Which species is “Cat's claw”?
“Cat's claw” (uña de gato) commercially denotes two Amazonian Uncaria species whose bark is documented to be mixed and interchanged in trade — and an unrelated Asian Uncaria (gou teng) shares the genus but not the trade name.
The species behind the name
- Cat's Claw
Uncaria tomentosa
Uncaria tomentosa — the species most supplement literature refers to; pentacyclic-oxindole (POA) chemotype is the marker commercial extracts standardize around.
- Cat's Claw (Uncaria guianensis)
Uncaria guianensis (Aubl.) J.F.Gmel.
Uncaria guianensis — the second uña de gato of commerce; more tetracyclic-oxindole-leaning chemistry, with its own (separate) research record.
- Gou Teng (Uncaria rhynchophylla)
Uncaria rhynchophylla
Uncaria rhynchophylla — the Asian “gou teng” of Chinese medicine; same genus, different tradition and different traded article. Not sold as cat's claw.
How to tell what a product actually is
- A label that says only “cat's claw” or “Uncaria spp.” does not identify the species; look for the full binomial.
- Mixed or interchanged U. tomentosa / U. guianensis bark is documented in the supply chain (LiverTox) — a product's real chemistry follows its real contents.
- For research-grade material, DNA authentication plus oxindole-alkaloid profiling (POA vs TOA pattern) is the analytical standard.
Documentation
Educational use only. This page explains species identity — it makes no claim that any species works for anything, and it is never a place to decide what to take. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you take medication, talk to your clinician or pharmacist before adding any botanical, whichever species it turns out to be.