Devil's Claw

Harpagophytum procumbens

Family: Pedaliaceae Part used: Secondary tubers (storage roots)

Key Compounds

• Harpagoside
• Harpagide
• Procumbide
• 8-p-Coumaroylharpagide
• Verbascoside
• Luteolin
• Kaempferol
• Quercetin
• Chlorogenic acid
• Caffeic acid
• Beta-sitosterol

Traditional Use

• Low back pain — multiple RCTs support efficacy for non-specific low back pain; the 2003 Chrubasik et al. systematic review (10 RCTs) found significant dose-dependent pain reduction; the 2000 Chrubasik et al. RCT compared harpagoside extract to rofecoxib (Vioxx, a COX-2 inhibitor at the time) in 88 patients with low back pain — comparable outcomes; German Commission E approved for loss of appetite and degenerative locomotor disorders
• Osteoarthritis — multiple RCTs for knee and hip OA show significant reduction in pain and improvement in function; a 2003 Chantre et al. RCT (122 patients, 4 months) found devil's claw extract comparable to diacerhein (a pharmaceutical used in OA); the Pedaliaceae family produces iridoids with multi-target anti-inflammatory activity relevant to the chronic, low-grade inflammation of osteoarthritis
• Multi-target anti-inflammatory mechanism — harpagoside inhibits COX-2 (reducing prostaglandins), 5-lipoxygenase (reducing leukotrienes), and NF-κB activation (reducing inflammatory cytokine production); this triple mechanism is distinct from NSAIDs (COX only) and boswellia (5-LOX only); the multi-target profile may explain clinical efficacy in conditions where single-target anti-inflammatories are insufficient
• Traditional Khoisan use — San (Bushmen) and Khoikhoi people of southern Africa used the tubers for pain, digestive complaints, and fever; the secondary roots were ground and prepared as decoction; European awareness began in the early 20th century when Mehnert (a German farmer living in Namibia) observed local use and began exporting tubers; scientific research started in the 1950s and 1960s in Germany
• Digestive bitter — harpagoside and the iridoid bitter fraction stimulate digestive secretions; German Commission E approval includes 'loss of appetite' as a supported indication; the bitter mechanism is the traditional application predating the joint health use in Western herbal adoption

The seed pods catch on animal feet and embed in animal mouths. This is the most immediate fact about the plant. Goats die from it.

Harpagophytum from Greek: grappling hook plant. Procumbens: lying down. The plant grows flat against the Kalahari sand, invisible until the pods attach to whatever walks over them. The hooks are woody, curved, 2–6 cm long, and evolved as a seed dispersal mechanism. They are effective. They are also what gave the plant its name in every European language that encountered it.

The San people of southern Africa observed that the secondary tubers of this plant reduced pain. They were not wrong. The mechanism turned out to be simultaneous inhibition of three separate inflammatory pathways.

Meet the plant

Low-growing rosettes of grey-green lobed leaves pressed flat to sandy desert soil. Tubular pink-purple flowers. Seed pods that could reasonably be described as a natural trap.

The medicinal part is the secondary tuber — not the primary root but the water-storage tubers that develop off it. These may weigh up to 1.5 kg each and contain the highest concentration of harpagoside.

The three-pathway mechanism

NSAIDs inhibit COX enzymes. Boswellia inhibits 5-lipoxygenase. Devil’s claw harpagoside inhibits both, and also NF-κB.

NF-κB is a transcription factor — a master regulator of inflammatory gene expression. When activated, it drives production of inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Inhibiting NF-κB is the mechanism targeted by some pharmaceutical biologics (like anti-TNF drugs). Harpagoside acts at this level as well.

The multi-target profile means that devil’s claw addresses the prostaglandin pathway, the leukotriene pathway, and the cytokine production pathway simultaneously. This does not make it more powerful than pharmaceutical single-target drugs at any one pathway, but it means the anti-inflammatory effect is broader. In conditions where multiple inflammatory pathways are active — as in chronic osteoarthritis and persistent low back pain — multi-target inhibition may achieve clinical outcomes that single-target drugs do not.

The clinical evidence

Low back pain: A 2000 RCT by Chrubasik et al. compared harpagoside extract to rofecoxib (then considered a gold-standard pharmaceutical COX-2 inhibitor) in 88 patients with low back pain. Outcomes: comparable. A 2003 systematic review of 10 RCTs found significant dose-dependent pain reduction. German Commission E approved for degenerative locomotor disorders.

