Is American pokeweed toxic? The latest analysis is here
American pokeweed is an invasive plant, also known as American pokeweed, ten-stamen pokeweed, drooping pokeweed, etc. It is native to North America, and its seeds can be spread by birds and other means. The seeds are black and glossy. It blooms in summer and is cultivated in most parts of the country, mostly for ornamental use. Its root is used in medicine and has the effects of relieving cough, promoting diuresis, and reducing swelling. Now let us take a look at whether American pokeweed is toxic!
Is American pokeweed toxic?
The whole American pokeweed plant is toxic, with the root and fruit being the most toxic. Because its rhizome closely resembles ginseng, it is often mistakenly taken as ginseng, and caution is needed. American pokeweed poisoning causes severe vomiting or dry retching, a burning sensation from the mouth to the stomach, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and can even lead to death from cardiac paralysis.
Medicinal effects of American pokeweed
1. Purging and promoting diuresis: Pokeweed is bitter in taste and cold in nature, mainly descending and settling, and frees both urination and defecation, causing water-dampness to be eliminated separately through urine and stool. Therefore, it can be used to treat edema and distention, beriberi, jaundice, and other syndromes.
2. Reducing swelling and dissipating nodules: Pokeweed is bitter in taste, cold in nature, and toxic. Bitterness can drain and dry dampness, coldness can clear heat and control fire, and toxicity can use poison against poison. Therefore, it can be used to treat carbuncles, swollen sores, scrofula, throat obstruction, and other conditions.
Pharmacological effects of American pokeweed
1. Enhancing cellular immune function: Pokeweed saponins promote the phagocytic function of mouse leukocytes. Pokeweed saponin is a biologically active substance that activates nucleotide reductase, can stimulate the activity of B cells toward thymidine, and promotes DNA metabolism, thereby having the function of enhancing cellular immunity. With the assistance of T cells, PWM can also stimulate mouse splenic lymphocytes to produce IgM.
2. Promoting adrenocortical function: Pokeweed does not have a corticosteroid-like effect, but instead affects the central nervous system to excite the pituitary-adrenal cortical system. Its ethanol extract administered by gavage to rats can significantly reduce the vitamin C content in the adrenal glands. Ethanol extract administered by gavage to rats has a significant inhibitory effect on formaldehyde-induced paw swelling. Pokeweed triterpene acids also have a clear anti-inflammatory effect.
3. Diuretic and purgative effects: Perfusion of toad kidneys with pokeweed root extract can dilate capillaries, accelerate blood flow, and significantly increase urine output. The potassium it contains also promotes diuresis. Small doses have a diuretic effect, while large doses instead reduce urine output.
4. Antitussive, antiasthmatic, and expectorant effects: The alkaloids have a clear antitussive effect, while pokeweed water decoction and tincture have no antitussive effect. The water decoction and tincture have a clear expectorant effect, with the water decoction having the strongest effect. Pokeweed sapogenin also has a significant expectorant effect. Pokeweed alkaloids have no expectorant effect. Its expectorant mechanism is the result of directly stimulating the respiratory mucosa, causing increased glandular secretion and promoting ciliary movement. Subcutaneous injection of the decoction and tincture in guinea pigs had no antiasthmatic effect.
5. Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral effects: The water decoction and tincture have an inhibitory effect on influenza virus. American pokeweed peptide is an antiviral protein that can inhibit the replication of mammalian poliovirus and can treat polio. The water decoction and tincture have inhibitory effects on Haemophilus influenzae, various dysentery bacilli, and pneumococci, and also have an inhibitory effect on skin fungi. The triterpene acids extracted from pokeweed have an anti-inflammatory effect, and their anti-inflammatory effect on rat paw swelling is similar to that of hydrocortisone.