Organic raw herbs - salvia divinorum/shi chang pu

[Guest guest]

The carcinogenic compound in Calamus is beta-asarone. Small amounts of it

can be broken down by the body. The European species may contain even more

of it than the Chinese species. This complicated topic is discussed

extensively in the Botanical Safety Handbook, published by the American

Herbal Products Association. I have included (below) the entry for Shi Chang

Pu (*Acorus gramineus*), along with the discussion on beta-asarone.

 

 

 

AHPA does a lot of work to ensure herb safety. They are also very proactive

in providing the media with accurate info on herbs and speaking out against

disinformation. I was on the AHPA Board of Trustees for a few years, and

still work with them. I've seen how the media will take every opportunity to

create sensational inaccurate stories about herbs, and the effort it

requires to fight that disinformation. That is why I have been so vocal

about us not lobbying for psychoactive herbs. The media would have a field

day with that. The FDA has not expressed an interest in restricting access

to any of our materia medica herbs that have an effect on consciousness. Why

stir up a hornet's nest in the media to lobby against a non-existent

problem?

 

 

 

.............................................

Bill Schoenbart, L.Ac.

P.O. Box 8099

Santa Cruz, CA 95061

 

office phone: 831-335-3165

email: plantmed

.............................................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Acorus gramineus** Soland. [Araceae]*

 

* Common Name: *grass‑leaved calamus, *shi chang pu*

 

*Other Common Names:* grassy‑leaved sweetflag

 

* Part: *rhizome

 

* Class: 2b* [30]; *3* [1, 2, 23, 29, 30]

 

* Notice: *b‑asarone, 0.08-0.3%) [7, 29]

 

* Ed. Note:* Canadian regulations do not allow in food, except to

flavor alcoholic beverages if the material is asarone-free [3].

 

 

 

 

 

*b**-ASARONE*

 

*Abstract***

 

b-Asarone is a hepatocarcinogenic constituent of the essential

oils from several plants in the genera *Acorus* and *Asarum *from the

Araceae and Aristolochiaceae families, respectively. The compound is from a

chemical group known as phenylpropanoids (C6-C3); more specifically, it is

an allylbenzene, also known as an alkenylbenzene, or allylphenol. The main

structural feature of the asarones (beta and alpha) is an aromatic ring with

a 2-methoxy group.

 

* *

 

*Identity*

 

The following are recognized by the BSI as plants containing b

-Asarone:

 

*Acorus calamus, Asarum canadense, Asarum europaeum.*

 

 

 

*History, Therapeutic Usage, and Dosage*

 

The use of calamus in Asia, Europe, and North America is of

ancient origin. *Calamus* spp. have been official in many pharmacopeias and

is now mainly used as source of calamus oil, which is employed in perfumery

(Trease & Evans, 1978). Its use in herbal medicine is of ancient origin, and

it is still used in India, China, Europe, America, and other countries for

its antispasmodic and digestive-stimulating effects (Bruneton, 1995).

 

All varieties of calamus are prohibited in foods in the United

States and are listed as unacceptable non-medicinal ingredients for oral use

in Canada (Michols, 1995), but in Europe they are allowed in foods and

beverages up to 0.1 mg/kg and I alcoholic beverages up to 1 mg/kg (Bruneton,

1995).

 

 

 

*Pharmacology*

 

b-asarone is a procarcinogen that is neither hepatoxic nor

directly hepatocarcinogenic. It must first undergo metabolic

1'-hydroxylation in the liver before achieving toxicity. Cytochrome P450 in

the hepatocytes is responsible for secreting the hydrolyzing enzymes that

convert b-asarone into its genotoxic epoxide structure. Even with activation

of these metabolites, the carcinogenic potency is low. This is because cells

rapidly break down the epoxide residues with epoxide hydrolases which leave

the compounds inert (Luo, 1992). In addition, the major metabolite of b-asarone

is 2,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid, a derivative that is not carcinogenic

(Hasheminejad & Caldwell, 1994).

 

The activation of the procarcinogen, b-asarone, is different

from the allylbenzene estragole and propenylbenzene safrole. Asarone has a

novel activation featuring hydroxylation of the 2-methoxy group of the

aromatic ring.

