Bloodroot
This book is available in the John R. Martin Rare Book Room in Hardin Library for the Health Sciences.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis)
Sanguinaria canadensis, native to eastern North America, is a herbaceous perennial and, with its white flowers, one of the first plants to cover woodland areas in the spring (Croaker, King, Pyne, Anoopkumar-Dukie, & Liu, 2016). Native Americans used bloodroot in blood tonification and purification, wound healing and pain and fever relief (Borchers, Keen, Stern, & Gershwin, 2000). Today it is used as an antiplaque additive in toothpaste and mouthwash (Wang & Warshaw, 2012).
Historical Use
Historical information on the use of bloodroot can be found in William Barton’s Vegetable materia medica written in 1818. In large doses, this plant is used as a purgative (laxative) and as an emetic to induce vomiting. In smaller doses it is used as a stimulant, an expectorant (medicine to treat coughs) and a diaphoretic (induce perspiration). The root of this plant when used as an emetic has been found to dislodge worms from the stomach.
Latest Research:
- Review of Common Alternative Herbal “Remedies” for Skin Cancerby Janet Y Li on August 11, 2018 at 10:00 am
CONCLUSION: Online advertising may tempt patients to use botanical agents while citing efficacy found in preclinical studies. However, many agents lack strong clinical evidence of efficacy. Dermatologists must be aware of common herbal alternatives for skin cancer treatment to maintain effective patient communication and education.
- Carcinogenic potential of sanguinarine, a phytochemical used in ‘therapeutic’ black salve and mouthwashby Andrew Croaker on November 28, 2017 at 11:00 am
Black salves are escharotic skin cancer therapies in clinical use since the mid 19th century. Sanguinaria canadensis, a major ingredient of black salve formulations, contains a number of bioactive phytochemicals including the alkaloid sanguinarine. Despite its prolonged history of clinical use, conflicting experimental results have prevented the carcinogenic potential of sanguinarine from being definitively determined. Sanguinarine has a molecular structure similar to known polyaromatic…
- Sanguinaria canadensis: Traditional Medicine, Phytochemical Composition, Biological Activities and Current Usesby Andrew Croaker on September 14, 2016 at 10:00 am
Sanguinaria canadensis, also known as bloodroot, is a traditional medicine used by Native Americans to treat a diverse range of clinical conditions. The plants rhizome contains several alkaloids that individually target multiple molecular processes. These bioactive compounds, mechanistically correlate with the plant’s history of ethnobotanical use. Despite their identification over 50 years ago, the alkaloids of S. canadensis have not been developed into successful therapeutic agents. Instead,…
- Community perceptions about the use of black salveby Joshua J Clark on April 18, 2016 at 10:00 am
No abstract
- Use of unlicensed black salve for cutaneous malignancyby Natalie C Ong on April 8, 2014 at 10:00 am
No abstract
References
Borchers, A. T., Keen, C. L., Stern, J. S., & Gershwin, M. E. (2000). Inflammation and Native American medicine: the role of botanicals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 72(2), 339-347. Retrieved from http://proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=jlh&AN=107140158
Croaker, A., King, G. J., Pyne, J. H., Anoopkumar-Dukie, S., & Liu, L. (2016). Sanguinaria canadensis: Traditional Medicine, Phytochemical Composition, Biological Activities and Current Uses. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 17(9). doi:10.3390/ijms17091414
Wang, M. Z., & Warshaw, E. M. (2012). Bloodroot. Dermatitis, 23(6), 281-283. doi:10.1097/DER.0b013e318273a4dd
Other Resources
Natural Medicines record for Bloodroot.(available only to UI affiliates