P57 Pure Hoodia
What is Hoodia Gordonii?
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa isolated an active compound 'P57' for appetite suppression from Hoodia gordonii. The CSIR licensed the rights for further development of P57 Pure Hoodia and the setting up of a sustainable product system to Phytopharm in the UK . Phytopharm in turn sub licensed the rights to Pfizer for the development and global commercialization. Pfizer has recently returned the clinical developmental rights.
How Does Hoodia work?
Scientists believe that the reason for Hoodia's appetite suppressing abilities is a molecule called 'P57'. Normally, when you eat the glucose in your body rises and eventually signals to your brain (the hypothalamus) that you are full. It is believed that 'P57' molecule in Pure Hoodia mimics the effect that glucose has on your brain, telling part of your brain (the Hypothalamus) that you feel full. Consequently, you have no desire to eat.
Hoodia is a genus of succulent plants in the family Apocynaceae that is widely used traditionally by the San people of southern Africa as an appetite suppressant, thirst quencher and as a cure for severe abdominal cramps, haemorrhoids, tuberculosis, indigestion, hypertension and diabetes. Various uses have been recorded among Anikhwe (Northern Botswana), Hai om (northern Namibia ), Khomani (north western South Africa ), and the !Xun and Khwe (originally from Angola ) communities. Less is known about the use of this group of plants by other indigenous people, but some records show limited use of Hoodia parts as food items, albeit not as preferred food items. Hoodias are known to be used for cultural purposes in some areas (Hargreaves and Turner, 2002). Although relatively difficult to cultivate, Hoodia ' s are attractive plants and are also used for horticultural purposes.
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