Cha de Bugre (Cordia ecalyculata / Cordia salicifolia): A Comprehensive Reference
1. Identity and Botanical Classification
Nomenclature and Taxonomy
Cordia ecalyculata, also called Cordia salicifolia and chá de bugre, is a species of evergreen flowering tree in the family Cordiaceae that occurs mainly in Brazil and is used as a medicinal plant. The two names reflect a historical taxonomic dispute: Cordia ecalyculata was scientifically described in 1829 by José Mariano de Conceição Vellozo; similarly, Cordia salicifolia, described by Adelbert von Chamisso also in 1829, is regarded as a synonym but not identical to Cordia ecalyculata. In practical commerce and in peer-reviewed literature, both names are used interchangeably to refer to the same plant material sold under the common name cha de bugre.
Belonging to the larger family Boraginaceae, common names for the plant include Porangaba, Chá de Bugre, and Café do Mato. Additional synonyms and trade designations include Bugrinho, Cafe de Bugre, Café de la Forêt, Café des Bois, Cafezinho, Cha-de-Negro-Mina, Cha de Frade, Claraiba, Coffee of the Woods, Cordia ecalyculata, Cordia salicifolia, Grao-do-Porco, Laranjeira-do-Mato, Louro-Salgueiro, Louro-Mole, Porangaba, and Rabugem. In Argentina the species is known by the common names Colita and gomita; in Brazil it is known as café-de-bugre, cha-de-bugre, chá-de-frade, claraiba, cutiera, louro-mole, and louro-salgueiro.
Botanical Description and Geographic Distribution
Cordia ecalyculata is a large shrub or small tree usually measuring 3–15 meters (10–49 ft) in height, but on occasion reaching 20 m (66 ft). They have somewhat gray bark that is fairly smooth, but with small cracks both along and across the length of the trunk. The leaves are evergreen and hairless, and may be elliptic-lanceolate or lanceolate in shape, measuring 3–13 cm long by 1–6 cm wide. The tree has inflorescences made up of loosely packed cymes of flowers; the flowers are hairless and white.
The species is indigenous to Brazil and can be found growing predominantly in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais, Bahia, Acre, and Goiás; it is also found in tropical forest areas of Argentina and Paraguay. The trees are found in sunny, moist forests across Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
The Fruit and Its Significance
Its red fruit, which resembles a coffee bean and contains caffeine, is roasted and brewed as a coffee substitute. In Brazil, the tree is commonly called cafe do mato (coffee of the woods) because it produces a red fruit resembling a coffee bean, which is roasted and brewed into tea as a coffee substitute. Cha de bugre is especially well known in the more remote areas in the interior of Brazil, where the local population consumes the plant in abundance because of family lore regarding its beneficial effects on diet and health.
Commercial Forms and Preparations
Cha de bugre products are highly commercialized as a weight loss aid in Brazil, where tea bags, fluid extracts, and tinctures of cha de bugre are commonly seen in pharmacies, stores, and even beach-front eateries and refreshment stands along Rio de Janeiro's beaches. Its extract is marketed in Brazil and internationally under the name Pholia magra and has diuretic activity, leading to appetite suppression and weight reduction. The plant is commercially available in multiple dosage forms: dried leaf infusions (tea bags), tinctures, fluid extracts, encapsulated leaf powder, and standardized extracts such as 10:1 concentrations. People have steeped or soaked leaves, fruit, or bark to create tinctures, extracts, and teas to support wellness.
2. Traditional and Historical Use
Origins and Cultural Context
For centuries, indigenous communities and local healers have valued Cha de Bugre for its invigorating properties. Historically, the leaves, fruits, and even seeds of Cha de Bugre have been used to craft tonics believed to boost energy, support cardiovascular health, and improve skin appearance. Cha de bugre is a very popular plant indigenous to Brazil, where it is sold in great quantities in the cities of Bahia, Goiás, and Minas Gerais; it is one of the plant species most used in Brazil by the common people for its traditional medicinal properties.
Ethnobotanical Applications
Traditional use of cha de bugre spans several overlapping health domains:
- Weight management and appetite suppression: In Brazil, it is a very popular herb used by the Brazilian population as a diuretic, appetite suppressant, and weight loss product.
- Cardiovascular and circulatory support: It has been traditionally used as a cardiotonic, diuretic, weight loss nutraceutical, and agent that helps to reduce triglycerides in blood levels.
- Diuresis and fluid retention: Cordia salicifolia or Cordia ecalyculata, popularly known as porangaba, cafezinho-do-mato, or chá-de-bugre, has been commonly used as a diuretic and anorexigenic agent to reduce weight gain.
- Skin and wound healing: In Brazilian folk medicine, it has sometimes been applied externally to soothe skin irritations and wounds, thanks to its mild anti-inflammatory properties.
- General tonic and energy: Cha de Bugre is also used to treat cellulite, cough, fluid retention (edema), gout, cancer, herpes, viral infections, fever, high blood pressure, and diseases of the heart and blood vessels, as well as to increase energy.
- Snake bite treatment: These plants have been used in folk medicine as: tonic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, appetite suppressants, for the treatment of snake bites, and weight loss.
Traditionally brewed as a tea, the leaf has been utilized to address a range of health concerns, most notably as a natural appetite suppressant and aid in weight management; folk remedies often incorporated cha de bugre to support healthy digestion, reduce bloating, and promote gentle diuresis. Chá de Bugre is popular as a cold tea sold along the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, and has been used for centuries in Brazil to promote general wellness.
Traditional Preparations
The primary traditional preparation involves the leaves. Traditional remedy preparations include one cup of a leaf infusion 2–3 times daily thirty minutes before meals, or 2–3 ml of a 4:1 leaf tincture twice daily. The bright, red berries have the same consistency and characteristics of traditional coffee beans and contain natural caffeine; Brazilians roast the berries and brew a tea that they enjoy as a substitute for coffee.
3. Phytochemistry: Key Constituents and Active Compounds
Overview of Phytochemical Research
Despite the popularity of cha de bugre in Brazil, very little has been done to analyze the phytochemicals in the plant. At present it is known to contain caffeine, potassium, allantoin, and allantoic acid. While it has experienced extreme popularity in Brazil for its health properties, there has been little scientific work completed to analyze the biologically active compounds of the plant.
Primary Identified Constituents
Main plant chemicals include (+)-spathulenol, allantoin, allantoic acid, caffeine, and potassium. (+)-Spathulenol is a bioactive tricyclic sesquiterpene known for its pharmacological activities, including potent antioxidant, pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antimycobacterial effects.
In analysis of phytochemicals, caffeine, potassium, tannins, allantoin, and allantoic acid have been found. Flavonoids, tannins, and other phenolic substances are constituents of plants with potential antioxidant activity, mainly because they act as scavengers of oxygen radicals — substances called free radicals.
The 2008 phytochemical investigation by Menghini and colleagues (published in Journal of Medicinal Food) is one of the most cited formal analyses. The dichloromethane extract of leaves of Cordia salicifolia was fractionated by SiO₂ column chromatography and analyzed by gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; the apolar extract is characterized by a very high content of (+)-spathulenol (0.53%).
Individual Compounds and Their Known Properties
- Caffeine: Caffeine is an alkaloid belonging to the group of drugs classified as methylxanthines (trimethylxanthine). Caffeine is slightly diuretic, and this effect is potentiated by the presence of potassium present in the plant. The red fruits or berries of porangaba, resembling a coffee bean, contain caffeine.
- Allantoin and Allantoic Acid: The allantoin and allantoic acid may explain the traditional use of the plant for wound healing. Two biological components, allantoin and allantoic acid, are frequently used topically to promote normal skin healing; this is likely because allantoin and allantoic acid have both been shown to promote faster skin cell division.
- Potassium: Potassium is a confirmed mineral constituent of the plant, and its presence alongside caffeine is thought to contribute to observed diuretic properties in traditional use, as noted above.
- (+)-Spathulenol: The major component of the apolar extract exhibited a very weak activity as an inhibitor of growth of Helicobacter pylori in vitro (minimum inhibitory concentration = 200 µg/mL).
- Flavonoids, Tannins, and Phenolic Acids: Active ingredients confirmed in the plant include caffeine, potassium, flavonoids, tannins, allantoin, and phenolic acids.
- Plant Sterols: Nutritional phytochemicals also include allantoin, allantoic acid, caffeine, and plant sterols.
4. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use
4.1 Weight Loss and Appetite Suppression
This is the most commercially prominent claimed application of cha de bugre, but the scientific evidence is highly limited.
Animal evidence (conflicting): The anti-obesity, appetite suppressant, diuretic, and hypolipidemic effects of dried powdered leaves of Cordia salicifolia were investigated. CS (20 mg·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹) dissolved in water was administered daily by gavage for 13 days. In contrast with the popular use as anti-obesity, appetite suppressant, and diuretic, no effects were detected; however, a hypolipidemic effect was observed in normal and alloxan-diabetic rats.
Contrary to commonly held beliefs, it was also found in a genotoxicity/cytotoxicity study that the extracts are not effective for obesity treatments (at a dose of 2000 mg/kg in Swiss mice over 15 days).
