Asarum europaeum, commonly known as asarabacca, European wild ginger, hazelwort, and wild spikenard, historically cabarick, is a species of flowering plant in the birthwort family Aristolochiaceae, native to large parts of temperate Europe, and also cultivated in gardens. It is a creeping evergreenperennial with glossy green, kidney shaped leaves and solitary dull purple flowers hidden by the leaves. Though its roots have a ginger aroma, it is not closely related to the true culinary gingerZingiber officinale, which originates in tropical Asian rainforests. It is sometimes harvested for use as a spice or a flavoring. In former days, it was used in snuff and also medicinally as an emetic and cathartic. [1][2] The FDA warns against consuming Asarum, as it is nephrotoxic and contains the potent carcinogenaristolochic acid.[3][4][5]
The prostrate stems are 10–15 centimetres (3.9–5.9in) long, each bearing two reniform leaves with long petioles. The leaves are about 10cm wide. The upper surface of the leaves is shiny, and they have a pepper-like taste and smell. There are also 2 to 3 stipules present that occur in two rows opposite each other on the stem. The flowers are solitary, terminal and nodding. The flower tube is composed of fused tepals that ends with 3 petal-like projections that are brownish towards their ends and dark purple toward the centre. There are 12 stamens present. The flowers emerge in the late winter and spring.[6]
It occurs mostly in deciduous woodland or coniferous forests, especially in calcareous (chalky) soils.
Subspecies
There are two recognised subspecies other than the type, including A. europaeum ssp. caucasicum, which is confined to the southwestern Alps, and A. europaeum ssp. italicum, which is found in central and northern Italy as well as in the Skopska Crna Gora mountains of North Macedonia and Kosovo.
↑ Schaneberg BT, Applequist WL, Khan IA (October 2002). "Determination of aristolochic acid I and II in North American species of Asarum and Aristolochia". Pharmazie. 57 (10): 686–9. PMID12426949.
1 2 Schmeil, Otto; Fitschen, Jost; Seybold, Siegmund (2006). Flora von Deutschland, 93. Auflage (in German). Wiebelsheim: Quelle & Meyer Verlag. p.190. ISBN3-494-01413-2.
↑ T. G. Tutin; V. H. Heywood; N. A. Burges; D. H. Valentine; S. M. Walters; D. A. Webb (eds.). "Asarum europaeum". Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press.
Schaneberg, B. T.; Applequist, W. L.; Khan, I. A. (October 2002). "Determination of aristolochic acid I and II in North American species of Asarum and Aristolochia". Pharmazie. 57 (10): 686–689. PMID12426949.
Glowniak, K.; Zgórka, E.; Gralec, M. (1997). "Chemical composition of the essential oil of Asarum europaeum L. from Poland". Journal of Essential Oil Research. 9 (5): 531–534. doi:10.1080/10412905.1997.9700790.
Gracza, L. (1983). "The Active Substances of Asarum europaeum. 16. The local anesthetic activity of the phenylpropane derivatives". Planta Medica. 48: 153–157. doi:10.1055/s-2007-969912. PMID17404976.
Gracza, L. (1979). "Phytochemical investigations of the essential oil isolated from Asarum europaeum L. rhizomes led to the characterization of the tricyclic α–agarofurane". Planta Medica. 37 (3): 208–210. doi:10.1055/s-0028-1097313.
Gracza, L. (1967). "On the active substances of Asarum europaeum. 8. Flavonoids". Planta Medica. 15: 187–193. doi:10.1055/s-0028-1099912. PMID5734277.
Maseehullah, M D; Zakir, Mohammad; Anas, Mohd; Kazmi, Munawwar Husain (12 August 2021). "Ethno-pharmacology of Asaroon (Asarum europaeum L.) with special reference to Unani System of Medicine". J Complement Integr Med. 19 (2): 181–192. doi:10.1515/jcim-2021-0021. PMID34388332.
Kujawska, Anna; Łuczaj, Łukasz; Kujawski, Marcin; Kujawski, Jerzy (1 September 2015). "Ethnoveterinary practices in the Polish Carpathians: Traditional plant remedies for animal health". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 175: 44–58. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2015.09.001. PMID26384001.
Pathology
Jork, H.; Schutt, P. (March 1972). "Einfluss des Nährstoffangebotes auf die Morphologie und auf die Zusammensetzung des Ätherischen Öles von Asarum europaeum". Planta Medica. 21 (3): 265–276. doi:10.1055/s-0028-1099600. PMID5081815.
Pharmacology
Liu, Hanze; Wang, Changhong (10 January 2022). "The genus Asarum: A review on phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, toxicology and pharmacokinetics". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 282 114642. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.114642. PMID34537281.
Reddy, K. S.; Reddy, V. B.; Yao, Z. P. (2020). "Asarone: A review of its phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 258 (112836): 112836. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.112836. PMID32344160.
Jaspersen-Schib, R.; Theus, L.; Guirguis-Oeschger, M.; Meier, Peter J. (July 1996). "Serious plant poisonings in Switzerland 1966-1994. Case analysis from the Swiss Toxicology Information Center". Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift. 126 (29): 1277–1284.
Hasheminejad, G.; Caldwell, John (April 1994). "Genotoxicity of the alkenylbenzenes alpha- and beta-asarone, myristicin and elimicin as determined by the UDS assay in cultured rat hepatocytes". Food and Chemical Toxicology. 32 (4): 321–330. doi:10.1016/0278-6915(94)90003-8 (inactive 1 July 2025).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
Brändle, W.; Gurtner, B.; Wegmann, T. (August 1969). "Hemiparesis in an abortion attempt with hazelwort tea decoction (Asarum europaeum)". Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift. 99 (32): 1161–1163.
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