Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

REFERENCES

See the General References forARCTANDER;BAILEY1;FEMA;GUENTHER;MASADA.

1. D. McHale et al., Food Chem., 2 ,19
   (1977).


2. R. G. Buttery et al.,J. Agric. Food Chem.,
   22 , 773 (1974).


3. Analytical Methods Committee ,Analyst,
   100 , 593 (1975).


4. D. Garcia et al.,Flav. Fragr. J., 10 , 319
   (1995).


5. M. A. Fernandez et al., J. Pharm.
   Pharmacol., 53 , 867 (2001).


6. A. Fernandez et al.,Farmaco, 56 , 335
   (2001).


7. S. A. Burt et al.,Lett. Appl. Microbiol., 36 ,
   162 (2003).
   8. D. L. J. Opdyke,Food Cosmet. Toxicol.,
   11 , 869 (1973).
   9. Council of Europe, Opinion of the Sci-
   entific Committee on Food on Methy-
   leugenol (4-Allyl-1,2-dimethoxybenzene),
   European Commission Health and Con-
   sumer Protection Directorate-General,
   Brussel, Belgium, 2001. Available at:
   http://europa. eu.int/comm/food/fs/scf/
   index_en.html.


8. J. L. Hartwell,Lloydia, 33 , 288 (1970).


9. B. Weniger and L. Robineau, in C.
   Gyllenhaal and D. D. Soejarto, eds.,
   Elements for a Caribbean Pharma-
   copeia, Enda-Caribe, Ministry of Public
   Health, Cuba, 1988, p. 207.

BAYBERRY BARK

Source: Myrica cerifera L. (Family
Myricaceae).

Common/vernacular names:Bayberry, South-
ern bayberry, southern wax myrtle, and wax
myrtle bark.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Myrica ceriferais an evergreen shrub or small
tree that grows up to 13 m in height; branchlets
are waxy; fruits round, grayish green, and
coated with bluish wax, which can be removed
by boiling in water.M. cedriferais native to
eastern United States from New Jersey to
South Florida and west to Texas; also grows
in the Bahamas,the West Indies, and Bermuda.
The part used is the dried root bark.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

Contains tannins, triterpenes (myricadiol,
taraxerol, and taraxerone), and myricitrin

(a flavonoid glycoside).^1 Other constituents

reported to be present include an acrid astrin-

gent resin, gum, and starch. The twigs contain

myricalactone and myrica acid, an oleanane

triterpenic acid.^2 The plant also contains the

terpenoids myriceric acids A, C, and D.^3

PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL

ACTIVITIES

Dried root bark has astringent, emetic, and

antipyretic properties.

In anin vitroassay for antithrombin activi-

ty, a methylene chloride extract fraction of

M. ceriferashowed greater than 80% activity.^4

Myricitrin has shown choleretic, bactericidal,

and paramecicidal activities; myricadiol has

shown mineralocorticoid activity.^1 Myriceric

acid A is a selective endothelin A receptor

antagonist.3,5

TOXICOLOGY

Tannins and phenols isolated from bayberry

bark administered subcutaneously to rats have

80 Bayberry bark