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

PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL
ACTIVITIES

Acerola cherry extract inhibits the oxidation
of LDL cholesterolin vitro.^7 Acetone and
hexane fractions of the fresh fruit have shown
in vitrocytotoxic activity against a human
tumor cell lines (oral squamous cells and
submandibular gland carcinoma).^8

USES

Food. As a source of natural vitamin C, in
the form of juice, tablet, or capsule; however,
most of the vitamin is destroyed during pro-
cessing (seerose hips).

DietarySupplements/HealthFoods. Tablets,
capsules, or other products, often combined
with other herbs and vitamin C.

Traditional Medicine. The fruits have re-

portedly been used for the treatment of dys-

entery, diarrhea, and liver disorders (CSIR VI).

Others. The bark, which contains 20–25%

tannin, has been used in the tanning of leathers

(MORTON4).

COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONS

Available as fresh fruit for home consumption

in certain East Coast supermarkets and ethnic

stores; also in juice and spray-dried form.

Canned juice of the fruits has been used to

enhance the vitamin C content of other juices,

such as pear, apricot, and grape juice.

REFERENCES

See the General References forCSIR VI;DER MARDEROSIAN AND BEUTLER;MCGUFFIN1&2;MORTON2;
MORTON4;TERRELL;WATT AND MERRILL.

1. C. G. Moscoso,Econ. Bot., 10 , 280 (1956).


2. R. E. Berry et al.,Food Prod. Dev., 14 , 109
   (1977).


3. H. Y. Nakasone et al.,Proc. Am. Soc. Hort.
   Sci., 89 , 161 (1966).


4. A. Schillinger, Z. Lebensm, Unters.
   Forsch., 131 , 89 (1966).
   5. A. L. Vendramini and L. C. Trugo,Food
   Chem., 71 , 195 (2000).
   6. J. A. Pino and R. Marbot,J. Agric. Food
   Chem., 49 , 5880 (2001).
   7. J. Hwang et al.,J. Agric. Food Chem., 49 ,
   308 (2001).
   8. N. Motohashi et al.,Phytother. Res., 18 ,
   212 (2004).

ACONITE

Source: Aconitum napellus L. and other
Aconitumspp. (Family Ranunculaceae).

Common/vernacular names:Aconite, aconi-
tum, monkshood, and wolfsbane.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Perennial herbs consisting of many subspe-
cies, varieties, clones, and forms; up to 1.5 m
high with tuberous roots that resemble turnips;

native to mountainous regions of central

Europe; naturalized in Asia, Africa, and North

America; cultivated in Russia, Germany,

Spain, and France. Part used is the dried

tuberous root. Of the 100 northern temperate

species in the genus, 35 species in China have

been investigated chemically.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

Total alkaloids 0.2–2%, consisting mainly of

aconitine (acetylbenzoylaconine), picraconi-

tine (benzoylaconine), aconine, and napelline

Aconite 7