Is American pokeweed toxic? A detailed explanation of its toxicity hazards and precautions
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) 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. It is cultivated in most parts of the country, mostly for ornamental use. Its root is used as medicine and has the effects of relieving cough, promoting diuresis, and reducing swelling. Let us take a look below at whether American pokeweed is toxic!
Is American pokeweed toxic?
The whole plant of American pokeweed is toxic, with the root and fruit being the most toxic. Because its rhizome closely resembles ginseng, it is often mistakenly taken as ginseng, so caution is needed. Poisoning by American pokeweed 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 unblocking the two excretions, allowing water dampness to be eliminated separately through urine and stool, so it can be used to treat edema and distention, beriberi, jaundice, and other conditions.
2. Reducing swelling and dissipating masses: Pokeweed is bitter in taste, cold in nature, and toxic. Bitterness can unblock and drain and dry dampness, cold can clear heat and control fire, and toxicity can counteract toxicity with toxicity, so it can be used to treat carbuncles, swellings, 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. PWM, with the assistance of T cells, can also stimulate mouse splenic lymphocytes to produce IgM.
2. Promoting adrenocortical function: Pokeweed does not have adrenocortical hormone-like effects, but instead affects the central nervous system to excite the pituitary-adrenal cortex 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 triterpenic acid also has a significant 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 the diuretic effect. Small doses have a diuretic effect, while large doses instead reduce urine output.
4. Antitussive, antiasthmatic, and expectorant effects: The alkaloids have a significant antitussive effect, while pokeweed water decoction and tincture have no antitussive effect. The water decoction and tincture have a significant 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 has no antiasthmatic effect.
5. Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral: 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 poliomyelitis. The water decoction and tincture have an inhibitory effect on Haemophilus influenzae, various dysentery bacilli, and pneumococci, and also have an inhibitory effect on skin fungi. The triterpenic acid extracted from pokeweed has an anti-inflammatory effect, and its anti-inflammatory effect on rat paw swelling is similar to that of hydrocortisone.