Tabebuia avellanedae, T impertiginosa, Handroanthus impetiginosus.   Pau D'arco   
PART USED: Inner bark
ACTIONS
1. Antibiotic- antifungal.[4]
2. Antitumor.[4]
3. Anti-inflammatory. Cleansing agent.[4]
4. Immune stimulant.[4]
5. Tonic.[4]
6. Thins blood.[5]
INDICATIONS
1. Pain generally, arthritis, inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis).[2]
2. Inflammatory disorders- arthritis, cystitis, prostatitis, bronchitis, gastritis, ulcers, hepatitis, asthma, lupus, scleroderma.[3]
3. Fever, dysentery, boils and ulcers, and various cancers.[2]
4. Infectious disorders - Candida albicans infections (used internally and topically for vaginal, oral and systemic candidiasis), infections of the genitourinary tract (cystitis, prostatitis), herpes, tinea, ringworm
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Drug Interactions- Avoid if taking Warfarin- Potentiates anticoagulant effect as naphthaquinones have warfarin like activity.
PREPARATIONS
Decoction 1/2 cup 2-4 times/day.[5]
Fluid extract 1:1 in 45% alcohol  0.5-1 ml.
Fluid extract 1:2 in 45% alcohol.[1]
Tincture 2-3 mls 2-3 X/day.[5]
Decoction 10-15 g 3x /day - called Lapacho tea.

ORIGIN: Rainforests of South America and Brazil.
DESCRIPTION: Pau d’arco is a huge canopy tree native to the Amazon rainforest and other tropical parts of South and Latin America. It grows to 30 m high and the base of the tree can be 2–3 m in diameter.
References
[1] The Pharmaceutical Plant Company Pty Ltd ppcherbs.com.au
[2] umm.edu
[3] yourhealth.com.au
[4] cloverleaffarmherbs.com
[5] rain-tree.com
Images
1. herbalfire.com
2. superfeast.com.au

Research

In vitro and in vivo wound healing-promoting activities of beta-lapachone.
Kung HN, Yang MJ, Chang CF, Chau YP, Lu KS.
Abstract
Impaired wound healing is a serious problem for diabetic patients. Wound healing is a complex process that requires the cooperation of many cell types, including keratinocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and macrophages. beta-Lapachone, a natural compound extracted from the bark of the lapacho tree (Tabebuia avellanedae), is well known for its antitumor, antiinflammatory, and antineoplastic effects at different concentrations and conditions, but its effects on wound healing have not been studied. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of beta-lapachone on wound healing and its underlying mechanism. In the present study, we demonstrated that a low dose of beta-lapachone enhanced the proliferation in several cells, facilitated the migration of mouse 3T3 fibroblasts and human endothelial EAhy926 cells through different MAPK signaling pathways, and accelerated scrape-wound healing in vitro. Application of ointment with or without beta-lapachone to a punched wound in normal and diabetic (db/db) mice showed that the healing process was faster in beta-lapachone-treated animals than in those treated with vehicle only. In addition, beta-lapachone induced macrophages to release VEGF and EGF, which are beneficial for growth of many cells. Our results showed that beta-lapachone can increase cell proliferation, including keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, and migration of fibroblasts and endothelial cells and thus accelerate wound healing. Therefore, we suggest that beta-lapachone may have potential for therapeutic use for wound healing.
PMID: 18650264 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00266.2008 Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2008 Oct;295(4):C931-43. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00266.2008. Epub 2008 Jul 23. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

In vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of taheebo, a water extract from the inner bark of Tabebuia avellanedae.
Byeon SE, Chung JY, Lee YG, Kim BH, Kim KH, Cho JY.
Abstract
AIM OF STUDY:
Tabebuia spp. (Bignoniaceae) are native to tropical rain forests throughout Central and South America and have long been used as a folk medicine to treat bacterial infection, blood coagulation, cancer and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the ethnopharmacological activity of Tabebuia avellanedae in various in vitro and in vivo inflammatory conditions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
To do this, LPS-stimulated macrophages and arachidonic acid or croton oil-induced mouse ear edema models were employed.
RESULTS:
The water extract (taheebo) of Tabebuia avellanedae significantly suppressed the production of prostaglandin (PG) E(2) and nitric oxide (NO), and blocked the mRNA expression of their catalyzing enzymes (cyclooxygenase [COX)-II] and inducible NO synthase [iNOS], respectively), in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The blockade of inflammatory mediators by taheebo seemed to be the result of the interruption of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) activation, according to immunoblotting analysis and the NO assay, where LPS strongly induced the phosphorylation (a hallmark of activation) of ERK, and U0126, a selective ERK inhibitor, was found to strongly inhibit PGE(2) production. Similarly, oral administration of taheebo (100mg/kg) for 1 week completely diminished mouse ear edema induced by arachidonic acid, an activator of COX-II, but not croton oil, an activator of lipoxygenase.
CONCLUSIONS:
These data suggest that the ethnopharmacological action of taheebo may be due to its negative modulation of macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses by suppressing PGE(2) production. Thus, this water extract may be developed as a new therapeutic remedy for various inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and atherosclerosis.
PMID: 18634864 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.06.016 J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Sep 2;119(1):145-52. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.06.016. Epub 2008 Jun 27. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov