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Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases
U.S. Department of Agriculture
  1. Home
  2. Smilax spp

Smilax spp (Smilacaceae)

Common Names
Sarsaparilla
How this plant is used
Medicinal
View the list of ubiquitous chemicals
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List of plant chemicals.
Click on column headings to sort table by that column. *Unless otherwise noted all references are to (Duke, 1992)
Chemical Name Activity Count Plant Part Low Parts Per Million High Parts Per Million Standard Deviation Reference
SILICON 4 Root 2.0 8.8 -0.30 *
SITOSTEROL-D-GLUCOSIDE 0 Root List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
SMILAGENIN 3 Root List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
SMILASAPONIN 0 Root List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
SODIUM 1 Root 4.4 21.0 -0.50 *
SPIROSTANOLS 0 Root Hansel, R., Keller, K., Rimpler, H., and Schneider, G. eds. 1992. Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Drogen (A-D), 1209 pp., 1993 (E-O), 970 pp., 1994 (P-Z), 1196 pp. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
STARCH 5 Root 52500.0 250000.0 -0.27 *
STEROID SAPONINS 0 Root 5000.0 30000.0 *
STIGMASTEROL 12 Root List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
THIAMINE 0 Root 0.2 0.9 -0.69 *
TIN 4 Root 4.0 18.0 0.15 *
WATER 0 Root 790000.0 0.14 *
ZINC 77 Root 0.5 2.6 -0.95 *
View the list of ubiquitous chemicals
Download these results as:
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List of plant activities.
Click on column headings to sort table by that column. *Unless otherwise noted all references are to (Duke, 1992)
Activity Chemical Count Reference
Antitumor (Gastric) 1 *
Antitumor (Lung) 4 *
Antitumor (Prostate) 2 *
Antitumor (Stomach) 1 *
Antiulcer 3 *
Antiulcerogenic 1 Rafatullah, S., Tariq, M., Al-Yahya, M.A., Mossa, J.S., and Ageel, A.M. 1989. Evaluation of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) for Gastric and Duodenal Antiulcer Activity in Rats. J. of Ethnopharmacology, 29: 25-34, 1990.
Antivaginitic 1 Martindale's 28th
Antivaricose 1 Jeffery B. Harborne and H. Baxter, eds. 1983. Phytochemical Dictionary. A Handbook of Bioactive Compounds from Plants. Taylor & Frost, London. 791 pp.
Antivertigo 1 *
Antiviral 3 *
Antiviral? 1 Martindale's 29th
Antixerophthalmic 1 Davies, S., and Stewart, A. 1990. Nutritional Medicine. Avon Books, New York. 509pp.
Anxiolytic 5 *
AP-1-Inhibitor 1 *
Apoptotic 3 *
Artemicide 2 Jung, J.H., Pummangura, S., Chaichantipyuth, c., Patarapanich, C., and McLaughlin, J.L. 1989. Bioactive Constituents of Melodorum fruticosum. Phytochemistry. 29(5): 1667-1670. 1990.
Asthma-preventive 1 Pizzorno, J.E. and Murray, M.T. 1985. A Textbook of Natural Medicine. John Bastyr College Publications, Seattle, Washington (Looseleaf).
Astringent 1 Martindale's 28th
Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Blocker 1 *
Beta-Blocker 1 *