IngredientsWaltheria ovata Cav. is a flowering plant species first formally described by the Spanish botanist Antonio José Cavanilles and published in his Monadelphiae Classis Dissertationes Decem (Dissertatio Botanica, 317, t.171, f.1) in October 1788. The name was published in Diss. 6, Sexta Diss. Bot. 317 (t. 171, f. 1) (1788), and is registered with the International Plant Names Index under LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:825821-1.
The genus Waltheria belongs to the mallow family, Malvaceae, and includes approximately 61 species native to the tropical and subtropical Americas, West Africa, Madagascar, Peninsular Malaysia, northern Australia, and the central Pacific. The genus name honours German botanist Augustin Friedrich Walther (1688–1746). Within the family, W. ovata is classified under Kingdom Plantae, Phylum Tracheophyta, Class Magnoliopsida, Order Malvales, Family Malvaceae, Subfamily Byttnerioideae.
As of June 2021, the species' family placement was formally updated to Malvaceae, having previously been assigned to Sterculiaceae in older literature, a classification still encountered in some research papers. Within Malvaceae, Waltheria belongs to the tribe Hermannieae of subfamily Byttneroideae, and is distinguished from other genera in the tribe by the possession of a single carpel.
Accepted synonyms include Waltheria ovata f. intermedia, W. ovata f. reticulata, Waltheria reticulata, W. reticulata f. acamata, W. reticulata f. anderssonii, and W. reticulata f. intermedia, per the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden (2010). The name Waltheria sericea Turcz. is also listed as a synonym in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) database.
Waltheria ovata Cav. is commonly known as "lucraco" among the population of southern Peru, particularly in the Ica region. This name is the most widely used vernacular designation in the ethnobotanical and scientific literature specific to this species.
The plant is a multistemmed shrub with light foliage, 0.5 to 2 metres tall, with reddish brown bark to dark grey on older stems and stoutish petioles. The petals are yellow and the style is simple. The serrated leaves are a pale blue-grey contrasting with the dark red stems.
The plant varies in height across habitats from dwarfed populations of about 10 cm to full-sized shrubs of two metres. Leaves are one to six cm long, alternate, simple, and covered with stellate hairs. Waltheria plants generally are characterised as herbs, shrubs, subshrubs, or small trees, predominantly found in pantropical regions.
The native range of W. ovata is the Galápagos Islands, Peru, and extending to Chile (Tarapacá), according to Plants of the World Online (POWO, 2023). More specifically, Waltheria ovata is found in Peru and Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands. Within Peru, the plant is especially associated with the coastal desert region, particularly in and around the Ica region of southern Peru. Lucraco is a plant that grows in the coastal desert of Peru.
The root is the primary medicinal part of W. ovata in traditional and current use. The medicinal part of the plant is the root. In traditional practice, roots of Waltheria ovata (lucraco) are boiled with sugar in water by the rural population of Peru, and the liquid is drunk as a healthy drink with food. Chilled and sweetened lucraco root water is described as a popular healthy drink in Peru.
In the context of the broader genus, Waltheria species are known for accumulating 4-quinolone alkaloids and cyclopeptides as nitrogenous compounds; some species hold significant importance in traditional medicine, with their roots and leaves being extensively used in teas prepared by decoction and infusion, as well as being chewed.
In commercial supplement form, W. ovata root has been marketed as a liquid alcohol–water extract, sometimes in combination with other botanicals. Research preparations used in preclinical studies have been prepared as crude ethanol extracts of the root.
Known as "lucraco" by the population of South Peru (Region Ica), W. ovata has been used as a folkloric remedy for the treatment of prostate inflammation, gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhoea, and headaches. The use of traditional medicine in Peru is described as one of the most historically extended activities in the country. Roots are boiled with sugar in water and the liquid is drunk as a health drink; it has also been used against bladder inflammation and other inflammatory diseases.
Despite this longstanding use, W. ovata has historically been used as an alternative medicine without scientific evidence to support its specific applications.
The traditional medicinal uses of W. ovata must be understood within the wider ethnobotanical context of the Waltheria genus. The genus Waltheria is abundantly distributed in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide, and many of its species are widely utilised in folk medicine as anti-inflammatory agents, and for treating gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatism, and asthma. These applications are largely attributed to the plants' secondary metabolites, primarily quinolone alkaloids and cyclopeptides.
The closely related species Waltheria indica L. (syn. W. americana) has a much broader and more extensively documented ethnobotanical record. This perennial herb has been commonly used in traditional medicine worldwide against various ailments such as cough, dysentery, diarrhoea, bladder disorder, haemoptysis, inflammations, neuralgia, wounds, and ulcers. In various traditions, the leaves, root bark, or whole plant, prepared as oral decoctions or macerations, are used against asthma, cough, swelling, toothache, rheumatic colic, diarrhoea, dysentery, conjunctivitis, wounds, and abscesses.
Ethnobotanical records indicate that various species of Waltheria have been employed to address digestive ailments such as stomachaches, diarrhoea, and dysentery, with leaves and roots often prepared as decoctions or infusions for oral administration.
A study specifically investigating the crude ethanol extract of Waltheria ovata root in mice confirmed by phytochemical screening the presence of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, and steroids. This chemical profile aligns closely with the broader genus, though detailed isolation and structural characterisation of individual compounds from W. ovata specifically has not, as of the available literature, been carried out to the same degree as with its congener W. indica.
Alkaloids are naturally occurring nitrogenous organic compounds known for their significant biological activities. Within the genus Waltheria, several types of alkaloids have been identified, particularly 4-quinolone and cyclopeptide alkaloids. These compounds have garnered interest due to their potential pharmacological properties.
Waltheria species contain different chemical groups including alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols, terpenes, cardiac glycosides, saponins, anthraquinones, and carbohydrates. Loustalot and Pagan (1949) first showed the presence of alkaloids in the leaves and roots; later, Païs et al. (1963, 1968) identified and named them adouetins X, Y, Y1, and Z, which were considered among the first cyclopeptide alkaloids reported in plants.
Cyclopeptide alkaloids are defined by a macrocycle ring and are classified based on the number of atoms in the ring, typically comprising thirteen, fourteen, or fifteen members. The fourteen-member group is the most prominent, containing the largest number of isolated alkaloids. In a 2024 molecular network study of the related species W. indica, thirty-three 4-quinolone alkaloids were annotated in the extracts and fractions of stems and roots, whereas twelve were annotated in the extracts and fractions of flowers and leaves.
Phytochemical investigations in the Waltheria genus have shown the presence of flavonoids including (–)-epicatechin, quercetin, kaempferol, and kaempferol-3-O-β-d-(6″-E-p-coumaryl)-glucopyranoside. Rao and colleagues isolated flavonoid derivatives including tiliroside, (−)-epicatechin, and quercetin from a sequentially fractionated ethanolic extract of the whole plant of W. indica.
A study on the hydroethanolic extract of W. indica and its fractions revealed the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, sterols/terpenes, and saponins. Additional phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of anthraquinones, saponins, tannins, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, and carbohydrates.
Phenolic compounds, especially flavonoids, alkaloids, and saponosides, have been proposed as responsible for broncho-relaxant effects observed in studies on Waltheria species.
Important prefatory note on evidence quality: The peer-reviewed scientific literature on Waltheria ovata specifically is limited to a small number of preclinical (animal and in vitro) studies from Peruvian research institutions. No human clinical trials of W. ovata have been published in the indexed literature. Where genus-level evidence from the closely related W. indica is cited, this is clearly distinguished. Evidence for all uses discussed below must be characterised as preliminary at best.
The most substantive published study specific to W. ovata is a preclinical investigation by Herrera-Calderon, Enciso-Roca, Pari-Olarte, and Arroyo-Acevedo, published in 2016 in the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease. The study investigated phytochemical screening, antioxidant activity, and the analgesic effect of crude ethanol extract of Waltheria ovata Cav. roots in mice; it was conducted by researchers from the Academic Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidad Nacional San Luis Gonzaga de Ica, and the Pharmacology Laboratory, National University of San Marcos, Lima, Peru.
The analgesic effect was determined using the acetic acid writhing test and the formalin test; different doses (50, 150, 300, and 500 mg/kg body weight) were administered orally to groups of mice.
The results demonstrated clear dose-dependent analgesia: At a dose of 300 mg/kg, W. ovata demonstrated a 72.51% inhibition (P < 0.01) in the acetic acid test, and in the formalin test achieved 58.6% inhibition in the first phase (P < 0.01) and 91.5% inhibition in the second phase (P < 0.01), results described as comparable to diclofenac (5 mg/kg) and morphine (30 mg/kg) respectively in that experiment.
W. ovata root's crude ethanol extract showed strong antioxidant activity and high phenolic content. The analgesic effect was demonstrated in two experimental models of pain, implying that both peripheral and central mechanisms were involved. The authors attributed this to the presence of various phytochemicals in the extract.
Studies have confirmed that the analgesic effect of plant extracts is linked to their ability to inhibit the expression of pain mediators such as cytokines (TNF-α, IL-12), prostaglandins, and serotonin; W. ovata displayed a dose-dependent analgesic effect with inhibition ranging from 50 to 91%, an activity inferred to arise from suppression of mediators or enzymes during an inflammatory event.
