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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
25S-SPIROSTAN-6-BETA-OL-3-O-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL-(1->4)-(ALPHA-L-ARABINOPYRANOSYL-(1->6))-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSIDE 0 Root Bernardo, R. R., Pinto, A. V., Parente, J. P. 1996. Steroidal Saponins from Smilax officinalis. Phytochemistry, 43(2): 465-469.
ALUMINUM 5 Root 157.0 745.0 0.09 *
ASCORBIC-ACID 112 Root *
ASH 0 Root 13230.0 63000.0 -0.13 *
BETA-CAROTENE 53 Root 8.0 36.0 -0.21 *
BETA-SITOSTEROL 47 Root List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
CALCIUM 28 Root 626.0 2980.0 -0.48 *
CETYL-ALCOHOL 0 Root List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
CHROMIUM 24 Root 0.4 1.7 -0.22 *
COBALT 2 Root 3.0 14.2 -0.24 *
DEGLUCOPARILLIN 0 Root *
DESGLUCORHAMNOPARILLIN 0 Root *
EO 0 Root 300.0 -0.64 List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
EPSILON-SITOSTEROL 0 Root List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
FAT 0 Root 4410.0 21000.0 -0.06 *
FIBER(CRUDE) 0 Root 100000.0 -0.33 *
FIBER(DIETARY) 0 Root 380000.0 -0.20 *
FURASTANOL-GLYCOSIDES 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.
GLUCOSE 7 Root List, P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
GLYCYPHYLLIN 1 Plant Jeffery B. Harborne and H. Baxter, eds. 1983. Phytochemical Dictionary. A Handbook of Bioactive Compounds from Plants. Taylor & Frost, London. 791 pp.
View the list of ubiquitous chemicals
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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
Antinitrosic 1 Martindale's 28th
Antinociceptive 1 *
Antinyctalopic 1 *
Antiobesity 4 Werbach, M. 1993. Healing with Food. Harper Collins, New York, 443 pp.
Antionychyotic 1 *
Antiophidic 2 Economic & Medicinal Plant Research, 5: 363.
Antiorchitic 1 Davies, S., and Stewart, A. 1990. Nutritional Medicine. Avon Books, New York. 509pp.
Antiosteoarthritic 2 Werbach, M. 1993. Healing with Food. Harper Collins, New York, 443 pp.
Antiosteoporotic 7 *
Antiototic 1 Davies, S., and Stewart, A. 1990. Nutritional Medicine. Avon Books, New York. 509pp.
Antioxidant 7 *
Antiozenic 1 *
Antipapillomic 1 *
Antiparkinsonian 3 *
Antiparotitic 1 Davies, S., and Stewart, A. 1990. Nutritional Medicine. Avon Books, New York. 509pp.
Antipellagric 2 Davies, S., and Stewart, A. 1990. Nutritional Medicine. Avon Books, New York. 509pp.
Antiperiodontitic 3 Werbach, M. 1993. Healing with Food. Harper Collins, New York, 443 pp.
Antiphotophobic 2 Martindale's 29th
Antipityriasic 1 Pizzorno, J.E. and Murray, M.T. 1985. A Textbook of Natural Medicine. John Bastyr College Publications, Seattle, Washington (Looseleaf).
Antiplaque 2 Martindale's 29th