CORTEX SALICIS
(WILLOW BARK)
pharmacological properties
Research on the pharmacological properties of willow extracts standardized to salicin.
The research was conducted by Prof. Leonidas Samochowiec and Dr. Alina Glinko, MD.
The research was conducted at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and compared the effects of two substances: acetylsalicylic acid (the popular “aspirin”) and willow extract standardized to 13% salicin.
Now, let’s delve into history. “Aspirin,” or acetylsalicylic acid, was invented over 100 years ago in the laboratories of Bayer. There, a metabolic product of the liver, salicylic acid, was synthesized. The body naturally produces this acid from the supplied salicin, the best source of which is willow bark. Consequently, since 1935, a synthetically produced substitute for this natural substance has been available on the market. Unfortunately, using this substitute carries the risk of side effects.
Now back to the research in Szczecin. Prof. Samochowiec and Dr. Glinko compared the effects of the synthetic and natural substances. The results turned out to be very surprising!
Methodology:
In the study, carrageenan-induced edema was induced, representing inflammation of the hind paw in Wistar rats. 70 animals were randomly divided into groups of 10 individuals each.
One hour after drug administration, a 0.1 ml solution of 1% aqueous carrageenan was subcutaneously injected into the plantar surface of the right hind paw of the animals.
The volume of the right hind paw of each rat was measured using a plethysmometer three times: a. immediately after carrageenan solution administration, b. 1 hour after carrageenan solution administration, c. 3 hours after carrageenan solution administration. Changes in the volume of the right hind paw of the animals in the experimental groups were compared with the corresponding volume increase in the control group 7.
The conducted studies demonstrated a comparable scope and potency of therapeutic action of willow bark extract to “aspirin”, and even greater effectiveness in terms of anti-inflammatory and analgesic action, especially at high doses of acetylsalicylic acid, burdened with numerous adverse effects under these conditions. According to the opinion of the eminent American researcher V.E. Tyler from Pardue University, natural preparations containing willow bark are much safer than acetylsalicylic acid, as evidenced by the lack of reports in the medical literature of any serious adverse effects. He referred to willow extracts as “natural aspirin”.
🔵 Conclusions:
📚 Literature:
Bonnycastle D.D.: Evaluation of Drug Activities Pharmacometrics t. II. Academic Press, London and New York, 1964. 2. Brook P.M., Day R.O.: N. Engl. J. Med.1991, 324, 1716. 3. Buckingham R.B.: Bull. Rheum. Dis. 1977/78a, 28, 960. 4. Buckingham R.B.: Bull. Rheum. Dis. 1977/78b, 28, 966. 5. Carson J.L. et al.: Arch. Intern. med. 1987, 147, 1054. 6. Dauksas V. et al.: Arzneim.-Forsch. Drug Res.,1993, 43/I, 44. 7. Dauksas V. et al.: Arzneim.-Forsch. drug res.,1995 45/II, 11. 8. Dixon A.St., Graber J.: I. Einteilung Eular-Bull.,1978, 7, Nr 4. 9. Feng L. et al.: J. Clin. Invest.,1995, 95, 1669. 10. Görög P., Kovacs I.B.: J. Pharm. Pharmac. 1970, 22, 86. 11. Insel P.A.: Analgesic-Anttipyretics and Antiinflammatory Agents; Drugs employed in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gout. In: The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. Hrsg. A. Goodman, Gilman T.W., Rath A.S., Nies P., Taylor. 8th edition, 1990, Pergamon Press. 12. Isaacs J.D. et al.: Lancet 1992, 340, 748. 13. Janssen P.A. et al.: Psychopharmacologia Berlin, 1960, 1, 389. 14. Julkunen-Titto R., Meier B.: The enzymatic decomposition of salicin and its derivatives obteined from salicaceae species. J. Nat. prod. 55, 1204-1212 (1992). 15. Kohlmünzer S.: Substancje naturalne i surowce farmakognostyczne. [W:] Farmakognozja. (Red.) Kamińska M., Wiśniewska E., 1985, PZWL. 16. Kommission E.: Monographie Salicis cortex (Weidenrinde) Bundesanzeiger, 1984 Nr 228. 17. Korolkiewicz Z.: Post. Nauk Med., 1995, 8, 40. 18. Meier B., Schweiz. Apotheker Zeitung Nr 25 1988, 126 Jg., 725. 19. Meier B., Liebi M.: Zeitschr. F. Phytotherapie, 1990, 11, 50. 20. Patrignani P. et al.: J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther, 1992, 271, 1705. 21. Pentz R. et al.: Zeitschr. F. Phytotherapie, 1989, 10, 92. 22. Reffer C. et al.: Arthritis Rheum, 1991, 34, 524. 23. Schneider E.: Zeitschr. F. Phytotherapie 1987, 8, 35. 24. Schumacher W. et al.: Thrombosis and Hoemostasis, 1993, 69, 509. 25. Soll A. et al.: Ann. Intern. Med., 1991, 114, 307. 26. Svensson T.H., Theime G.: Psychophatmacologia, 1969, 14, 157. 27. Valencia E. et al.: Planta Med., 1994, 60, 395. 28. Winter C.A, et al.: Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 1962, 3, 544. 29. Windholtz M., Budavari S.: Monographs. [W:] The Merck Index (Ed.) Windholtz M., Merck and Co., Inc. 1983, 40.