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

PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL
ACTIVITIES

In vitrocytotoxic activity was found against
human leukemia (HL-60) cells exposed to
coumarins (especially dipetaline) and lignans
(asarinin and sesamin) isolated from the root
bark and fresh stems of northern prickly ash.^1
Cytotoxic effects on human tumor cell lines
were also found from crude extracts of the
berries and furanocoumarins isolated there-
from (psoralen, isoimperatoin, and xanthox-
toxin).^4 The bark of southern prickly ash has
shownin vitrogrowth inhibition of a methi-
cillin-resistant strain ofStaphylococcus aure-
us. Activity was largely attributed to the alka-
loid chelerythrine, which showed activity
against various other methicillin-resistant
strains of the bacteria.^8

TOXICOLOGY

Southern prickly ash bark has shown toxic
effects in cattle.^9

USES

Food. Extract is reportedly used as a fla-
vor component in major food categories
such as alcoholic and nonalcoholic bev-

erages, frozen dairy desserts, candy, baked

goods, and gelatins and puddings. Highest

average maximum use level is approximate-

ly 0.01%.

Dietary Supplements/Health Foods. Used

in combination with other herbs in capsules,

tablets, tinctures, fluid extract, or decoction

for increased circulation, antispasmodic in

colds, rheumatism, poor digestion, arthritis,

and as “blood purifier” (FOSTER AND DUKE;

KROCHMAL AND KROCHMAL).

Traditional Medicine. Used to treat tooth-

ache;as atonic anda stimulant;both internally

and externally to treat rheumatism; as a dia-

phoretic in fever; to treat sores, ulcers, and

cancer (as an ingredient in Hoxsey “cure” in

the 1950s); and others.10,11

COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONS

Crude and extracts; crude was formerly offi-

cial in N.F. and U.S.P.

Regulatory Status. Essential oil, extractive,

and solvent-free oleoresin of bark are GRAS

for use in foods (§182.20).

REFERENCES

See the General References forBARNES;CLAUS;FEMA;FERNALD;FOSTER AND DUKE;KROCHMAL AND
KROCHMAL;LEWIS AND ELVIN-LEWIS;MCGUFFIN1&2;MERCK;USD 23 RD.

1. Y. Ju et al.,Phytother. Res., 15 , 441 (2001).


2. G. C. Sun,Diss. Abstr. Int. B, 35 , 5826
   (1975).


3. F. Fish et al.,Lloydia, 38 , 268 (1975).


4. Q. N. Saqib et al.,Phytother. Res., 4 , 216
   (1990).


5. F. Fish and P. G. Waterman,J. Pharm.
   Pharmacol., 25 (Suppl.), 115P (1973).


6. K. V. Rao and R. Davies,J. Nat. Prod., 49 ,
   340 (1986).
   7. F. R. Stermitz and I. A. Sharifi,
   Phytochemistry, 16 , 2003 (1977).
   8. S. Gibbons et al.,Phytother. Res., 17 , 274
   (2003).
   9. J. M. Bowen et al.,Am. J. Vet. Res.,
   57 , 1239 (1996).


7. J. F. Morton, Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc.,
   56 , 161 (1968).


8. J. L. Hartwell, Lloydia, 34 , 103
   (1971).

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