Guinea hen weed, known to South Americans as anamu, is a herb that is indigenous to the Amazon rainforest and the tropical areas of the Caribbean, Central and South America and Africa. Its botanical name is Petiveria alliacea. In Jamaica, it has several names - Petiveria alliacea, guinea hen leaf, garlic weed or gully root.
Central, South America , Africa
Anamu has a long history of use in herbal medicine in all the countries where it grows. Herbalists and natural health practitioners have traditionally used anamu for a wide variety of conditions including arthritis, digestive disorders, infections, diabetes, cancer and pain relief .
Over the past quarter of a century, however, modern scientific research has studied anamu intensively and many biologically active compounds have been discovered in the plant: flavanoids, triterpenes, steroids, and sulfur compounds. The research published on anamu now validates many of the historical uses of this herb.
Interestingly, the researchers found that of the 20 compounds isolated from the plant - several of which had never been identified in nature before - some were similar to compounds found in garlic, a plant known to have medicinal properties.