D-pinitol. However, no curative effect of D. adscendens decoction or D-pinitol on liver damage induced by the tested chemicals could be demonstrated.
A patent has been taken on the use of Desmodium, especially D. adscendens, in the treatment of viral or chemically-induced hepatitis. The effect of desmodium was evaluated in a clinical study carried out on 50 patients with viral hepatitis who received treatment with desmodium (3 times per day) for 45 days. However, full peer-reviewed details of this clinical study were not accessible in the searched literature, and its methodological rigor cannot be independently assessed from available sources.
The flavonoid and triterpenoid soyasaponin content of the aerial parts of Desmodium adscendens from four geographical origins in Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Togo) was studied by planar chromatography; comparative analysis confirmed the presence of flavonoids such as vitexin and isovitexin and soyasaponins such as soyasaponin I.
Evidence strength: Moderate preclinical. Rat model data demonstrate a preventive (not curative) hepatoprotective effect of the decoction against acute toxic liver damage. Human clinical data are very limited and not yet available in fully peer-reviewed form.
3. CNS Effects
A study in rodents, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology (N'gouemo et al., 1996), examined the effects of an ethanolic extract of D. adscendens on the central nervous system. The presence of various phytoconstituents accounts for the reported use of Desmodium adscendens in the management and treatment of muscle cramp, tendon pain, spinal pain, bronchitis, epilepsy, and some central nervous system disorders, rheumatism, jaundice, hepatitis, and protection of the liver from cirrhosis. The CNS and antiepileptic claims are derived primarily from traditional accounts and animal pharmacology.
Evidence strength: Weak; limited to animal studies and traditional report.
4. Antioxidant and Cytoprotective Activity
A safety and cytoprotection study (published in PMC, PMC4566765) examined the effect of D. adscendens extracts on hepatocytes (HepG2 cells) and renal cells (LLC-PK1 cells, an established porcine proximal tubule cell line) under glucose-induced oxidative stress conditions. The study specifically probed both safety of the extract and its protective potential against oxidative cell damage. This in vitro data supplements the rat model hepatoprotection findings above.
Evidence strength: Preliminary; in vitro cell culture data.
Dosage Forms and Doses Reported in the Literature
Acanthospermum australe
- Aqueous leaf extracts were prepared by infusion; aqueous root extracts were obtained by decoction; hydroalcoholic leaf and root extracts were prepared by maceration in 90% ethanol for three days — these were the experimental preparations tested for antibacterial activity in Brazilian Journal of Biology (2018).
- A methanolic extract was prepared and analyzed using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS in the 2025 PLOS One anti-inflammatory study.
Desmodium adscendens
- One to two teaspoons of dry powder given in three divided doses daily was the dose reported to prevent asthma in an adult in Ghana (Ampofo, 1977).
- In the rat hepatoprotection study, doses equivalent to 5 mg/kg/day and 20 mg/kg/day D-pinitol (in the form of the aqueous decoction) resulted in a significant decrease of liver enzymes AST and ALT in the acute D-galactosamine-induced damage model.
- In additional rat experiments, D. adscendens decoction and pure D-pinitol had no curative effect when given at a dose equivalent to 10 mg/kg/day D-pinitol, or up to 20 mg/kg/day as a pure compound daily.
- In a clinical study, desmodium was administered three times per day for 45 days to patients with viral hepatitis.
- Commercial supplement preparations have contained between 1.8 mg/capsule and 30 mg/capsule of D-pinitol, and 2.0 mg/mL in solution.
Body Systems and Health Areas Associated with Carrapichinho
- Respiratory system: Bronchospasm, asthma, bronchitis, anaphylaxis-related airway constriction (D. adscendens primarily; supported by preclinical data).
- Hepatic system: Hepatoprotection against toxic and viral liver damage, normalization of transaminases (D. adscendens); hepatoprotection claimed for A. australe in traditional use.
- Gastrointestinal system: Antidiarrheal, antiparasitic, vermifuge, dyspepsia — both species in traditional use; partial in vitro antibacterial support for A. australe.
- Immune / Allergic system: Antiallergic and immunomodulatory activity via cytokine suppression and histamine-release inhibition.
- Infectious disease: Antimalarial (both species in traditional use; animal data for A. australe), antiviral (HSV-1, BHV-1, poliovirus — in vitro, A. australe), antimicrobial (in vitro, A. australe).
- Metabolic / Endocrine: Antihyperglycemic activity attributed to D-pinitol from D. adscendens; traditional use in diabetes management.
- Nervous system: Traditional use in epilepsy and CNS disorders; limited animal data (D. adscendens).
- Skin and wound healing: Traditional topical use for skin diseases, swellings, hemorrhages, wounds (both species).
Notable Safety Considerations
Acanthospermum australe
There is an important limitation in the antibacterial evidence: bacteriostatic/bactericidal activities against susceptible organisms were only observed at concentrations considered too high for clinical application. Formal toxicological characterization of A. australe is limited. The sesquiterpene lactone constituents (melampolides) of the Asteraceae family are known skin sensitizers in related genera, though specific allergenicity studies for A. australe in humans have not been published in the searched literature.
Desmodium adscendens
A dedicated safety study on hepatocytes and renal cells was conducted and published (PMC4566765), providing some in vitro cytocompatibility data. There is a recognized need to search for individual secondary metabolites responsible for the pharmacological actions of D. adscendens and to study their mode of actions, bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and physiological pathways in sufficient detail.
While the aqueous decoction of D. adscendens showed a protective effect in rats against liver damage induced by D-galactosamine and ethanol, no curative effect of D. adscendens decoction or D-pinitol on established liver damage could be demonstrated. This pharmacological distinction between a preventive and a curative role is critical for clinical interpretation. The alkaloid fraction — specifically indole-3-alkylamines and phenylethylamines — theoretically carries the potential for pharmacological interactions with monoamine oxidase inhibitors or serotonergic agents, though direct drug-interaction studies in humans have not been published in the sources reviewed.
One study noted that significant amounts of soyasaponins or alkaloids were not detectable in certain batches of the decoction, underscoring the issue of batch-to-batch variability in plant material. This chemical variability, documented across geographic origins, means that the active constituent profile of any given product may differ substantially.
Overall State of Evidence
Both species referred to as carrapichinho have documented ethnobotanical histories in South America and, for D. adscendens, in West Africa. The richest scientific evidence base belongs to D. adscendens, whose antiasthmatic and hepatoprotective properties are supported by multiple independent preclinical studies with plausible, partially elucidated mechanisms (calcium-dependent potassium channel activation by soyasaponins; D-pinitol-mediated hepatoprotection). For A. australe, the primary evidence is more recent and confined to in vitro assays.
For neither species does the existing literature include large, high-quality randomized controlled human clinical trials. There is an acknowledged need to study individual secondary metabolites, their bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and physiological pathways in sufficient detail. All areas of application should therefore be understood as areas of preclinical or traditional interest rather than established clinical indications.
References
Go back