Human/clinical evidence: Some people think Cha de Bugre decreases appetite, but there is no scientific evidence that this is true, and there is not enough known about Cha de Bugre to know how it might work for any medical use.
Evidence strength assessment: The evidence for weight loss and appetite suppression is insufficient and contradictory. The sole animal study conducted at a dose approximating traditional Brazilian use found no anti-obesity, appetite-suppressant, or diuretic effect. No controlled human clinical trials have been published evaluating cha de bugre for weight management. The popular reputation appears to be driven primarily by caffeine's known mild thermogenic and diuretic properties rather than by any compound unique to the plant.
4.2 Hypolipidemic Effects
Animal evidence: Researchers analyzed the antihyperlipemic effect of pulverized dry leaves of C. salicifolia using male Wistar rats weighing approximately 200 g. The product was dissolved in water and the solution was administered (20 mg/kg/day) by gavage for 13 days; on the last day, rats were sacrificed and blood was obtained for cholesterol and triglyceride assays. Although there was no effect on cholesterolemia, a hypolipidemic effect was observed for this species of Cordia where triglyceride levels were reduced.
It was therefore suggested that the diminution observed could have occurred due to the presence of components of C. salicifolia that exert an inhibitory action on salivary and pancreatic lipase, hindering the absorption of triglycerides, or that activate lipoprotein lipase, the enzyme responsible for the degradation of chylomicrons and VLDL.
The study concluded that although CS did not show diuretic, appetite-suppressant, or weight-loss effects, it could still be possible that dried powdered leaves from CS might be useful in the treatment of human hyperlipidemia.
Evidence strength assessment: Preliminary and animal-only. The hypolipidemic finding (specifically triglyceride reduction) has been observed in a single animal study. No human data exist. The proposed mechanism (lipase inhibition or lipoprotein lipase activation) is speculative and has not been confirmed in vitro or in vivo at a mechanistic level.
4.3 Antiviral Activity (Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1)
In vitro evidence: A partially purified extract (COL 1-6) from the whole plant of Cordia salicifolia showed an inhibitory effect on herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). The activity of COL 1-6 on different steps of HSV-1 replication in HeLa cells was investigated. Under single-cycle replication conditions, COL 1-6 exerted a greater than 99.9% inhibition in virus yield when added to the cells 3 h or 1.5 h before infection, and even when added 8 h after infection the extract still caused greater than 99% inhibition. The extract has been shown to have direct virucidal activity, and analysis of early events following infection showed that COL 1-6 affected viral penetration in HeLa cells but did not interfere with adsorption to the cells.
This was reported in a 1990 study by Hayashi et al. published in Planta Medica (volume 56, pages 439–443), which remains the primary published source on cha de bugre's antiviral properties.
The partially purified extract from the whole plant showed an inhibitory effect on herpes simplex virus type 1 (Hayashi et al., 1990).
Evidence strength assessment: In vitro only. The antiviral effect is striking in cell culture (>99% inhibition), but the research is limited to a single 1990 laboratory study. No animal models and no human clinical trials have been published. The active compound(s) responsible for the antiviral activity have not been definitively isolated from the cha de bugre extract.
4.4 Cytotoxicity Against Tumor Cells
Previous studies revealed that C. ecalyculata extract shows cytotoxicity against certain types of tumor cells (Arisawa, 1994). The methanolic extract of the branches and leaves showed cytotoxic activity against cancer cells (Arisawa et al., 1994). Some studies report that the ethanolic extract of leaves of Cordia salicifolia provokes a reduction of viral herpes type 1 replication and a cytotoxic effect to neoplastic cells.
Evidence strength assessment: Preliminary, in vitro screening only. The 1994 Arisawa study involves cytotoxicity screening in cancer cell lines, a standard early-stage assay. No animal tumor models or human trials have been reported. This evidence does not support any clinical cancer application.
4.5 Cardiotonic Properties
Research with rabbits and guinea pigs indicated cardiotonic properties (Matsunaga et al., 1997). Previous studies revealed that C. ecalyculata extract has cardiotonic properties (Matsunaga et al., 1997). Extracts of 16 Paraguayan medicinal plants were examined for their effects on the isolated rabbit aorta and the isolated guinea-pig left atrium; ethyl acetate extracts of Allophylus edulis, Cordia salicifolia, and Achyrocline satureioides, and n-butanol extracts of Lippia triphylla and Gomphrena perennis showed potential negative inotropic effects on the isolated left atrium.
