Buchu

Buchu is an evergreen, gland-dotted, fragrant shrub that grows up to two metres in height and is naturally distributed in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The plants are extremely aromatic, filling the surrounding area with their scent. The aroma is reminiscent of blackcurrants, though some people detect a mixture of rosemary and peppermint. Buchu is said to be the only plant in the world that genetically produces diosphenol (also called buchu camphor), found in the plant’s essential oil and which is responsible for the characteristic blackcurrant scent and flavour of the plant. The generic name Agathosma means ‘good fragrance’ and, in manufacturing, the essential oil from buchu is used to give a fruit flavour (often blackcurrant) to foods. It is also used as a fragrance in perfumes and colognes. A buchu plant, if properly handled, has a lifespan of up to 100 years. In the wild, the plant is only harvested every second or third year to ensure that there is enough time to regrow and seed. Currently the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa, in collaboration with local farmers, has projects in place to monitor harvesting and ensure the protection of pure genetic strains of plants from which to propagate.

The modern use of buchu is as a urinary tract antiseptic and as an anti-inflammatory agent thereby reducing the inflammation seen in urinary tract infections and treating infections of the urethra and prostate. Traditionally buchu has been highly prized by the Khoisan (indigenous people of the western region of South Africa) for medicinal and spiritual purposes including for dance rituals, anointment, beautification and as perfume. It has remained one of the most popular herbal medicines in South Africa. The traditional use of buchu encompasses the treatment of kidney and urinary tract infections, the common cold, stomach ailments, rheumatism, gout and fever. Externally it was applied as an antiseptic wash to infected wounds and as a compress to relieve swelling, bruising and sprains.

When early Dutch settlers first came to the Cape in South Africa, they were struck by the pervasive and intoxicating smell of the buchu bush. Initially noted by the early settlers, knowledge and use of buchu spread to Europe and later to the United States. It is even said that a shipment of eight bales of buchu leaves were catalogued as on board the doomed Titanic. Buchu has been in compendiums since 1826 for its diuretic effects and use in the treatment of genitourinary tract infections, however, became obsolete in the 20th century due to the lack of scientific evidence for its efficacy and the advent of antibiotics and synthetic diuretics. Modern research includes mostly laboratory (in vitro) and animal (in vivo) studies which demonstrate a variety of effects including diuretic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antibacterial activity. These activities may be attributable to the irritant nature of the volatile oil and the flavonoid components. There is a lack of available human studies to justify the traditional indications.

References

Brendler T, Abdel-Tawab M. Buchu (Agathosma betulina and A. crenulata): Rightfully Forgotten or Underutilized? Front Pharmacol. 2022 Feb 7;13:813142. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.813142. PMID: 35197854; PMCID: PMC8859318.

ii Huisamen B (ed.) Medicinal Effects of Agathosma (Buchu) Extracts AOSIS, Cape Town 2019;xxi-xxi https://doi.org/10.4102/aosis.2019.BK84.00

iii Skosana B, Aboua G, du Plessis SS. Buchu – The Multi-Purpose Ethnomedicinally Important Specie and Its Benefits in the Reproductive System [Internet]. Antioxidant-Antidiabetic Agents and Human Health. InTech; 2014. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/57233

iv Brendler T, Abdel-Tawab M. Buchu (Agathosma betulina and A. crenulata): Rightfully Forgotten or Underutilized? Front Pharmacol. 2022 Feb 7;13:813142. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.813142. PMID: 35197854; PMCID: PMC8859318.

v LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2012-. Buchu. [Updated 2023 Mar 3]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK589899/

vi Brendler T, Abdel-Tawab M. Buchu (Agathosma betulina and A. crenulata): Rightfully Forgotten or Underutilized? Front Pharmacol. 2022 Feb 7;13:813142. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.813142. PMID: 35197854; PMCID: PMC8859318.