PDR for Herbal Medicines

HERBAL MONOGRAPHS

Sorrel

Rumex acetosa

TRADE NAMES

Sorrel (available from a number of manufacturers), Sheep

Sorrel

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the fresh leaves

and the whole herb.

Flower and Fruit: The plant has small greenish unisexual,

dioecious flowers growing in narrow, loose panicles. There

are 6 tepals. The 3 inner ones are longer, closer together, and

turn red when the fruit ripens. When mature they are often

red-tinged, membranous, entire-margined and have a scale-

like downwardly curved welt at the base. The three

outermost tips are revolute. There are 6 stamens and 3 styles

with a paintbrush-like stigma. The fruit is a triangular,

brown-black nut enclosed in the wing-like enlarged inner

tepal.

Leaves, Stem and Root: The plant can grow up to 100 cm

high. The leaves alternate on the erect, grooved stems, which

are unbranched up to the panicles. The leaves are fleshy,

grass green, hastate or spit-shaped. The lower leaves are

long-petioled; the upper ones are short-petioled, sessile and

clasping. There is a membranous, dentate or fringed cone at

the base of the leaves.

Characteristics: The stem is red-tinged, and the herb has a

sour taste. It gets its acidity from the same salt that is present

in Rhubarb.

Habitat: The plant is common in Europe.

Production: Sorrel is the aerial part of Rumex acetosa.

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Oxalates: oxalic acid, calcium oxalate

Tannins (7-10%)

Flavonoids

Anthracene derivatives: anthranoids, aglycones, physcion,

chryosphanol, emodin, aloe-emodin, rhein, and their gluco-

sides, as well as aloe-emodin acetate

EFFECTS

Sorrel acts as a diuretic. It stimulates secretion, and improves

resistance to infections (antibacterial), although some of

these effects are questionable.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE
Unproven Uses: The herb is used for acute and chronic
inflammation of die nasal passages and respiratory tract. It is

SOUTHERN BAYBERRY/705

also used as an adjuvant in antibacterial therapy. Folk

medicine uses include stomach ailments, liver and biliary

ailments and purification of the blood.

PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction

with the proper administration of designated therapeutic

dosages.

OVERDOSAGE

Oxalate poisonings are conceivable only with the consump-

tion of very large quantities of the leaves as a salad.

DOSAGE

Mode of Administration: The drug is described as obsolete.

How Supplied:

Tablets

Liquid — 1:4

Daily Dosage: The dosage for adults is 2 coated tablets or 50

drops (drops with 19% Ethanol) taken 3 times daily.

LITERATURE

Ito H. Effects of the antitumor agents from various natural

sources on drug-metabolizing system, phagocytic activity and

complement system in sarcoma 180-bearing mice. Jpn J

Pharmacol, 40:435-43, Mar 1986.

Southern Bayberry

Myrica cerifera

TRADE NAMES

Southern Bayberry is available from a number of manufac-

turers, sometimes labeled Bayberry Bark or Bayberry Root

Bark.

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the dried root bark

and die wax extracted from die berries.

Flower and Fruit: The flowers are unisexual and have no

calyx or corolla. They are small and yellowish fri scaly

caticins. The fruit is small groups of round, gray-white

berries containing numerous black seeds, which have a crust

of usable greenish-white wax. The wax helps keep die

berries in a suitable statcfor germination for a period of 2 to

3 years.

Leaves, Stem and Root: Southern Bayberry is an evergreen

shrub or small tree that grows up to 10 m high. The bark has

a white, peeling outer layer, which covers a red-brown inner

layer. The leaves are lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, glossy

or resinous, and punctate on both sides. -