 

b-asarone oil does not have any spasmolytic activity (De Smet,

1992)

 

 

 

*Adverse Effects and Toxicity*

 

The potential hazard to humans of low doses of allylbenzenes (

e.g., beta-asarone, estragole, and safrole) is very minimal. Consuming

several grams will generate very small quantities of genotoxic metabolites

that are quickly broken down by the cytosolic and microsomal epoxide

hydrolases of the liver. Nevertheless, products containing b-asarone should

not be used long-term because they have been documented to cause chromosome

damaging effects on humans lymphocytes, mutagenic property in bacteria, and

carcinogenic activity in rats (De Smet,1992). Short-term acute use of b-asarone

containing herbs in sufficient quantity may cause nausea and vomiting.

 

Studies demonstrating carcinogenic activity in animals were from

rodents that were fed or injected with very high doses of b-asarone. In one

of these studies, rats developed mesenchymal tumors of the small intestine

(Keeler & Tu, 1983). Similar research demonstrated an increase of

unscheduled DNA synthesis, a strong indicator of impending genotoxicity

(Tsai, 1994). Another study showed that b-asarone had an anticoagulant

effect in mice and rats (Rubio-Poo, 1991).

 

Varieties of *Acorus* *calamus*, often called sweet-flag, or

simply calamus,* *have the highest potential for adverse effects with human

use due to b-asarone exposure. One variety contains up to 96%. The following

table xx summarizes the content in the 3 most commonly-used varieties.

 

 

 

Variety Polypoloidy?xx

b-Asarone %

 

Indian A. calamus var. jammu

4n <96%

 

North American A. calamus var. americanus (Raf.)

Wulff 2n absent

 

European A. calamus var. calamus L.

3n <10%

 

 

 

Although the hydroalcoholic extract of the European variety is reported to

contain only traces of b-asarone, careful attention should be paid to the

identity of the starting material for any commercial preparations because of

the possibility of adulteration with the Indian variety or other variants

containing unacceptable levels of the compound. Authenticated American

plants can be considered safe for use, at least regarding the b-asarone

content.

 

 

 

 

 

*References***

 

De Smet (see other ref)

 

Lou, G. et al. 1992. Hydrolysis of the 2', 3'-allylic epoxides of

allylbenzene, estragole, eugenol, and safrole by both microsomal and

cytosolic epoxide hydrolases. *Drug Metabolisms and Diposition*.

20(3):440-445.

 

Rubio-Poo, C. et al. 1991. The anticoagulant effect of beta-asarone in the

mouse and the rat. *Proceedings of the Western Pharmacology Society*.

34:107-112.

 

Trease, G.E. & W.C. Evans. 1978. *Pharmacognosy*. 11th Edition. Bailliere

Tindall: London.

 

Tsai, R.S. et al. 1995. Structure-genotoxicity relationships of

allylbenzenes and propenylbenzenes: a quantum chemical study. *Chemical

Research in Toxicology*. 8(1):164.

 

 

 

>>>>>Interesting reaction to shi chang pu...

 

In the latest edition of Bensky's material medica it talks about the

carcinogenic properties .....are people still using it or using the

European/US version?

 

Has anyone ever heard that shi chang pu is problematic during pregnancy, ie

abortive etc?

 

Heiko>>>>>

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

, " Bill Schoenbart "

<plantmed2 wrote:

Why

> stir up a hornet's nest in the media to lobby against a non-existent

> problem?

 

Good post, Bill.

 

Eric

[Guest guest]

On 10/1/06, Bill Schoenbart <plantmed2 wrote:

 

I've seen how the media will take every opportunity to

create sensational inaccurate stories about herbs, and the effort it

requires to fight that disinformation.

 

Of course, the goal of the media isn't disinformation, but sensation.

Eyeballs (or ear drums) is their yuan-source qi.

 

You can always tell when its sweeps (periods in which people are given

diaries or TV boxes that monitor what they watch or listen to) when the

local news stories start to focus on teen prostitution or breast cancer

detection.

 

Oh, yin yang huo (Hb. Epimedium) would be a great story for sweeps. Never

mind liver, kidney, or heart function, if the penis works better, that's

news!

 

--

 

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.