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| Hoodia gordonii Historical info |
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Hoodia gordonii was discovered by col. Robert Jacob Gordon in the vicinity of the  Orange river during the year 1779. Two years after col. Gordon, a Dutch officer of Scottish descent, reached the river and named it after the Prince of Orange. On his second journey to the Orange river, this time accompanied by lieut. William Patterson, he came upon this known Stapeliad. He brought a drawing of the plant to Francis Masson, professional gardener who was sent to the Cape by the King of England to collect seed and plants for the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Masson published the drawing in 1796 under the name Stapelia gordonii in his well known work Stapeliae Novae. In 1830 the genus Hoodia was established in the second edition of the Hortus Brittannicus, a catalogue of plants cultivated in the gardens of Great Brittain, London and the species under discussion was transferred to the new genus.
The possibility exists that the plants which were described as Hoodia gordonii, were in fact specimens of the plant which is today known under the specie H. bainii. Some botanists are of opinion that Hoodia gordonii and Hoodia bainii are not the same species. Plants of the species which at this stage is known as H. gordonii occur in the North Western Cape and the southern half of South Africa. |
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| Hoodia gordonii Botanical Classification |
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Hoodia gordonii, is a leafless spiny succulent plant (not a cactus) with fleshly  finger-like Hoodia stems. Rows of thorns are present along the stems, bearing flesh colored flowers. The strong smell of decaying meat, attract flies to the flowers and by laying their eggs inside, they pollinate them. Hoodia gordonii contains an (when extracted, patented molecule) active ingredient, P57. Hoodia reduces the appetite by fooling the brain into thinking that it has eaten and sending the signals to the body that it is full. This results in smaller portions and curbing of appetite in general.
Hoodia species occur in summer rainfall areas in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa as well as winter rainfall areas in Namibia (MET 2002). Only one species if found east of 26 degrees longitude, i.e. H. currorii subsp. lugardii, which occurs in Botswana and the Limpopo province of South Africa. The centers of diversity for Hoodia are in Namibia (11 taxa) and South Africa (9 taxa).
Although the genus Hoodia is widespread in Southern Africa, herbarium records indicate that Hoodia gordonii only occurs in South Africa and Namibia. ***Any claims about other areas of Hoodia gordonii distribution should be verified by a competent taxonomist. |
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| Hoodia gordonii Facts |
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Hoodia gordonii is a natural plant that takes 5 years to mature, it hasn't been  farmed until very recently (early 2004) so there's not much of it about, which makes it expensive when there, is a lot of demand for it. Take into account the long lasting draught and the bio-piracy that have greatly affected the wild supply and it becomes understandable why there is only a limited supply of real South African Hoodia gordonii on the market.
Most Hoodia gordonii material currently on the market is harvested by farm owners whom are licensed by the Western Cape Nature Conservation. Reports have just come in that there exists a slim possibility of licensing in the Northern Cape and as such new possibilities are opening up to Hoodia farmers to sustain the large Hoodia market. The increased Hoodia gordonii supply might help to rid the market of the many fake products currently being sold, see our list of current fake products.
People who are uninformed will easily buy either the diluted Hoodia product or the fake ones currently being distributed on a global scale. Sadly many of the vendors selling the fake product is so well marketed that they just keep on selling the material without any loss to their swindling income. This means that the scammers who just want to make money by tapping the new-found Hoodia boom are going to use small quantities of real Hoodia gordonii blended with either Oppuntia, Sawdust, Starch, Silica leaves or other non toxic material (the reports can be seen on our fake products list) to cut their costs but still profit  from the Hoodia gordonii name. What alarms us most is that one cannot be guaranteed that only non toxic material is used to stretch the material and as such some standard should be set. Don't be fooled by fake marketing techniques and manipulation when buying, insist on independent referencable analysis! For examples and suspect certificates go here.
View the Hoodia species CITES inclusion as html here and pdf here.
