Common Names: Cukilanarpak (native Alaskan for ''large plant with needles''), Devil's club Panax horridum Sm., Echinopanax horridum (Sm.) Decne. & Planch., Fatsia horrida (Sm.)
Pollinator Forage
Nectar 0
Pollen 0
key name Devil's club
Idententifing Character
Stem5 m densely thorned stem can reach 3 cm in diameter.
LeavesLarge, oblong, shiny, variegated and very spiny, sessile or clasping.
Flowers Greenish-white appear in June,
Fruit scarlet berries in late summer
Taste
Odour
Root
Distribution This hardy plant grows in moist ravines and well-drained soils along much of the Alaskan coast and a
Medical Uses This plant has a long tradition of use by the native tribes of Alaska and British Columbia for centuries and other populations in the Northwestern regions of the United States and Canada. The plant has been used internally by drinking an aqueous extract of the root or stem bark for treatment of respiratory ailments (eg, cold, cough, sore throat, chest pain, tuberculosis) and GI complaints (eg, stomach pain, ulcers, gallstones, indigestion, constipation).Bloxton 2002, Russell 1991, Smith 1983 Externally the prickly outer bark sometimes is scraped from the stem, leaving the cambium for use in the preparation of decoctions and poultices; however, others use both the cambium and stem together. Poultices were applied to sores and wounds to prevent or reduce swelling and infection. The cambium sometimes is softened by chewing prior to being placed on a cut or burn as an emergency analgesic and local antiseptic. In many cultures, the plant is believed to possess ''magical'' powers that impart great strength.Bloxton 2002, Russell 1991, Smith 1983 Ethnobotanic data indicate that the extracts of the inner bark appear to have antipyretic, antitussive, antibacterial, and hypoglycemic properties. The plant has been used internally to treat a variety of conditions including influenza, measles, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and rheumatism. Devil's club has been used as a purgative, emetic, and cathartic in higher doses.Bloxton 2002, McCutcheon 1995, Smith 1983 Anti-infective activity A recent screening of a methanol extract of the inner bark of O. horridus showed partial inhibition against the respiratory syncytial virus. Previous screenings of O. horridus extracts exhibited antimicrobial and antifungal activities. The polyynes of the plant exhibited anti-Candida activity; and, in a disk diffusion assay, antimycobacterial activity, by killing Mycobacterium tuberculosis and isoniazid-resistant Mycobacterium avium at 10 mcg/disk.Calway 2012, Kobaisy 1997, McCutcheon 1997, Qiu 2013 Cancer Animal data A limited pool of researchers have reported on the effect of extracts of Oplopanax horridus and related species on a range of human cancer cell lines and tumors.Jin 2014, Li 2010, McGill 2014, Meng 2015, Sun 2010, Tai 2014, Wang 2013, Zhang 2014 Hypoglycemic activity Animal data Several animal investigations were conducted in the 1930s and 1940s in an attempt to characterize the pharmacologic activity associated with the traditional uses of devil's club. Following reports that patients with diabetes could be managed successfully using water extracts of the root bark, animal-based investigations suggested that the extract had hypoglycemic activity in the hare and that the plant was not associated with toxicity. Further investigations were unable to verify the hypoglycemic effect in rabbits.Large1938, Piccoli 1940, Stuhr 1944 Clinical data No pharmacologically active component could be identified in the plant. A report of a case study of two patients given extracts of the plant in conjunction with a glucose tolerance test found no hypoglycemic effects that could be attributed to devil's club.Calway 2012, Smith 1983, Stuhr 1944
Constituents Four known sesquiterpenes have been identified: alpha-cubebene, trans-nerolidol, spathulenol, and oplopanone. Lignan 1,3 benzodioxole, 5,5ââ¬Â²-tetrahydro-1H,3H-furo[3,4-c]furan-1,4-diyl)bis, stearic acid, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol also have been identified. Trans-nerolidol is the major constituent in the root bark. One study documents the absence of alkaloids and gallic acid, and the presence of oleic and unsaturated fatty acids, saponins, glycerides, and tannins. An ether extract of the root yielded 2 oils, equinopanacene (a sesquiterpene) and equinopanacol (a sesquiterpene alcohol). Oplopanone has antipyretic and antitussive activity. Stigmasterol and ò-sitosterol are associated with antirheumatic and anticholesteremic activity.Bloxton 2002, Calway 2012, Huang 2015, Huang 2014, Huang 2014, Sun 2010, Wang 2010, Wang 2013
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Dosage
administration
Formulas
Contra Indications
Chinese
Veterinary
Wild Plant
Harvest Harvest the runners between plant
Non Med
History
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