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Evodia rutaecarpa

Evodia rutaecarpa is a fruit used in traditional Chinese medicine, and its main compound, evodiamine, activates the same heat-sensing receptor as chili peppers. In lab studies, evodiamine slowed the growth of colon and kidney cancer cells and pushed them toward self-destruction, but the evidence is very limited. No human cancer trials exist, and a rat study found evodiamine is poorly absorbed by mouth.

Sources: PMID 26503233; PMID 16681034

Best evidence
Grade D
Conditions studied
1
Outcomes
5
Graded outcomes
0005

Evidence by condition

  • Strong
  • Moderate
  • Limited
  • Very limited

1 condition, plus general outcomes

General

General: outcomes studied for Evodia rutaecarpa
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Tumor Cell Proliferation

Multiple in vitro studies show evodiamine inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis across colon cancer, renal carcinoma, and other cell lines via topoisomerase I inhibition, G2/M cell cycle arrest, and IGF-1/HIF-1α downregulation. Novel evodiamine derivatives have been synthesized to improve potency. No human cancer trials exist.

Changes; see studiesModerate effect10 studies

Studies that measured tumor cell proliferation

Inflammatory Markers

In vitro and animal studies demonstrate evodiamine strongly inhibits prostaglandin E2 synthesis, COX-2 induction, and NF-κB activation. Traditional use in Chinese medicine for inflammatory GI complaints supports the mechanism, but no controlled human trials have been conducted.

Improves (the measure goes down)Moderate effect5 studies

Studies that measured inflammatory markers

Cold Sensitivity

Evodiamine is a TRPV1 receptor agonist (the same target as capsaicin), producing a warming sensation and reducing perception of cold in mechanistic and animal studies. Traditional use in Chinese medicine centers on warming effects for cold-related conditions. No controlled human data is available.

Changes; see studiesSmall effect4 studies

Studies that measured cold sensitivity

Oral Bioavailability

Pharmacokinetic study in rats demonstrated poor oral bioavailability of evodiamine with rapid metabolism, suggesting that oral supplement dosing may not achieve therapeutically relevant plasma concentrations. This is a significant limitation for all proposed therapeutic applications.

Changes; see studiesLarge effect4 studies

Studies that measured oral bioavailability

Body Composition

Body Composition: outcomes studied for Evodia rutaecarpa
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Body Fat Accumulation

Two animal studies showed anti-obesity effects with evodiamine supplementation. However, the mechanism may involve TRPV1-mediated heat perception rather than true increases in caloric expenditure. Poor oral bioavailability limits translational relevance to humans.

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect4 studies

Studies that measured body fat accumulation

Key findings

  • Tumor Cell ProliferationChanges; see studies
  • Inflammatory MarkersImproves (the measure goes down)
  • Body Fat AccumulationBody CompositionImproves (the measure goes down)

Shop Evodia rutaecarpa

Third-party tested Evodia rutaecarpa products. The evidence above is limited, so read it before you buy.

  • Grade D

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Studies cited

11 studies from PubMed

  1. Evodiamine: A extremely potential drug development candidate of alkaloids from Evodia rutaecarpaInt J Nanomedicine, 2024 · PMID 39345907
  2. Immobilized cells on microcarriers for efficient and biomimetic screening of active compounds acting on FGFR4 from Fructus evodiae.Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 2024 · PMID 38908234
  3. Design, synthesis and bioactivity evaluation of novel N-phenyl-substituted evodiamine derivatives as potent anti-tumor agents.Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 2022 · PMID 34990980
  4. Untargeted LC-MS/MS-Based Multi-Informative Molecular Networking for Targeting the Antiproliferative Ingredients in Tetradium ruticarpum Fruit.Molecules, 2022 · PMID 35889335
  5. Evodiamine: A review of its pharmacology, toxicity, pharmacokinetics and preparation researchesJ Ethnopharmacol, 2020 · PMID 32956321
  6. Evodiamine: A novel anti-cancer alkaloid from Evodia rutaecarpaMolecules, 2018 · PMID 30415034
  7. Cytological Assessments and Transcriptome Profiling Demonstrate that Evodiamine Inhibits Growth and Induces Apoptosis in a Renal Carcinoma Cell Line.Scientific Reports, 2017 · PMID 28974748
  8. Antiproliferation effect of evodiamine in human colon cancer cells is associated with IGF-1/HIF-1α downregulation.Oncology Reports, 2015 · PMID 26503233
  9. Evodiamine: a novel anti-cancer alkaloid from Evodia rutaecarpa.Molecules, 2009 · PMID 19471205
  10. Anti-inflammatory principles from the fruits of Evodia rutaecarpa and their cellular action mechanismsArch Pharm Res, 2006 · PMID 16681034
  11. Pharmacological properties of galenical preparation. XVI. Pharmacokinetics of evodiamine and the metabolite in rats.Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 1993 · PMID 8268864