Evidence strength assessment: Isolated organ/tissue studies only. These findings (specifically, negative inotropic effects on the isolated guinea-pig left atrium and effects on rabbit aorta) suggest cardiac activity but have not been replicated in whole-animal cardiovascular models or in humans. The clinical relevance and safety profile with respect to cardiac effects are unknown.
4.6 Antimicrobial Activity (Including Anti-Tuberculosis)
The major component of the apolar leaf extract, (+)-spathulenol, exhibited a very weak activity as an inhibitor of growth of Helicobacter pylori in vitro (minimum inhibitory concentration = 200 µg/mL). Published research on spathulenol isolated from related plants has also investigated antimycobacterial activity, as cited in the rain-tree database citing Dzul-Beh et al. (2019) regarding spathulenol against drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates, and do Nascimento et al. (2018) on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antimycobacterial activities of spathulenol in the essential oil context.
Evidence strength assessment: In vitro and compound-level research only. The spathulenol-related findings are drawn from studies on spathulenol as a compound, not from studies using cha de bugre extract specifically. The MIC of 200 µg/mL for H. pylori inhibition is considered weak by pharmacological standards. No animal or human studies have addressed cha de bugre specifically as an antimicrobial agent.
4.7 Wound Healing and Skin Applications
Some people apply Cha de Bugre directly to the skin for wound healing. The scientific rationale for this traditional use rests on the allantoin and allantoic acid content of the plant. Two biological components, allantoin and allantoic acid, are frequently used topically to promote normal skin healing; allantoin and allantoic acid have both been shown to promote faster skin cell division. Allantoin and allantoic acid are present in the plant and assist in the healing and regeneration of the skin.
Evidence strength assessment: Indirect/constituent-based only. There are no clinical studies specifically evaluating cha de bugre preparations for topical wound healing. The evidence is inferential, based on the known properties of allantoin — a well-established wound-healing agent used broadly in dermatology — present within the plant. No cha de bugre–specific topical trials have been published.
5. Body Systems and Health Areas
Based on the scientific literature, cha de bugre has been investigated or used in connection with the following body systems:
- Metabolic/Weight Regulation: Claimed appetite suppression and thermogenic effects via caffeine content; formal animal testing has not confirmed anti-obesity or anorexigenic effects at traditional doses. A hypolipidemic (triglyceride-lowering) effect was observed in rats.
- Cardiovascular System: Traditional use as a cardiotonic; in vitro/isolated-tissue evidence suggests negative inotropic effects on cardiac muscle. It is used as a general tonic to improve blood circulation and heart function.
- Renal/Urinary System: Used traditionally as a diuretic; the caffeine and potassium content provide a plausible mechanistic basis, though animal testing at traditional doses did not confirm diuretic effect.
- Immune/Antiviral System: Strong in vitro inhibition of HSV-1 replication documented; no human data available.
- Integumentary (Skin) System: Topical application for wound healing based on allantoin and allantoic acid content.
- Gastrointestinal System: Traditional use to support digestion and reduce bloating; no formal studies.
- Lipid Metabolism: Animal data show reduced triglyceride levels; no human data.
6. Dosage Forms and Reported Dosages
No standardized or regulatory-approved dosage exists for cha de bugre. The following dosages have been reported in the literature or in traditional use contexts:
- Traditional oral infusion: One cup of a leaf infusion 2–3 times daily thirty minutes before meals, or 2–3 ml of a 4:1 leaf tincture twice daily.
- Animal study dose (pharmacological): CS (20 mg·kg⁻¹·day⁻¹) dissolved in water was daily administered by gavage for 13 days — the authors note this dose corresponds to that employed in Brazil.
- Toxicology study doses: A daily oral administration of extracts at 20, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg doses for 90 days did not cause significant changes in body weight gain, organ weight, or biochemical assays and hematology in the animals.
- Reproductive toxicity study doses: Different doses of C. ecalyculata extract were administered to adult male rats at 20, 100, or 400 mg/kg of body weight orally by gavage for 60 consecutive days.
- Genotoxicity study dose: After 15 days of daily treatment, a dose of 2000 mg/kg bw of Cordia ecalyculata extract did not reduce body mass gain or the amount of food consumed by Swiss mice compared with the negative control.
- No established human clinical dose: The appropriate dose of Cha de Bugre depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for Cha de Bugre.
7. Safety Considerations and Interactions
General Toxicology
A study was carried out to determine the acute toxicity of the whole Cordia salicifolia extract (LD₅₀) after oral and intraperitoneal administration in mice. The oral LD₅₀ value of the extract was higher than 2000 mg/kg, while the LD₅₀ by intraperitoneal injection was about 920 mg/kg. A daily oral administration of extracts at 20, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg doses for 90 days did not cause significant changes in body weight gain, organ weight, or biochemical assays and hematology in the animals. The results showed that the administration of the extract for a prolonged period did not produce toxic effects in the animals.
