Sanguinaria

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Sanguinaria
Sanguinaria canadensis Arkansas.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Papaveraceae
Subfamily: Papaveroideae
Tribe: Chelidonieae
Genus: Sanguinaria
L.
Species:
S. canadensis
Binomial name
Sanguinaria canadensis
L.

Sanguinaria canadensis, bloodroot, [3] is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant native to eastern North America. [4] It is the only species in the genus Sanguinaria, included in the poppy family Papaveraceae, and is most closely related to Eomecon of eastern Asia.

Contents

Sanguinaria canadensis is sometimes known as Canada puccoon, [5] bloodwort, redroot, red puccoon, and black paste. [4] Plants are variable in leaf and flower shape, and have been separated as a different subspecies due to these variable shapes, indicating a highly variable species.

In bloodroot, the sap is red and poisonous. [4] [6] Products made from sanguinaria extracts, such as black salve, are escharotic and can cause permanent disfiguring scarring. [4] If applied to the skin, the extract sanguinarine may cause a massive scab of dead flesh where it killed the cells, called an eschar .

Although there are laboratory studies indicating that sanguinaria may have potential in cancer therapy, clinical studies are lacking, and its use is discouraged due to significant toxicity. [4]

Description

Bloodroot grows from 20 to 50 cm (8 to 20 in) tall. It has one large basal leaf, up to 25 cm (10 in) across, with five to seven lobes. [7] The leaves and flowers sprout from a reddish rhizome with bright orange to red sap. [7] The color of the sap is the reason for the genus name Sanguinaria, from Latin sanguinarius "bloody". [7] The rhizomes grow longer each year, and branch to form colonies. [8] Plants start to bloom before the foliage unfolds in early spring. After blooming, the leaves unfurl to their full size. Plants go dormant in mid to late summer, later than some other spring ephemerals.

The flowers bloom from March to May depending on the region and climate. [9] They have 8–12 delicate white petals, many yellow stamens, and two sepals below the petals, which fall off after the flowers open. Each flower stem is clasped by a leaf as it emerges from the ground. The flowers open when they are in sunlight and close at night. [10] They are pollinated by small bees and flies. Seeds develop in green pods 4 to 6 cm (1+1⁄2 to 2+1⁄4 in) long, and ripen before the foliage goes dormant. The seeds are round and black to orange-red when ripe, and have white elaiosomes, which are eaten by ants. [8] The Latin specific epithet canadensis means of Canada. [10]

Distribution and habitat

Bloodroot is native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Florida, and west to the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi embayment.

Sanguinaria canadensis grows in moist to dry woods and thickets, often on floodplains and near shores or streams on slopes. They grow less frequently in clearings and meadows or on dunes, and are rarely found in disturbed sites.

Ecology

Bloodroot is one of many plants whose seeds are spread by ants, a process called myrmecochory. The seeds have a fleshy organ called an elaiosome that attracts ants. The ants take the seeds to their nest, where they eat the elaiosomes, and put the seeds in their nest debris, where they are protected until they germinate. They also benefit from growing in a medium made richer by the ant nest debris.

The flowers produce pollen, but no nectar. Various bees and flies visit the flowers looking in vain for nectar, for instance sweat bees in the genera Lasioglossum and Halictus , cuckoo bees in the genus Nomada , small carpenter bees (Ceratina), and bee flies in the genera Bombylius and Brachypalpus . [11] Some insects visit the flowers to collect pollen, including mining bees (Andrena), which are the most effective pollinators, and at least one beetle species, Asclera ruficollis . [11] [12] [13]

The bitter and toxic leaves and rhizomes are not often eaten by mammalian herbivores. [13]

Cultivation

A double-flowered form Double Sanguinaria.jpg
A double-flowered form

Sanguinaria canadensis is cultivated as an ornamental plant. The double-flowered forms are prized by gardeners for their large showy white flowers, which are produced very early in the gardening season. Bloodroot flower petals are shed within a day or two of pollination, so the flower display is short-lived, but the double forms bloom much longer than the normal forms. The double flowers are made up of stamens that have been changed into petal-like parts, making pollination more difficult. [8]

The double-flowered cultivar S. canadensis f. multiplex 'Plena' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [14] [15]

Phytochemicals

Sanguinaria root is rich in isoquinoline alkaloids, mainly sanguinarine and chelerythrine. [4] Sanguinarine is a benzophenanthridine alkaloid (see phenanthridine), which, unlike most other alkaloids, has a red color in aqueous solutions. It is present in the greatest concentration in the rhizomes, and the second greatest in the roots, with lesser amounts found in leaves and flowers. [4] Related compounds in the plant are berberine and protopine, among other minor alkaloids. [4]

Toxicity

Bloodroot produces benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, primarily the toxin sanguinarine. The alkaloids are transported to and stored in the rhizome.

