Bloodroot Benefits and
Side Effects
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.
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.
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Discuss with your doctor before taking any alternative medicine. This article is for
reference only, it is not a medical advice. All rights reserved. Do not copy this article to
other website or blog.
reference only, it is not a medical advice. All rights reserved. Do not copy this article to
other website or blog.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |