PDR for Herbal Medicines

84/BITTER APPLE PDR FOR HERBAL MEDICINES

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Unproven Uses: Preparations of Bitter Apple are used as a

drastic purgative in fixed combinations in the treatment of

acute and chronic constipation with various causes. It is also

used in pregnancy and in the treatment of liver and

gallbladder disorders.

Indian Medicine: Acitis and elephantiasis are among the

conditions treated with Bitter Apple in Indian medicine.

PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

The drug is severely poisonous. It has a strongly irritating

(and painful) effect on mucous membranes due to its

cucurbitacin glycoside content, out of which cucurbitacins

are released in watery environments.

OVERDOSAGE

Vomiting, bloody diarrhea, colic, and kidney irritation

follow the intake of toxic dosages (0.6 to 1 g), and then

increased diuresis that progresses to anuria. Lethal dosages

(starting at 2 g) lead to convulsions, paralysis and, if

untreated, to death through circulatory collapse. The treat-

ment for poisonings should proceed symptomatically follow-

ing gastric lavage. Administration in allopathic dosages is no

longer defensible.

LITERATURE

Habs M et al., (1984) J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 108(1):154.

Konopa J et al., In: Advances in Antimicrobial and

Antineoplastic Chemotherapy, Vol. 2, Ed. M. Semonsky,

Avicenna Press Prague 1972.

Lavie D et al., (1964) Phytochemistry 3:52.

Rawson MD, (1966) Lancet 1:1121.

Further information in:

Hegnauer R, Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen, Bde 1-11,

Birkhauser Verlag Basel, Boston, Berlin 1962-1997.

Kern W, List PH, Horhammer L (Hrsg.), Hagers Handbuch der

Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 4. Aufl., Bde. 1-8, Springer Verlag

Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1969.

Lewin L, Gifte und Vergiftungen, 6. Aufl., Nachdruck, Haug

Verlag, Heidelberg 1992.

Madaus G, Lehrbuch der Biologischen Arzneimittel, Bde 1-3,

Nachdruck, Georg Olms Verlag Hildesheim 1979.

Roth L, Daunderer M, Kormann K, Giftpflanzen, Pflanzengifte,

4. Aufl., Ecomed Fachverlag Landsberg Lech 1993.

Wagner H, Wiesenauer M, Phytotherapie. Phytophannaka und
pflanzliche Homoopathika, Fischer-Verlag, Stuttgart, Jena, New
York 1995.

Bitter Candytuft

Iberis amara

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the ripe seeds and

the whole flowering plant.

Flower and Fruit: The stemmed flowers are arranged in

racemes; there are 4 orbicular, diagonally splayed sepals

approximately 2 mm long with white or reddish membranous

margins and 4 obovate-elongate white petals, the outer ones

approximately 6 mm, the inner ones 3 mm long. The plant

has 2 short and 4 long stamens and a superior 4-carpled

ovary; the carpels are fused. The fruit is a small pod, 4 to 5

mm long, almost circular with wide-winged fruit sides and a

tough margin. Each of the 2 chambers has only 1 seed. The

seeds are semi-ovoid, 2.5 to 3 mm long, flat and approxi-

mately 1 mm thick. They are usually narrow-winged at the

margin, brown and smooth.

Leaves, Stem and Root: The plant is an herb, occasionally

biennial, up to 40 cm high. The leaves are elongate-

cuneiform and obtuse. The lower leaves are often spatulate

and narrow toward the petiole. The upper leaves are sessile,

usually with 2 to 4 blunt teeth at wide intervals and a ciliate

margin. The stem is upright with splayed branches and

downy-haired at the edges.

Habitat: The plant is found in most parts of western, central

and southern Europe, in the Caucasus, and also in Algeria.

Production: Bitter Candytuft seeds are the ripe seeds of

Iberis amara, which are collected in the wild and cultivated.

Bitter Candytuft herb is the fresh, whole flowering plant of

cultivated Iberis amara.

Other Names: Clown's Mustard, White Candytuft

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS: BITTER CANDYTUFT SEEDS

Cucurbitacins (0.2 to 0.4%): particularly cucurbitacins

E and I

Glucosinolates (1%): glucoiberin, glucocheiroline, glucoi-

berviridine

Fatty oil (12%): chief fatty acids are behenic acid (45%),

oleic acid (20%), palmitic acid (10%) and linolenic acid

(10%)

EFFECTS: BITTER CANDYTUFT SEEDS

The cucurbitacins contained in the seeds are toxic, cytotoxic

and generally irritating to die small and large intestines.

Furthermore, the seeds exhibit a mildly antimicrobial and

fungistatic effect.