Reviewed in a 2017 systematic assessment published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology: LD₅₀ value was found to be more than 2000 mg/kg after oral administration of the extract, while after intraperitoneal injection it was found to be around 920 mg/kg. Chronic toxicity study was performed after daily administration of 20, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg doses orally for 90 days. The result of the study showed normal biochemical and haematological parameters in the mice, which indicates that the prolonged administration of extract did not cause any harmful effect in the animals.
Genotoxicity and Cytotoxicity
The results of a study using the Micronucleus Test and Comet Assay allowed investigators to infer that the crude extracts of Cordia ecalyculata and Echinodorus grandiflorus do not display cytotoxic or genotoxic activities; however, they do possess weak clastogenic activity (without significance) on peripheral blood cells.
More specifically at higher doses: A significant (P < 0.05), dose-independent increase in the average frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes in peripheral blood was observed in mice treated with the Cordia ecalyculata extract compared to the negative control; however, there were no significant differences in the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes for either extract treatment.
Reproductive Toxicity in Male Animals — A Notable Finding
A particularly important preclinical safety signal concerns male reproductive toxicity. Popular use of Cordia ecalyculata extract is increasing due to its potential in inhibiting appetite; its side effects on reproduction had not previously been reported. A study investigated the potential reproductive toxicity of different doses of C. ecalyculata extract in adult male rats (n = 12/group), which received hydroethanolic extract at 20, 100, or 400 mg/kg of body weight orally by gavage for 60 consecutive days. The testicular and epididymal tissue, sperm morphology, fertility, and pregnancy outcome were evaluated.
At the 400 mg/kg dose, the epididymal relative weight increased (P < 0.05) compared to the control group. There were several histopathological changes in testes and epididymis at all extract doses. In addition, the percentage of abnormal gametes increased (P < 0.05) and the gestation rate decreased (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the C. ecalyculata extract promotes reproductive toxicity in rats, but with no dose-dependent effect.
This finding — that reproductive toxicity occurred at all doses tested, including the lowest (20 mg/kg), without dose-dependency — is a significant and unexplained result that warrants attention. The relevance to humans is unknown, as no human studies have been conducted.
Caffeine-Related Effects
Because cha de bugre contains caffeine, it shares the known pharmacological profile and risk considerations associated with that methylxanthine. These include effects on the cardiovascular system, central nervous system stimulation, potential interaction with other stimulant-containing products, and effects on sleep. Caffeine is slightly diuretic, and this effect is potentiated by the presence of potassium present in the plant.
The "Brazilian Diet Pill" Adulteration Problem
A critical safety concern that has been associated with cha de bugre in the marketplace — though not with the pure botanical itself — is adulteration in commercial "Brazilian diet pill" products. The US Food and Drug Administration warned consumers against using unapproved Brazilian drug products marketed as dietary supplements for weight loss (Emagrece Sim and Herbathin). The products contain prescription drugs (including several controlled substances) that can cause serious adverse effects; an FDA analysis revealed the presence of ingredients such as chlordiazepoxide HCl (Librium) and fluoxetine HCl (Prozac).
Brazilian diet pills were the target of an FDA warning because two products, Emagrece Sim and Herbathin, were found to contain fenproporex, a stimulant not approved in the United States; since fenproporex is converted into an amphetamine in the body, people who take it can test positive for amphetamine use without realizing where the drug comes from. The FDA also found that the Brazilian diet pills contained active ingredients found in Librium, used to alleviate anxiety, and Prozac, an antidepressant.
It is important to note that the FDA warnings pertained to specific commercial products (Emagrece Sim and Herbathin) that were fraudulently adulterated with prescription drugs, not to pure cha de bugre botanical material itself. Some of these "Brazilian diet pills" are also thought to contain prescription amphetamines and tranquilizers.
Pregnancy and Lactation
Not enough is known about the use of Cha de Bugre during pregnancy and breast-feeding to draw conclusions; on the basis of precaution, use during those periods is typically avoided.
Overall Evidence Gap
Robust clinical trials in humans are limited, and definitive evidence for the effectiveness and safety of cha de bugre in weight loss or other health conditions is lacking. While early data and traditional uses are noted, more rigorous research is necessary to confirm its health benefits and optimal dosages. There is no research in humans or animal models showing the putative diuretic, appetite-suppressant, and/or anti-obesity effect of Cordia salicifolia.
References
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