All REAL South African Hoodia gordonii supplies worldwide are the same strength. |
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| The Hoodia gordonii Processing Process |
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| 1. |
One third of the stems or fingers as it is fondly referred to is cut from the Hoodia gordonii plant. This is done in accordance with the current license restrictions imposed by the Department of Nature Conservation Western Cape. |
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| 2. |
The cut Hoodia fingers are then bagged and transported via an all wheel drive truck back to a processing facility. |
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| 3. |
Once at the facility the Hoodia fingers are washed and drip dried. |
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| 4. |
After excess moisture is removed the Hoodia fingers are sliced or shredded in an industrial food-grade machine. |
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| 5. |
Once shredded the Hoodia is placed in to a low temperature dryer and dried until moisture free. |
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| 6. |
The dry sliced or shredded Hoodia is then removed and bagged. |
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| 7. |
This bagged Hoodia is then later placed in a food-grade hammer mill and rough milled. The first milling produces a tea cut and it is this Hoodia that is used globally in authentic South African Hoodia gordonii tea. |
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| 8. |
For fine powder a smaller sieve is used in another process after the rough mill and the Hoodia is then slowly and carefully milled as not to overtly overheat the material and suffer a possible alkaloid loss. This milled Hoodia powder is what is used in the material that passes our tests and it is this Hoodia powder that is authenticated as South African Hoodia gordonii as classified in the reference samples labs across the world are currently using to authenticate the REAL deal. |
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| 9. |
The end product: Hoodia gordonii capsules, Hoodia tablets, Hoodia tea and / or any other Hoodia end product should only be manufactured in an FDA and or GMP certified laboratory with the strictest standards of quality assurance. These labs are licensed and certified and as such have regular inspections by the Health and food departments. This ensures the client of a top rated product.
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Chronology of the commercial development of Hoodia |
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Date |
Event |
Circa 25 000 BP - Present |
Use of wild plants by the San in a hunting and gathering economy |
1796 |
Use of Hoodiaspecies by ‘the Hottentots’ is first recorded by the botanist Francis Masson |
1936 |
First recorded use of Hoodiaspecies for suppressing appetite, based on San knowledge |
1963 |
CSIR includes Hoodiaspecies in a project on edible wild plants, based on ethnobotany of the San |
1968 |
Death of leading scientist on the project and technical problems leads to its mothballing |
1983 – 1986 |
Acquisition of high-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy allows for the relevant molecular structures of Hoodiato be elucidated. |
1986 – 1995 |
Confidential work continues on the development of Hoodiaspecies. |
1995 |
A patent application is filed in South Africa by the CSIR for use of active components of Hoodiaspecies responsible for suppressing appetite. |
August 1998 |
A license agreement is signed between CSIR and Phytopharm for further development and commercialisation of “P57”. |
1998 |
International patents are granted to the CSIR in some territories. Phytopharm sub-licenses Pfizer to complete clinical development, obtain regulatory approval, and commercialise. CSIR publishes its Bioprospecting Policy, declaring its commitment to sharing benefits with holders of traditional knowledge. However, in practice, this commitment is not implemented in the P57 project until 2003. |
1999 |
CSIR signs a Memorandum of Understanding with a group of South African traditional healers and begins implementing a system to document the use of traditional knowledge based on biodiversity. |
2001 |
Phase IIa / third stage ‘proof of principle’ clinical trials for P57 reported to be successfully completed. |
June 2001 |
The Observer reports commercial development of Hoodiawithout involvement of the San. The San establish that a patent has been registered based on Hoodiause, and that the CSIR has granted Phytopharm a license to exploit the patent. Negotiations between the CSIR and the San commence in the same month. |
1 February 2002 |
Memorandum of Understanding signed between the CSIR and the South African San Council, recognising the San as originators of knowledge about Hoodiaand including a commitment to benefit-sharing. |
February 2002 – March 2003 |
Negotiations continue between the CSIR and the South African San Council. |
March 2003 |
CSIR and the South African San Council sign a benefit-sharing agreement. |
July 2003 |
Pfizer withdraws from commercial development of P57 |
2001 – 2004 |
In parallel to the CSIR/Phtopharm initiative, a growing herbal market develops for Hoodia, using knowledge of the San to promote products. Some products are later revealed to be fakes, with no Hoodiacontent. |
2004 |
Phytopharm announces its intention to develop P57 as a food supplement. |
May 2004 |
Proposal is tabled to list Hoodiaas a CITES Appendix II plant, to allow for controlled commercial trade |
June 2004 |
Namibia announces its intentions to commercialise Hoodia |
August 2004 |
San apply for registration of the San HoodiaBenefit-Sharing Trust. |
September 2004 |
Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004 is enacted in South Africa, requiring a benefit-sharing agreement to be developed with holders of traditional knowledge where their knowledge is used for bioprospecting. |
October 2004 |
Proposal to list Hoodia as a CITES Appendix II plant is adopted by the 13th Conference of the the Parties to CITES. The CSIR announces the initiation of a broader bioprospecting project with the San. |
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