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

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CASCARILLA BARK

Source: Croton eluteria(L.) Sw. (Family
Euphorbiaceae).

Common/vernacular names:Cascarilla, sweet
bark, and sweetwood bark.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Large shrub to small tree, flowering and fruit-
ing year round; up to 12 m high; native to the
West Indies (Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba, etc.);
also grows in tropical America (Mexico,
Colombia, and Ecuador).^1 Part used is the
dried bark from which an essential oil is
obtained by steam distillation; mainly from
the Bahamas.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

Contains cascarillan as the major constituent
and other diterpenes (cascarillans A–D,
cascallin, cascarillone, cascarilladone,^2 eleu-
terins A–K, pseudoeleuterin B3,4); lupeol
(triterpene);^3 1.5–3.0% volatile oil, a bitter
principle (cascarillin A), resins, tannin, starch,
andlipids,amongothers(LISTAND HO ̈RHAMMER).

The volatile oil consists primarily of

p-cymene, camphene, dipentene,d-limonene,

b-caryophyllene, a-terpineol, a-and b-pi-

nene,a-thujene, borneol, terpinen-4-ol, euge-

nol, and others.5,6Additional constituents in-

clude cineole, methylthymol, cuparophenol,

and cascarilladiene (MASADA).7–10

PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL

ACTIVITIES

An acetone extract of the bark and carscarillin

potentiated histamine-stimulated gastric acid

secretion in a mouse stomach preparation.^3

The essential oil has shown antimicrobial

activities.1,12

TOXICOLOGY

Data indicatethatcascarilla barkis nottoxic.^13

USES

Medicinal, Pharmaceutical, and Cosmetic.

Tinctures and extracts are used in certain bitter

tonic preparations; essential oil as a fragrance

component in soaps, detergents, creams,

lotions, and perfumes (particularly oriental

Cascarilla bark 151