Baptisia Arachnifera

<h2><i><b>Astragalus</b></i> (<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syllable_stress_of_Botanical_Latin" title="Syllable stress of Botanical Latin">As-trá-ga-lus</a></i>) is a large genus of about 3,000 species<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus#cite_note-2">[1]</a></sup> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb" title="Herb">herbs</a> and small <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrub" title="Shrub">shrubs</a>, belonging to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legume" title="Legume">legume</a> family <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabaceae" title="Fabaceae">Fabaceae</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subfamily" title="Subfamily">subfamily</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faboideae" title="Faboideae">Faboideae</a>. </h2>

<h2>The genus is native to temperate regions of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hemisphere" title="Northern Hemisphere">Northern Hemisphere</a>. </h2>

<h2>Common names include milk-vetch (most species), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locoweed" title="Locoweed">locoweed</a> (in western US, some species; although most locoweeds are not genus <i>Astragalus</i> but in related genera)<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus#cite_note-3">[2]</a></sup> and <b>goat's-thorn</b> (<i>A. gummifer</i>, <i>A. tragacanthus</i>). Some pale-flowered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicia" title="Vicia">vetches</a> are similar in appearance, but vetches are more <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine" title="Vine">vine</a>-like.</h2>

<h2>Supplement use</h2>

<p>Extracts of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus_membranaceus" title="Astragalus membranaceus" class="mw-redirect">Astragalus membranaceus</a></i> (syn. <i>Astragalus propinquus</i>) are marketed as life prolonging extracts in humans. </p>

<p>

A proprietary extract of the dried root of <i>Astragalus membranaceus</i>, called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TA-65" title="TA-65">TA-65</a>, 'was associated with a significant age-reversal effect in the immune system, in that it led to declines in the percentage of senescent cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells after six to twelve months of use.'<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus#cite_note-10">[9]</a></sup></p>

<p>

In October 2010, Intertek/AAC Labs, an ISO 17025 internationally recognized lab, found the largest component of TA-65 to be Cycloastragenol.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus#cite_note-11">[10]</a></sup></p>

<p>

Telomerase activation was feared to pose an increased risk of cancer because <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telomere" title="Telomere">telomere</a> shortening is a mechanism that limits cell proliferation. However, short telomeres result in chromosome instability, hence there is also a potential mechanism for telomere lengthening to protect against cancer (as distinct from mutation-induced activation).<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus#cite_note-12">[11]</a></sup></p>

<h2>Side effects</h2>

<p><i>Astragalus</i> may interact with medications that suppress the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_system" title="Immune system">immune system</a>, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclophosphamide" title="Cyclophosphamide">cyclophosphamide</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-NCCAM_8-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus#cite_note-NCCAM-8">[7]</a></sup> It may also affect <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_sugar" title="Blood sugar">blood sugar</a> levels and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_pressure" title="Blood pressure">blood pressure</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-NCCAM_8-2" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus#cite_note-NCCAM-8">[7]</a></sup> Some <i>Astragalus</i> species can be toxic. For example, several species that grow in the United States contain the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotoxin" title="Neurotoxin">neurotoxin</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swainsonine" title="Swainsonine">swainsonine</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-NCCAM_8-3" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus#cite_note-NCCAM-8">[7]</a></sup></p>