Cascara
Source, diagnostic characters, constituents and uses
Objectives
At the
end of this lecture, student will be able to
• Discuss
the source, diagnostic characters, constituents and uses of Cascara
Cascara
Synonym
• Cascara bark, cascara sagrada, sacred bark, chittem bark,
cortex Rhamnus purshianae
Source
• Dried bark of Rhamnus purshiana
Family
• Rhamnaceae
Macroscopy
• Colour – Purplish brown externally, reddish brown,
longitudinal straitions internally
• Odour – Nauseous
• Taste – Persistently bitter
• Size – 1-4 mm thick, with varying size
• Shape – Broken pieces, small, flat, quils, channels
• Lenticels on the outer surface
Microscopy
Powder microscopy
Constituents
• Fresh drug – anthranol – cause gripping and emesis
• On storage – anthranol oxidises to anthraquinone
• Contains both O and C glycosides
• Primary glycosides – Cascarosides A, B, C, D
Other constituents
• Barbaloin, chrysaloin, dianthrone of emodin, aloe emodin,
chrysophanol
• Bitter taste- because of lactone
Test
• Modified borntrager’s test
Uses
• Small dose – bitter stomachic, tonic
• Lage dose – purgative
Substitutes
• R. California
• R. fallax