Belonging to a flowering plant family, Apocynaceae, Hoodia is one of the 13 species in the family. Often it is mistaken for a cactus because it looks like a cactus but actually it is a stem succulent. It reaches to a meter in height and has large flowers. Its flower has a tan color and has strong smell. They are naturally found in the Namib Desert of Africa spread across the Central Namibia to the southern Angola. Hoodia gordonii, one of the 13 species of Hoodia has been investigated for its use by local inhabitants as an appetite suppressant. Since then Hoodia has been marketed extensively as a weight loss product across the world. The originators of this knowledge are the San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert. The plant is harvested after it begins to flower which takes five years. The San Bushmen have been using the plant for centuries for various purposes such as indigestion and for the treatment of small infections besides being taken for long hunting trips as an appetite suppressant.

The use of Hoodia gordonii by San Bushmen was noted by a Dutch anthropologist. The South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) commenced studies on the plant in 1977. It was successful in isolating a steroidal glycoside, the principal ingredient responsible for suppressing appetite. This ingredient was named P57. The patent for this discovery was obtained in 1996. CSIR formally recognized the San Bushmen as the originators of the knowledge only in 2002 when this non-recognition issue was raised. This made the San people eligible for getting a share in the royalties from the sales of Hoodia and any other products based on this knowledge. In 1995 Phytopharm received the license for P57 from CSIR. The company spent about $20 million for carrying out research on hoodia. P57 was sub-licensed In 1998 Phytopharm sub-licensed the rights to Pfizer for $21 million but returned the rights back to Phytopharm who is collaborating with Unilever.

When BBC reported on Hoodia in 2003 and later 60 Minutes reported from the fields of Africa in 2004, the fame of Hoodia spread like wildfire. Many products came to be launched by many companies with the claim that it had the original Hoodia as one of its ingredients. The products were marketed in different forms like capsules, liquid tinctures, tablets, syrups, coffee and infusions, diet fruit bars and protein shakes. There are products such as Hoodia Supreme whose genuineness can be checked in the Internet by searching for Hoodia Supreme review.

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) placed Hoodia in Appendix II identifying the plant as threatened if its international trade was not regulated. As a result all trade in Hoodia exported from Africa is subject to verification and certification which also certifies its genuineness.

We all gain a lot of benefits from nature. That is why, we all need to act as stewards of nature and take care of it.

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