Evidence strength: Preliminary; animal study only. No human trials exist. The comparison to reference drugs was conducted within the same animal model; direct clinical translation cannot be assumed.
The crude ethanol extract of W. ovata root showed strong antioxidant activity and high phenolic content. The evaluation of antioxidant activity and total phenolic content were assessed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical method and Folin-Ciocalteu's reagent, respectively. Antioxidant activity showed 25% inhibition at 0.1 μg/mL, which was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than the positive controls trolox and vitamin C; the total phenolic content (as gallic acid equivalent) was 2,200 mg/g of dry extract.
A separate study by Herrera-Calderon (2014) examining the ethanolic root extract against three free-radical assays — DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS — similarly found notable antioxidant activity. Results showed IC50 values of 0.48 ± 0.02 μg/mL (DPPH), 0.41 ± 0.08 μg/mL (FRAP), and 0.38 ± 0.02 μg/mL (ABTS). The authors concluded that the ethanolic extract of the root of Waltheria ovata Cav. demonstrated good antioxidant activity, inhibiting DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS radicals and surpassing the positive controls trolox and vitamin C.
Evidence strength: Preliminary in vitro data. Free-radical scavenging in cell-free assays does not establish antioxidant efficacy in vivo or clinical relevance.
No published preclinical anti-inflammatory study using a formal model of inflammation (e.g., carrageenan-induced oedema) specific to W. ovata has been identified in the indexed literature at the time of writing. Traditional use for anti-inflammatory purposes — specifically for prostate inflammation and bladder inflammation — is documented. Traditionally, the root has also been used against bladder inflammation and other inflammatory diseases.
Mechanistic hypotheses derived from research on the broader Waltheria genus suggest relevance: Lackzo et al. (2019) used ethanolic extracts of aerial parts of W. indica from Nigeria in analyses of LPS and TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulated human macrophages; results demonstrated that Waltheria extracts inhibited key inflammatory cytokines and cytokine receptors, including interleukin proteins IL-1B, IL-1ra, IL-8, and IL-6.
Evidence strength: For W. ovata specifically, anti-inflammatory activity remains supported only by traditional use and mechanistic inference from genus-level data. Direct experimental evidence for the species is absent.
The traditional use of lucraco for prostate inflammation is one of its primary ethnobotanical applications in the Ica region of Peru. The plant is used as a folkloric remedy for the treatment of prostate inflammation, gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhoea, and headaches.
A 2014 thesis study (Herrera-Calderon) investigated the antitumoral potential of the ethanolic root extract of W. ovata on the DU-145 human prostate cancer cell line in vitro. Results showed a GI50 greater than 250 μg/mL for the DU-145 cell line, and an oral LD50 greater than 2,000 mg/kg in mice. The authors concluded that the extract demonstrated good antioxidant activity but did not evidence antitumoral effect in vitro against the DU-145 human tumour cell line.
Evidence strength: The available in vitro data do not support an anticancer claim for the DU-145 prostate cancer line at the concentrations tested. The antioxidant activity was confirmed, but antitumoral activity was not demonstrated for this cell line. No human clinical data exist.
Waltheria ovata is used in traditional medicine for digestive ailments. Ethnobotanical records indicate that various species of Waltheria have been employed to address digestive ailments such as stomachaches, diarrhoea, and dysentery; leaves and roots are often prepared as decoctions or infusions for oral administration. The evidence supporting these uses is largely anecdotal and based on generational knowledge, rather than rigorous scientific validation.
While some phytochemical studies have identified bioactive compounds in Waltheria ovata, including flavonoids, alkaloids, and saponins, there is limited direct scientific research examining its efficacy specifically for digestive system support. No well-controlled clinical trials have been published, and most of the literature consists of ethnobotanical surveys or preliminary in vitro studies.
For the genus more broadly, tannins and flavonoids have been reported to be responsible for antidiarrhoeal activity in related Waltheria species.
Evidence strength: Traditional use only for W. ovata. Genus-level plausibility through phytochemical reasoning, but no controlled studies specific to this species exist.
No antimicrobial studies specific to W. ovata have been identified in the indexed literature. Several biological activities have been reported for Waltheria species generally, including antifungal, anticancer, trypanocidal, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory, potential anti-HIV, antinociceptive, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and leishmanicidal activities.
For the most closely studied congener, crude extracts and isolated compounds from Waltheria indica were investigated and showed analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial, anti-anaemic, antioxidant, sedative, and anticonvulsant activities. The antifungal activities of the genus have been specifically linked to quinolone alkaloids: Cretton et al. (2016) described antifungal quinoline alkaloids from Waltheria indica, published in the Journal of Natural Products.
Evidence strength: No evidence specific to W. ovata. Genus-level antimicrobial data are largely in vitro and preclinical.