Osteoarthritis: A 2003 Chantre et al. RCT (122 patients, 4 months) found devil’s claw extract comparable to diacerhein (a pharmaceutical used in OA management) for pain and function improvement.

The clinical evidence base for devil’s claw in musculoskeletal pain is substantial for a herbal medicine. The comparison to pharmaceutical standards in two separate conditions (back pain vs rofecoxib; OA vs diacerhein) is particularly significant.

What people actually do with it

Standardised extract (clinical dose): Equivalent to 50–60 mg harpagoside per day, divided into 2 doses with meals. This is the dose at which clinical trials demonstrated efficacy. Products specifying harpagoside content allow accurate dosing; products without specification may not deliver the effective dose.

Capsules/tablets: Follow product specification for harpagoside content. Typical: 400–500 mg extract standardised to 2–5% harpagoside, 2 times daily.

Tea/decoction: 1–1.5 g dried secondary root, 15 minutes in hot water. Traditional method; lower standardisation consistency. Harpagoside extraction is improved by longer steep time.

Assessment period: Allow 4–8 weeks before assessing effect. Effects develop over sustained use.

Caution: The bitter iridoid fraction stimulates stomach acid secretion — avoid or use with caution in active gastric ulcer or oesophageal reflux. Not recommended during pregnancy (uterotonic potential from iridoid bitter stimulation). Avoid with anticoagulants (additive effect possible). Discontinue 2 weeks before surgery.

Could you grow this yourself?

H. procumbens requires the very specific conditions of the Kalahari — sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil, full sun, and a dry hot climate. It does not grow in temperate conditions. Commercial supply is entirely from southern Africa, where sustainable harvest programs are being developed in response to over-harvesting concerns.

Devil’s claw (ハーパゴフィタム) in Japan

Japanese traditional medicine has no relationship with devil’s claw — the plant is native to southern Africa and has no connection to East Asian botanical traditions or kampo. Modern presence in Japan is through the Western supplement market.

ハーパゴフィタム and デビルズクロー supplements are available in Japan positioned for joint health and anti-inflammatory applications. The German Commission E approval and the clinical trial comparisons to pharmaceutical standards are cited in Japanese supplement contexts that emphasise evidence-based credibility.

Things you’re probably wondering

Is it as effective as ibuprofen? For non-specific low back pain, controlled trials suggest comparable efficacy to pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory standards at the recommended dose. For acute pain requiring rapid relief, NSAIDs act faster. Devil’s claw’s multi-target mechanism may provide sustained benefit with less risk of gastrointestinal side effects than chronic NSAID use.

What happened to rofecoxib? Rofecoxib (Vioxx) was withdrawn from market in 2004 due to cardiovascular risks associated with long-term use. The devil’s claw comparison trial was conducted before this was known. The withdrawal does not affect the validity of the comparison at the time — it demonstrates that the herbal extract performed comparably to what was then considered a highly effective pharmaceutical.

Is sustainable harvest a concern? Yes — devil’s claw is entirely wild-harvested throughout its range. Over-harvesting has been reported. Look for suppliers with verified sustainable harvest programmes or who work with Namibian and Botswanan community harvest certifications.

Botanical details

The full compound list

See Also

• Boswellia — 5-LOX mechanism; complementary to devil’s claw’s multi-target approach
• Willow Bark — salicin/COX mechanism; the original anti-inflammatory botanical
• Comfrey — topical anti-inflammatory for acute trauma; complementary to devil’s claw for systemic joint inflammation

References

• Chrubasik, S. et al. (2000). Treatment of low back pain exacerbations with Harpagophytum procumbens. American Journal of Medicine, 109(1), 9–14.
• Chantre, P. et al. (2000). Efficacy and tolerance of Harpagophytum procumbens versus diacerhein in treatment of osteoarthritis. Phytomedicine, 7(3), 177–183.
• Gagnier, J.J. et al. (2004). Harpagophytum procumbens for osteoarthritis and low back pain: a systematic review. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 4, 13.
• Brendler, T. et al. (2001). Devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens DC): an evidence-based systematic review. Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy, 1(1), 1–18.