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Herb library · Herb · Maytenus ilicifolia

Espinheira-santa

A holly-leaved shrub of southern Brazil whose leaves are a popular South American folk remedy for indigestion and heartburn. A small preliminary trial compared it with a standard acid-reducing medicine.

Traditional use

Its name means "holy thorn" in Portuguese, for its spiny leaves. Researchers describe it as widely used in South American folk medicine for indigestion, and in Brazilian popular medicine for ulcers and gastritis; it is among the medicinal plants used by the Mbyá-Guarani of southern Brazil. The leaves are made into a tea or taken as dried extract.

What studies show

  • Limited

    Heartburn and reflux: in a preliminary 2024 randomized, double-blind trial in 86 people with reflux symptoms, four weeks of a standardized leaf extract (400 or 860 mg) reduced symptom scores about as much as omeprazole 20 mg. It is one small trial, reported as preliminary results.

  • Limited

    Safety: in a 2017 phase I study, 24 healthy volunteers took rising doses of leaf extract up to 2000 mg a day for several weeks without significant changes in blood tests or reaction-time tests; dry mouth and needing to urinate more often were the most common complaints.

Be careful of

Cautions

  • NoteIn the phase I study, dry mouth and passing more urine were the most common side effects.
  • InteractionWhether it interacts with medicines in people is unknown; a 2020 study in rats and cells tested its effect on CYP3A and P-glycoprotein, systems that clear many drugs. If you take prescription medicines, check with a pharmacist before using it.
  • ConditionHeartburn that is frequent, painful to swallow with, or comes with weight loss, vomiting or black stools needs a clinician.
  • PregnancyNo safety information for pregnancy or breastfeeding supports its use; avoid it then.
  • Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.

Sources

  1. Pharmacological Evaluation of the Traditional Brazilian Medicinal Plant Monteverdia ilicifolia in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Preliminary Results of a Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Clinical Trial (Pharmaceuticals, 2024) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  2. Pharmacological and Toxicological Study of Maytenus ilicifolia Leaf Extract Part II — Clinical Study (Phase I) (Phytother Res, 2017) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  3. Evaluation of the Effects of Maytenus ilicifolia on the Activities of Cytochrome P450 3A and P-glycoprotein (Curr Drug Metab, 2020) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  4. Pharmacological and Toxicological Study of Maytenus ilicifolia Leaf Extract Part II — Clinical Study (Phase I) (Phytother Res, 2017) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  5. Medicinal Plants Used by a Mbyá-Guarani Tribe Against Infections (Nat Prod Commun, 2015) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026

Reviewed September 25, 2026.