Sarsaparilla.Smilax officinalis,Legend of Smilax China.

Sarsaparilla Phytochemicals and Constituents.

Smilax sarsaparilla Extract INCI Name Smilax Aristolochiaefolia Extract Smilax Officinalis Root Extract CAS 97404-52-9 EINECS ELINCS No 306-819-2 Smilax officinalis Smilax China Wild Sarsaparilla Root extract photo picture image Sarsaparilla contains the plant steroids sarsasapogenin, smilagenin, sitosterol, stigmasterol, and pollinastanol; and the saponins sarsasaponin, smilasaponin, sarsaparilloside, and sitosterol glucoside, among others. The majority of sarsaparilla's pharmacological properties and actions have been attributed to these steroids and saponins. The saponins have been reported to facilitate the body's absorption of other drugs and phytochemicals, which accounts for its history of use in herbal formulas as an agent for bioavailability and to enhancement the power and effect of other herbs.

Saponins and plant steroids found in many species of plants (including sarsaparilla) can be synthesized into human steroids such as estrogen and testosterone. This synthesis has never been documented to occur in the human body - only in the laboratory. Yet plant steroids and their actions in the human body have been a subject of much interest, sketchy research and, unfortunately, disinformation - mainly for marketing purposes. Sarsaparilla has been marketed (fraudulently) to contain testosterone and/or other anabolic steroids. While it is a rich source of natural plant steroids and saponins, it never has been proven to have any anabolic effects, nor has testosterone been found in sarsaparilla or any other plant source thus far.

Flavonoids in sarsaparilla have been documented to have immune modulation and liver protective activities. A U.S. patent was awarded in 2003 describing these flavonoids to be effective in treating autoimmune diseases and inflammatory reactions through their immunomodulating effects. Sarsasapogenin and smilagenin were subjects of a 2001 U.S. patent which reported that these Smilax steroids had the ability to treat senile dementia, cognitive dysfunction, and Alzheimer's disease. In the patent's animal studies references, smilagenin reversed the decline of brain receptors in aged mice and restored the receptor levels to those observed in young animals, reversed the decline in cognitive function, and enhanced memory and learning. These studies, however, have not been published in any peer-reviewed journals - only in the context of the patent, thus far.

Sarsaparilla's main plant chemicals include: acetyl-parigenin, astilbin, beta-sitosterol, caffeoyl-shikimic acids, dihydroquercetin, diosgenin, engeletin, essential oils, epsilon-sitosterol, eucryphin, eurryphin, ferulic acid, glucopyranosides, isoastilbin, isoengetitin, kaempferol, parigenin, parillin, pollinastanol, resveratrol, rhamnose, saponin, sarasaponin, sarsaparilloside, sarsaponin, sarsasapogenin, shikimic acid, sitosterol-d-glucoside, smilagenin, smilasaponin, smilax saponins A-C, smiglaside A-E, smitilbin, stigmasterol, taxifolin, and titogenin.

Root contains smilaxin,isoengeletin,oleanolic acid,kaempferide,dihydrokaempferide,beta-sitosterol,beta-sitosteroylglucoside,prosapogenin A of dioscin,dioscin,gracillin,methylprotogracillin,methylprotodioscin,etc.neotigogenin-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside;{neotigogenin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1->4)-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-(1->6)-]-beta-D-glucopyranoside};pseudoprotodioscin;{isonarthogenin-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1->2)-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1->4)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside};diosgenin.etc.

Besides volatile oil (Pareira, Mat. Med.), resin, starch, coloring matter, calcium oxalate, etc., sarsaparilla root contains several glucosids, to which its peculiar properties are due. According to Kobert (1892), these glucosids are:

(1). Parillin of Palotta (1824), first obtained pure by Fluckiger, previously also called smilacin (not Merck's), salseparin, and parillic acid; it is crystalline, nearly insoluble in cold water, soluble in 20 parts of boiling water, forming a bitter solution, which froths upon shaking; it is the least active of the glucosids. Fluckiger (see Husemann and Hilger, Pflanzenstoffe, p. 408) obtained about 0.19 per cent. Boiling with diluted sulphuric acid produces sugar and parigenin, insoluble in water.

(2). Saponin (sarsaparill-saponin; smilacin of Merck) is amorphous, more active than the preceding, soluble in water and alcohol.

(3). Sarsa-saponin, crystallizing in needles, readily soluble in water; the most poisonous of the three.

Reference:

1.Sarsaparilla.Smilax officinalis,Legend of Smilax China.

last edit date:10th,Mar.2010.

Available Product

Name:Smilax sarsaparilla Extract
Serie No:P088
Specifications:10:1.TLC.
INCI Name:Smilax Aristolochiaefolia Extract,Smilax Officinalis Root Extract.
EINECS/ELINCS No.:306-819-2
CAS:97404-52-9
Chem/IUPAC Name:Smilax Aristolochiaefolia Extract is an extract of the roots of the sarsaparilla,Smilax aristolochiaefolia,Liliaceae

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