Bloodroot Benefits and
Side Effects
ABOUT Bloodroot [Sanguinaria canadensis]

Bloodroot can be found in North America and in India. Its rhizomes and root
contain an orange-red latex. Native American used it for skin paint.
Bloodroot is believed to benefit sore throats, gingivitis (periodontal disease),
cough. Its principal active ingredient is sanguinarine (an alkaloid). [8]

Sanguinarine and its potential health benefits

Sanguinarine is a plant alkaloid present in the root of Sanguinaria
canadensis and Poppy fumaria species. It is a cationic molecule which
converts from an iminium ion form at pH less than 6 to an alkanolamine form
at pH greater than 7. Sanguinarine and a few other alkaloids constitute the
active ingredients of most sanguinaria extracts.

Sanguinarine has been shown to possess antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory,
and antioxidant properties. [5,7] Sanguinarine has been used as an
antiseptic mouth rinse and a toothpaste additive to reduce dental plaque
and gingival inflammation. Sanguinarine is found to inhibit platelet
aggregation induced by arachidonic acid, collagen, U46619 and sub-
threshold concentration of thrombin. It also activates adenylate cyclase,
inhibits platelet Ca(2+) mobilization, TXB(2) production as well as
suppresses COX-1 enzyme activity. Thus, researchers believe that
sanguinarine may have benefits for cardiovascular diseases related to
platelet aggregation. [4]

Researchers from University of Wisconsin have shown that sanguinarine
possesses strong antiproliferative and proapoptotic properties against
human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells, immortalized human HaCaT
keratinocytes, androgen-unresponsive human prostate carcinoma DU145
cells and human prostate carcinoma LNCaP cells. [5,7] They found that
sanguinarine (as little as 0.1-2 micromol/L) treatment of LNCaP and DU145
cells for 24 hours resulted in dose-dependent (1) inhibition of cell growth,
(2) arrest of cells in G0-G1 phase of the cell cycle, and (3) induction of
apoptosis. [5]

Immunoblot analysis showed that sanguinarine treatment of both LNCaP and
DU145 cells resulted in significant (1) induction of cyclin kinase inhibitors
p21/WAF1 and p27/KIP1; (2) down-regulation of cyclin E, D1, and D2; and
(3) down-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 2, 4, and 6. [5]

Researchers from Chonbuk National University Hospital, Korea, found that
sanguinarine markedly suppressed VEGF-induced endothelial cell
migration, sprouting, and survival in vitro in a dose-dependent manner at
nanomolar concentrations. Furthermore, sanguinarine potently suppressed
blood vessel formation in vivo in mouse Matrigel plugs and the
chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryos. Thus, this test-tube study
suggests that sanguinarine has anti-cancer effects, and its mode of action
may involve the blocking of VEGF-induced Akt activation. [6]

Sanguinarine and sanguinaria extracts show anti-microbic effects.
Sanguinarine has broad antimicrobial activity as well as antiinflammatory
properties. In vitro studies indicate that the anti-plaque action of bloodroot is
due to its ability to inhibit bacterial adherence to newly formed pellicle, its
retention in plaque being 10-100 times its saliva concentration, and due to
its antimicrobic properties. Long term use of sanguinaria-containing
toothpaste and oral rinse products does not predispose users to detrimental
shifts in oral flora. Electron microscopic studies of bacteria exposed to
sanguinarine demonstrate that bacteria aggregate and become
morphologically irregular. [8]

The rhizomes of Bloodroot [or Sanguinaria canadensis] are used
traditionally for the treatment of gastrointestinal ailments. The rhizome
extracts, as well as a methanol extract of S. canadensis suspension-cell
cultures inhibited the growth of H. pylori in vitro. It contained protopine,
sanguinarine and chelerythrine. [11]This may partially explain its benefits on
gastric upset.

Bloodroot has been used for skin cancer treatment for years.
The use of escharotic or caustic pastes to treat skin cancer is based on the
centuries-old observation that selected minerals and plant extracts may be
used to destroy certain skin lesions. Zinc chloride and Sanguinaria
canadensis (bloodroot) are 2 agents that are used as part of the Mohs
chemosurgery fixed-tissue technique. Researchers from University of
Vermont College of Medicine reviewed the history of escharotic use for skin
disease and they commented that unregulared use of these herbal
applications may lead to serious consequences such as scarring and "left-
over" of some residual cancer cells. [10]

Side Effects of Bloodroot

Dose of Bloodroot is usually less than one ml for oral-intake. Long term use
or overdosage of Bloodroot may cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain,
diarrhea, visual changes, paralysis, fainting, and collapse. [1-3]

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOUR REFERENCE ONLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUSTION, YOU SHOULD
CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR. DO NOT TAKE EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF BLOODROOT. ITS ACTIVE
INGREDIENT IS VERY POTENT. ALL RIGHT RESERVED ZHION 2008. DO NOT COPY THIS ARTICLE
TO OTHER WEBSITE(S) OR BLOG(S) OR OTHER TYPES OF PUBLICATIONS.

REFERENCE
1. British Herbal Medicine Association Scientific Committee. British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. West
Yorks, UK: British Herbal Medicine Association, 1983. 2. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A
(eds). American Herbal Products AssociationÂ’s Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC
Press, 1997. 3. Felter HW, Lloyd JU. KingÂ’s American Dispensatory 18th ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic
Medical Publications, 1898, reprinted 1983.[4] Jeng JH, et al, Antiplatelet effect of sanguinarine is
correlated to calcium mobilization, thromboxane and cAMP production.Atherosclerosis. 2006 Jun 22.
[5]Adhami VM, et al, Sanguinarine causes cell cycle blockade and apoptosis of human prostate
carcinoma cells via modulation of cyclin kinase inhibitor-cyclin-cyclin-dependent kinase machinery.
Mol Cancer Ther. 2004 Aug;3(8):933-40. [6] Eun JP, Koh GY.Suppression of angiogenesis by the
plant alkaloid, sanguinarine.Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004 Apr 30;317(2):618-24. [7] Adhami
VM, Activation of prodeath Bcl-2 family proteins and mitochondrial apoptosis pathway by
sanguinarine in immortalized human HaCaT keratinocytes.Clin Cancer Res. 2003 Aug 1;9(8):3176-82.
[8] Godowski KC.Antimicrobial action of sanguinarine.J Clin Dent. 1989 Spring;1(4):96-101. [9]
Newton SM, et al,The evaluation of forty-three plant species for in vitro antimycobacterial activities;
isolation of active constituents from Psoralea corylifolia and Sanguinaria canadensis.  J
Ethnopharmacol. 2002 Jan;79(1):57-67. [10] McDaniel S, Goldman GD.Consequences of using
escharotic agents as primary treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancer.Arch Dermatol. 2002 Dec;138
(12):1593-6. [11] Mahady GB, et al, In vitro susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to isoquinoline
alkaloids from Sanguinaria canadensis and Hydrastis canadensis. Phytother Res. 2003 Mar;17(3):217-
21.