Sanguinarine kills animal cells by blocking the action of Na+/K+-ATPase transmembrane proteins. As a result, applying bloodroot to the skin may destroy tissue and lead to the formation of necrotic tissue, called an eschar. Bloodroot and its extracts are thus considered escharotic. Although applying escharotic agents (including bloodroot) to the skin is sometimes promoted as a pseudoscientific home treatment for skin cancer, these attempts can be severely disfiguring. [16] Salves, most notably black salve, derived from bloodroot do not remove tumors. Microscopic tumor deposits may remain after visible tumor tissue is burned away, and case reports have shown that in such instances tumor has recurred and/or metastasized. [17]

Internal use is not recommended. [18] An overdose of bloodroot extract can cause vomiting and loss of consciousness. [18]

Alkaloid biosynthesis

Comparing the biosynthesis of morphine and sanguinarine, the final intermediate in common is (S)-reticuline. [19] [20] A number of species in the Papaveraceae and Ranunculaceae, as well as plants in the genus Colchicum (family Colchicaceae) and genus Chondrodendron (family Menispermaceae), also produce such benzylisoquinoline alkaloids. Plant geneticists have identified and sequenced genes which encode the enzymes required for this production. One enzyme involved is N-methylcoclaurine 3'-monooxygenase, [21] which produces (S)-3'-hydroxy-N-methylcoclaurine and mendococlaurine from (S)-N-methylcoclaurine.

Uses

Traditional medicine

Bloodroot was used historically by Native Americans for curative properties as an emetic, respiratory aid, and other treatments. [4] [22]

Dietary supplement and warnings

Bloodroot extracts have also been promoted by some dietary supplement companies as a treatment or cure for cancer, [4] but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration listed some of these products among its "187 Fake Cancer 'Cures' Consumers Should Avoid". [23] Oral use of products containing bloodroot are strongly associated with the development of oral leukoplakia, [24] which is a premalignant lesion that may develop into oral cancer, although one review disputed this finding. [25] Viadent, a dental product containing bloodroot, was withdrawn from the North American market due to concerns about its potential to cause cancer. [4]

Commercial uses

Commercial uses of sanguinarine and bloodroot extract include dental hygiene products. [4] Some animal food additives sold and distributed in Europe contain sanguinarine and chelerythrine. [4]

Plant dye

Bloodroot is a red natural dye used by Native American artists, especially among southeastern rivercane basketmakers. [26] A break in the surface of the plant, especially the roots, reveals a reddish sap which can be used as a dye. [4]

Research

Although limited laboratory research indicates potential for sanguinarine to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, there are no supportive clinical studies, and its use is discouraged due to adverse effects and potential toxicity. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranunculaceae</span> Family of eudicot flowering plants

Ranunculaceae is a family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide.

<i>Cercis canadensis</i> Species of tree

Cercis canadensis, the eastern redbud, is a large deciduous shrub or small tree, native to eastern North America from southern Michigan south to central Mexico, west to New Mexico. Species thrive as far west as California and as far north as southern Ontario. It is the state tree of Oklahoma. The prevalence of the so-called "Columbus strain" has seen the residents of Columbus, Wisconsin, embrace the plant in their city's identity. Known as the "Redbud City," the town hosts "Redbud Day" annually the Saturday before Mother's Day, organizing a variety of themed events to recognize the tree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldenseal</span> Species of flowering plant

Goldenseal, also called orangeroot or yellow puccoon, is a perennial herb in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to North America. It may be distinguished by its thick, yellow knotted rootstock. The stem is purplish and hairy above ground and yellow below ground where it connects to the yellow rhizome. Goldenseal reproduces both clonally through the rhizome and sexually, with clonal division more frequent than asexual reproduction. It takes between 4 and 5 years for a plant to reach sexual maturity, i.e. the point at which it produces flowers. Plants in the first stage, when the seed erupts and cotyledons emerge, can remain in this state one or more years. The second vegetative stage occurs during years two and three and is characterized by the development of a single leaf and absence of a well developed stem. Finally, the third stage is reproductive, at which point flowering and fruiting occurs. This last stage takes between 4 and 5 years to develop.

<i>Trillium grandiflorum</i> Species of flowering plant

Trillium grandiflorum, the white trillium, large-flowered trillium, great white trillium, white wake-robin or French: trille blanc, is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. A monocotyledonous, herbaceous perennial, the plant is native to eastern North America, from northern Quebec to the southern parts of the United States through the Appalachian Mountains into northernmost Georgia and west to Minnesota. There are also several isolated populations in Nova Scotia, Maine, southern Illinois, and Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papaveraceae</span> Family of flowering plants

The Papaveraceae, informally known as the poppy family, are an economically important family of about 42 genera and approximately 775 known species of flowering plants in the order Ranunculales. The family is cosmopolitan, occurring in temperate and subtropical climates like Eastern Asia as well as California in North America. It is almost unknown in the tropics. Most are herbaceous plants, but a few are shrubs and small trees. The family currently includes two groups that have been considered to be separate families: Fumariaceae and Pteridophyllaceae. Papaver is the classical name for poppy in Latin.

<i>Chelidonium majus</i> Species of flowering plant in the poppy family (Papaveraceae)

Chelidonium majus, the greater celandine, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae. One of two species in the genus Chelidonium, it is native to Europe and western Asia and introduced widely in North America.

<i>Cornus canadensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Cornus canadensis is a species of flowering plant in the dogwood family Cornaceae, native to eastern Asia and North America. Common names include Canadian dwarf cornel, Canadian bunchberry, quatre-temps, crackerberry, and creeping dogwood. Unlike its relatives, which are for the most part substantial trees and shrubs, C. canadensis is a creeping, rhizomatous perennial growing to about 20 centimetres tall.

<i>Lamprocapnos</i> Monotypic genus of flowering plants in the poppy family Papaveraceae

Lamprocapnos spectabilis, bleeding heart or Asian bleeding-heart, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the fumitory subfamily (Fumarioideae) of the poppy family Papaveraceae, and is native to Siberia, northern China, Korea, and Japan. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus Lamprocapnos, but is still widely referenced under its old name Dicentra spectabilis, not to be confused with the North American native bleeding heart plants also classified under Dicentra. It is valued in gardens and in floristry for its heart-shaped pink and white flowers, borne in spring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaiosome</span> Fleshy structures attached to the seeds of plants

Elaiosomes are fleshy structures that are attached to the seeds of many plant species. The elaiosome is rich in lipids and proteins, and may be variously shaped. Many plants have elaiosomes that attract ants, which take the seed to their nest and feed the elaiosome to their larvae. After the larvae have consumed the elaiosome, the ants take the seed to their waste disposal area, which is rich in nutrients from the ant frass and dead bodies, where the seeds germinate. This type of seed dispersal is termed myrmecochory from the Greek "ant" (myrmex) and "circular dance" (khoreíā). This type of symbiotic relationship appears to be mutualistic, more specifically dispersive mutualism according to Ricklefs, R.E. (2001), as the plant benefits because its seeds are dispersed to favorable germination sites, and also because it is planted by the ants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanguinarine</span> Chemical compound

Sanguinarine is a polycyclic quaternary alkaloid. It is extracted from some plants, including the bloodroot plant, from whose scientific name, Sanguinaria canadensis, its name is derived; the Mexican prickly poppy ; Chelidonium majus; and Macleaya cordata.

<i>Dicentra cucullaria</i> Species of flowering plants in the poppy family Papaveraceae

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<i>Viola sororia</i> Species of flowering plant in family Violaceae

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<i>Uvularia grandiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Jeffersonia</i> Genus of flowering plants belonging to the barberry family

Jeffersonia, also known as twinleaf or rheumatism root, is a small genus of herbaceous perennial plants in the family Berberidaceae. They are uncommon spring wildflowers and grow in limestone soils of rich deciduous forests. Jeffersonia was named for United States President Thomas Jefferson by his contemporary Benjamin Smith Barton. This genus was formerly grouped in genus Podophyllum. Twinleaf is protected by state laws as a threatened or endangered plant in Georgia, Iowa, New York, and New Jersey.

<i>Calotropis gigantea</i> Species of plant

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<i>Dicentra eximia</i> Species of flowering plants in the poppy family Papaveraceae

Dicentra eximia is a flowering plant with fernlike leaves and oddly shaped flowers native to the Appalachian Mountains. It is similar to the Pacific bleeding-heart, which grows on the Pacific Coast. Dicentra eximia is a perennial herb in the Papaveraceae family.

<i>Trillium recurvatum</i> Species of plant

Trillium recurvatum, the prairie trillium, toadshade, or bloody butcher, is a species of perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. It is native to parts of central and eastern United States, where it is found from Iowa south to Texas and east to North Carolina and Pennsylvania. It grows in mesic forests and savannas, often in calcareous soils. It is also known as bloody noses, red trillium, prairie wake-robin, purple trillium, and reflexed trillium, in reference to its reflexed sepals. T. recurvatum is a host plant as well as food source for several insects and mammals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black salve</span> Ineffective and unsafe alternative medicine cancer treatment

Black salve, also known by the brand name Cansema, is an ineffective and unsafe alternative cancer treatment. The product is commonly classified as an escharotic—a topical paste which destroys skin tissue and leaves behind a scar called an eschar. Escharotics were widely used to treat skin lesions in the early 1900s, but have since been replaced by safer and more effective treatments. Escharotics, such as black salves, are currently advertised by some alternative medicine marketers as treatments for skin cancer, often with unsubstantiated testimonials and unsupported claims of effectiveness.