Based on the combination of traditional use records and available scientific evidence, Waltheria ovata has been associated with the following body systems and health areas:
The following dosages are reported exactly as stated in the primary sources and pertain to preclinical (animal) research only:
No human clinical dosage data for Waltheria ovata have been established in published scientific literature. Any dosages stated on commercial products reflect manufacturers' recommendations, not evidence-based clinical guidance.
The ethanolic root extract of Waltheria ovata Cav. was evaluated for acute oral toxicity according to OECD guidelines in male Balb C/53 albino mice; the extract was classified as non-toxic under this classification system. A calculated oral LD50 of greater than 2,000 mg/kg was reported. This places the extract in a relatively low acute toxicity category by standard regulatory frameworks, though the data come from a single study in one rodent strain and should be interpreted with caution.
For the broader Waltheria genus, toxicological data from related species — primarily W. indica — provide context: Research on the extracts of W. indica revealed a tolerable safety profile in rats and mice, with an LD50 ranging from 300 to 5,000 mg/kg body weight, depending on the parts of the plant used. Studies of acute toxicity in animals have indicated that Waltheria indica can be toxic at higher doses.
No well-controlled clinical trials have been published on Waltheria ovata, and most of the literature consists of ethnobotanical surveys or preliminary in vitro studies. The safety of W. ovata preparations in specific human populations — including those with hepatic or renal impairment, pregnant or nursing women, children, and the elderly — has not been formally evaluated in any published study.
No published data on herb–drug interactions for Waltheria ovata have been identified in the indexed literature. The presence of alkaloids — the primary bioactive compound class in Waltheria species — in combination with compounds known to modulate cytokine pathways means that theoretical interactions with immunosuppressive drugs, anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals, or analgesic medications cannot be excluded, but have not been formally studied.
W. ovata is used as an alternative medicine, but no scientific evidence existed to support its use at the time the primary studies were conducted; the authors noted that it is necessary to validate the pharmacological effects of this plant for assessing its efficacy and safety. Further pharmacological and clinical research would be needed to substantiate its medicinal value. Further studies are considered necessary to explore pure compounds responsible for the pharmacological effects of Waltheria species and the mechanisms of action.
Much of the pharmacological investigation relevant to the health claims associated with W. ovata has been conducted on Waltheria indica, the best-studied congener. Despite the large number of Waltheria species, few have been studied from a chemical perspective. The shared phytochemical architecture — particularly the 4-quinolone alkaloid and cyclopeptide alkaloid scaffolds — provides a basis for comparing the two species, but direct chemical equivalence has not been established.
Waltheria indica has been posited to possess therapeutic potential in the treatment of inflammation, malaria, infectious diseases (e.g., lung infection due to Klebsiella pneumoniae, diarrhoea due to Candida albicans or Escherichia coli), and prevention of oxidative stress. Whether these properties extend to W. ovata cannot be assumed without species-specific investigation.
A 2024 MDPI review of alkaloids from Waltheria species noted that the applications of these plants are largely due to their secondary metabolites, primarily quinolone alkaloids and cyclopeptides, and that several biological activities have been reported for Waltheria species, including antifungal, anticancer, trypanocidal, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory, potential anti-HIV, antinociceptive, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and leishmanicidal activities.
Waltheria ovata Cav. ("lucraco") is a South American shrub with documented traditional use in Peruvian folk medicine for prostate inflammation, gastrointestinal disorders, and headaches. The plant belongs to a genus whose secondary metabolites — particularly 4-quinolone alkaloids, cyclopeptide alkaloids, and diverse polyphenols — have demonstrated a range of biological activities across multiple species.
For W. ovata specifically, the peer-reviewed evidence base consists of a very small number of Peruvian preclinical studies. These have confirmed: (1) the presence of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, and steroids in root extracts; (2) strong in vitro antioxidant activity exceeding reference standards trolox and vitamin C in multiple assays; (3) dose-dependent analgesic effects in murine models comparable to reference analgesics in experimental settings; and (4) absence of antitumoral activity against the DU-145 prostate cancer cell line at tested concentrations, with an acceptable acute toxicity profile in rodents (LD50 > 2,000 mg/kg).
No human clinical trials, systematic reviews, pharmacokinetic studies, or formal safety assessments in special populations have been conducted for W. ovata. The traditional use record is localised to southern Peru, and the breadth of pharmacological evidence routinely cited in commercial contexts is typically derived from studies of the related species W. indica, which itself has no robust clinical trial evidence base. The overall evidence quality for any specific therapeutic application of W. ovata must be characterised as preliminary and preclinical.
Health conditions that Waltheria ovata may help support.
Body systems that Waltheria ovata may help support.
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