what is salix alba used for

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Is Salix alba a willow tree?

Salix alba, the white willow, is a species of willow native to Europe and western and central Asia. The name derives from the white tone to the undersides of the leaves. It is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree growing up to 10–30 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter and an irregular, often-leaning crown.

Where can I find salix alba?

Like all willows, Salix alba is usually to be found in wet or poorly-drained soil at the edge of pools, lakes or rivers. Its wide-spreading roots take up moisture from a large surrounding area.

What is the difference between Salix alba and tristis?

Salix alba 'Vitellina-Tristis' ( golden weeping willow, synonym 'Tristis') is a weeping cultivar with yellow branches that become reddish-orange in winter. It is now rare in cultivation and has been largely replaced by Salix x sepulcralis 'Chrysocoma'.

What is the half life of assalix?

A proprietary extract of willow bark, Assalix, was standardized to contain 15% salicin. The pharmacokinetics of salicylic acid delivered from willow bark have been studied, and plasma half-life is approximately 2.5 hours. Another pharmacokinetic study of salicylic acid from salicin found peak levels within 2 hours after oral administration.

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What medical condition is Salix alba used to treat?

Willow Bark (Salix alba) It is most often used by patients to treat headache or pain caused by osteoarthritis, myalgia, gout, and dysmenorrhea. Although components of willow bark include flavonoids and tannins, its pain-relieving properties are attributed to the salicin glycosides present in the compound.

What is Salix plant used for?

Traditional Uses Salix plants have been used medicinally since antiquity and have been linked to the discovery of acetylsalicylic acid and aspirin. These plants had been traditionally used to treat painful musculoskeletal joint pain conditions, inflammation, and fever.

Is Salix alba anti-inflammatory?

Abstract. Willow bark extract has been used for thousands of years as an anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic.

What is white willow used for?

The bark of white willow contains salicin, which is a chemical similar to aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). In combination with the herb's powerful anti-inflammatory plant compounds (called flavonoids), salicin is thought to be responsible for the pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects of the herb.

What tree Is aspirin made from?

the willow treeThe story of the discovery of aspirin stretches back more than 3500 years to when bark from the willow tree was used as a pain reliever and antipyretic.

What kind of willow tree makes aspirin?

What is willow bark? Willow bark, the bark of several varieties of willow tree, has been used for centuries as a pain reliever. The active ingredient in the medicine made from willow bark is called salicin.

Does willow bark raise blood pressure?

Common side-effects include: stomach upsets. increased blood pressure.

Is Willow Bark safer than aspirin?

The multi-component active principle of willow bark provides a broader mechanism of action than aspirin and is devoid of serious adverse events. In contrast to synthetic aspirin, willow bark does not damage the gastrointestinal mucosa. An extract dose with 240 mg salicin had no major impact on blood clotting.

Can you take willow bark everyday?

Consuming high doses of white willow bark can be dangerous because too much salicin is capable of contributing to a number of health problems among some individuals, including bleeding disorders and kidney damage. Other potential side effects might include digestive upset and skin itching.

Does willow bark thin the blood like aspirin?

WHAT IS WILLOW BARK USED FOR? blood thinner, it has also been used to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Is white willow a blood thinner?

White willow contains a substance (salicine) that is converted by the body into a salicylate similar to the blood-thinner aspirin. Over the last twenty years, another use for aspirin has emerged connected with the discovery of its anti-thrombotic action.

Is aspirin made from willow trees?

It is a common misconception that aspirin is found in the bark of the willow tree. A related compound called salicin does indeed occur in willow bark, thereby explaining the use of the bark as a medication since the time of Hippocrates.

Are willow leaves edible?

Willow is actually not a quality food source, although it is edible. The inner bark, leaves, and buds can all be eaten, but they are really bitter and considered famine food.

Are willow shoots edible?

Young willow shoots, buds and leaves are also edible but very bitter (and high in Vitamin C.) Boiling is the method commonly used to make them more palatable but they can be eaten raw if you can eat them.

Is white willow edible?

Edible Uses It can be dried, ground into a powder and added to cereal flour then used in making bread etc[2]. A very bitter flavour, especially when fresh[2, 115], it is used as a famine food when all else fails[172]. Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked[2, 177].

What is another name for a willow tree?

Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus Salix, comprise around 400 species of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions.

Where does Salix alba come from?

Salix alba, the white willow, is a species of willow native to Europe and western and central Asia. The name derives from the white tone to the undersides of the leaves. It is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree growing up to 10–30 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter and an irregular, often-leaning crown.

What is alba wood used for?

The wood is tough, strong, and light in weight, but has minimal resistance to decay. The stems ( withies) from coppiced and pollarded plants are used for basket-making. Charcoal made from the wood was important for gunpowder manufacture. The bark tannin was used in the past for tanning leather. The wood is used to make cricket bats. S. alba wood has a low density and a lower transverse compressive strength. This allows the wood to bend, which is why it can be used to make baskets. Willow bark contains indole-3-butyric acid, which is a plant hormone stimulating root growth; willow trimmings are sometimes used to clone rootstock in place of commercially synthesized root stimulator. It is also used for ritual purposes by Jews on the holiday of Sukkot.

What is the purpose of willow bark?

Willow bark contains indole-3-butyric acid, which is a plant hormone stimulating root growth ; willow trimmings are sometimes used to clone rootstock in place of commercially synthesized root stimulator. It is also used for ritual purposes by Jews on the holiday of Sukkot.

What is bark tannin used for?

The bark tannin was used in the past for tanning leather. The wood is used to make cricket bats. S. alba wood has a low density and a lower transverse compressive strength. This allows the wood to bend, which is why it can be used to make baskets.

Where is Salix caerulea grown?

Sm.; Salix caerulea Sm.) is grown as a specialist timber crop in Britain, mainly for the production of cricket bats, and for other uses where a tough, lightweight wood that does not splinter easily is required.

Where did the willow bark remedy come from?

The first "clinical trial" was reported by Reverend Edward Stone, a vicar from Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, England, in 1763 with a successful treatment of malarial fever with the willow bark.

When was salicin isolated?

The active extract of the bark, called salicin, after the Latin name Salix, was isolated to its crystalline form in 1828 by Henri Leroux, a French pharmacist, and Raffaele Piria, an Italian chemist, who then succeeded in separating out the acid in its pure state.

What part of the plant is used in herbal medicine?

Plant Parts Used: It is mostly the bark that is used in herbal medicine (sometimes the leaves.

What is the active compound in white willow?

The active compounds in white willow, called salicylate glycosides, work as an effective anti-inflammatory by interfering with pain transmission in the nervous system and by treating the cause of inflammation.

Does white willow bark help with headaches?

Over an eight week period, 97% of participants reported a reduction in their pain and 18% reported no pain at all. White willow bark is one of the herbs used for migraine and headache treatment. The use of white willow bark is also indicated for fibromyalgia, post surgical pain, Crohn’s disease, warts treatment and any condition characterized by ...

Is white willow the same as aspirin?

White willow is the original or natural Aspirin and has nearly the same indications as for its synthetic counterpart. Where these two compounds differ though, is that white willow tends to be milder on the stomach lining than synthetic Aspirin and has a reduced anticoagulant action.

When are leaves collected?

The leaves are collected during the growing season and used fresh or dried in extracts.

Is white willow good for stomach ulcers?

While white willow is gentler on the stomach than Aspirin, it can aggravate conditions such as kidney disease and gastrointestinal ulcers. In addition, those who are sensitive to Aspirin or have an allergy to salicylates should not take this herb.

What is the antioxidant in white willow bark?

Antioxidant compounds called polyphenolic glycosides and flavonoids are also found in white willow bark (WWB). These have been shown to protect against oxidative stress and various symptoms tied to aging, such as poor physical performance, cognitive decline, etc.

How long does white willow bark extract last?

In extract form, it’s typically taken in doses ranging from 120–240 milligrams of salicin for at least six weeks. Although it’s generally safe, white willow bark extract taken in high doses can cause side effects including increased bleeding, skin rashes, itching and an upset stomach.

What Is White Willow Bark?

White willow trees ( salix alba) grow a bark that contains the chemical called salicin, which has anti-inflammatory effects.

Can you take willow bark with aspirin?

Taking willow bark along with aspirin, beta blockers, diuretics or choline magnesium can increase the effects and contribute to side effects. It also shouldn’t be used with any other medication that slows blood clotting (anticoagulants), since this increases the risk for uncontrolled bleeding.

Does white willow bark help with mood?

While more formal research is needed to confirm how it may work to lift someone’s mood, energy and focus, it appears that white willow bark may have these effects due to its anti-inflammatory potential and ability to reduce oxidative stress — which can interfere with cognitive function.

Can you use white willow bark for pain?

Because frequent use of anti-inflammatory drugs and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs) and other pain medications is now linked with a growing number of health concerns, many people are interested in using natural painkillers as alternatives. One option, called white willow bark — which has been utilized in folklore and natural medicines for centuries — shows promise for treating pain naturally with little risk for side effects.

Is willow bark a natural aspirin?

Some people describe WWB as being like “natural aspirin.”.

Is willow bark an anti-inflammatory?

Willow bark extract has been used for thousands of years as an anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic. In spite of its long history of use, relatively few human and animal studies have been published that confirm anecdotal observations.

Is willow bark a salicin?

Although willow bark extracts are generally standardized to salicin, other ingredients in the extracts including other salicylates as well as polyphenols, and flavonoids may also play prominent roles in the therapeutic actions. Adverse effects appear to be minimal as compared to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs including aspirin.

How to quantify salicylates in willows?

A number of analytical approaches have been used to quantify salicylates in willows, including spectrophotometry, 19 thin-layer chromatography (TLC), 20 high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after enzymatic deglycosylation, 21 capillary electrophoresis, 22 and an electrochemical method known as square wave voltammetry. 23 A method using gas chromatography of silyl derivatives of salicylates gave results comparable to those of HPLC. 24 An HPLC method was used to compare the salicylate content of different cultivated clones of Salix myrsinifolia grown in a single location. 25 An HPLC method led to the identification of 13 compounds in 2 pharmaceutical preparations used in clinical trials containing willow bark extract. 26 Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the principle salicylates of willows have been reported and assigned. 27

What are the salicylate derivatives of willow bark?

Salicylate derivatives are the primary medicinal constituents of willow bark. While small amounts of salicylic acid can be detected in most species, the principle salicylates of S. alba are the phenolic ester glycoside salicortin 8, 9 and glycoside salicin, its acid hydrolysis product.

How long does salicylic acid last in the body?

The pharmacokinetics of salicylic acid delivered from willow bark have been studied, and the plasma half-life is approximately 2.5 hours. 47 Another pharmacokinetic study of salicylic acid from salicin found peak levels within 2 hours after oral administration. 48.

How much salicin is in willow bark?

Willow bark has been used for analgesia at daily doses of 1 to 3 g of bark, corresponding to salicin 60 to 120 mg. A clinical study of patients with lower back pain used willow bark at a salicin dose of 120 to 240 mg/day. A proprietary extract of willow bark, Assalix, was standardized to contain 15% salicin.

What is the name of the acid that is used in place of willow bark?

Most of the European medicinal willows were introduced to the Americas and escaped cultivation. In the late 19th century, salicylic acid was widely used in place of willow bark, and its derivative, aspirin, was discovered to be less irritating to the mouth and stomach. 6, 7.

What did the Egyptians use willow for?

Egyptians used willow to treat joint pain and inflammatory conditions associated with wounds. Chinese civilizations used willow to treat fever, pain, colds, hemorrhages, goiter, and rheumatic fever and applied willow as an antiseptic for wounds and abscesses.

What is willow used for?

The medicinal use of willow dates back 6,000 years. Ancient civilizations used willow tree extracts to treat pain, inflammation, and musculoskeletal conditions. Assyrian clay tablets excavated by archaeologists document these uses of willow and also in treating fever. Egyptians used willow to treat joint pain and inflammatory conditions associated with wounds. Chinese civilizations used willow to treat fever, pain, colds, hemorrhages, goiter, and rheumatic fever and applied willow as an antiseptic for wounds and abscesses. Physicians of ancient Greece, including Dioscorides who wrote the precursor to all modern pharmacopeias, prescribed willow for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. 3, 4, 5

Overview

Ecology

Varieties, cultivars and hybrids

Uses

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