<i>Thalictrum flavum</i> Species of flowering plant

Thalictrum flavum, known by the common names common meadow-rue, poor man's rhubarb, and yellow meadow-rue, is a flowering plant species in the family Ranunculaceae. It is a native to Caucasus and Russia (Siberia). Growing to 100 cm (39 in) tall by 45 cm (18 in) broad, it is an herbaceous perennial producing clusters of fluffy yellow fragrant flowers in summer.

Neoplasene is an herbal veterinary medicine derived from certain chemicals, such as sanguinarine, extracted from the perennial herb Sanguinaria canadensis. It is used to treat cancer in pet animals, especially dogs. Its effectiveness is unproven and there are serious adverse effects.

References

  1. ↑ Siekkinen, K., Reinier, J. E., Meredith, C.R., Williams, M., Piatt, L., Mikanik, A., Leopold, S., Gerrity, J., Dinh, D., Duncan, H., Kirchner, W., Metzman, H., Miller, A. & Preston, J. (2024). "Sanguinaria canadensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2024: e.T107292458A107292584. Retrieved 12 August 2024.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ NatureServe (1 September 2023). "Sanguinaria canadensis". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  3. ↑ "Sanguinaria canadensis". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Bloodroot". Drugs.com. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  5. ↑ "RHS Plantfinder - Sanguinaria canadensis" . Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  6. ↑ "Bloodroot Wildflowers". Wild Flowers Guide. Archived from the original on 2014-08-21.
  7. 1 2 3 Kiger, Robert W. (1997). "Sanguinaria canadensis". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 3. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  8. 1 2 3 "Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis". Wisconsin Horticulture.
  9. ↑ "Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot): Minnesota Wildflowers". www.minnesotawildflowers.info. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  10. 1 2 "Sanguinaria canadensis - Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  11. 1 2 Wilhelm, Gerould; Rericha, Laura (2017). Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Indiana Academy of Sciences.
  12. ↑ Heather Holm (2014). Pollinators on Native Plants. Minnetonka, MN: Pollinator Press. pp. 164–165.
  13. 1 2 Hilty, John (2020). "Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)". Illinois Wildflowers.
  14. ↑ "RHS Plant Selector – Sanguinaria canadensis f. multiplex 'Plena'" . Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  15. ↑ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 94. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  16. ↑ Don't Use Corrosive Cancer Salves (Escharotics), Stephen Barrett, M.D.
  17. ↑ McDaniel, S.; Goldman, GD (2002). "Consequences of Using Escharotic Agents as Primary Treatment for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer". Archives of Dermatology. 138 (12): 1593–6. doi: 10.1001/archderm.138.12.1593 . PMID   12472348.
  18. 1 2 "Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis L.)". Horticulture Information Leaflets. NC State Extension Publications.
  19. ↑ Alcantara, Joenel; Bird, David A.; Franceschi, Vincent R.; Facchini, Peter J. (2005). "Sanguinarine Biosynthesis is Associated with the Endoplasmic Reticulum in Cultured Opium Poppy Cells after Elicitor Treatment". Plant Physiology. 138 (1): 173–83. doi:10.1104/pp.105.059287. JSTOR   4629815. PMC   1104173 . PMID   15849302.
  20. ↑ "PATHWAY: Alkaloid biosynthesis I – Reference pathway". Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG).
  21. ↑ "ENZYME: 1.14.13.71". Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG).
  22. ↑ Native American Ethnobotany (University of Michigan – Dearborn: Sanguinaria canadensis . accessed 12.1.2011
  23. ↑ "187 Fake Cancer "Cures" Consumers Should Avoid". United States Food and Drug Administration. Archived from the original on 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
  24. ↑ Bouquot, Brad W. Neville , Douglas D. Damm, Carl M. Allen, Jerry E. (2002). Oral & maxillofacial pathology (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders. p. 338. ISBN   0721690033.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ↑ Ic, Munro; Es, Delzell; Er, Nestmann; Bs, Lynch (30 December 1999). "Viadent Usage and Oral Leukoplakia: A Spurious Association". Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. 30 (3): 182–96. doi:10.1006/rtph.1999.1339. PMID   10620468.
  26. ↑ Nolan, Justin. "Northeast Oklahoma, USA." Society of Ethnobotany. 2007 (retrieved 9 Jan 2011)
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