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Herbs & Supplements

Ague Tree
Scientific Name: Sassafras
Other Names: Cinnamon Wood, Saloop, Sassafras albidum, Sassafras officinale, Saxifras

References

Anon: Sassafras. In: DerMarderosian A, Beutler JA, eds. Facts and Comparisons: The Review of Natural Products. St. Louis, MO, Facts and Comparisons. June 1997.

Atkinson H. The tree with red mittens. Missouri Conservationist. 2000;61(2). Available at: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/conmag/2000/02/ 5.htm. Accessed July 24, 2003.

Carlson M, Thompson RD. Liquid chromatographic determination of safrole in sassafras-derived herbal products. Journal of AOAC International. 1997;80(5):1023-1028.

Chang HC, Cheng HH, Huang CJ, et al. Safrole-induced Ca2+ mobilization and cytotoxicity in human PC3 prostate cancer cells. J Recept Signal Transduct Res. 2006;26(3):199-212.

Chen WC, Cheng HH, Huang CJ, et al. The carcinogen safrole increases intracellular free Ca2+ levels and causes death in MDCK cells. Chinese Journal of Physiology. 2007;50(1):34-40.

Davidson T. Sassafras. Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Gale Group. 2001. Available at: http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/g2603/0006/2603000 644/print.jhtml. Accessed July 24, 2003.

Grande GA, Dannewitz SR. Symptomatic sassafras oil ingestion. [letter] Veterinary and Hum Toxicology. 1987;29(6):447. Haines JD Jr. Sassafras tea and diaphoresis. Postgraduate Medicine. 1991;90(4):75-76.

HealthNotes, Inc. Sassafras. 2002. Available at: http://www.mycustompak.com/healthNotes/Herb/Sassafr as.htm Accessed July 24, 2003.

Jackson FL. Illuminating cancer health disparities using ethnogenetic layering (EL) and phenotype segregation network analysis (PSNA). Journal of Cancer Education. 2006;21(1 Suppl):S69-S79.

Jellin JM, Gregory P, Batz F, Hitchens K, et al, eds. Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 3rd Edition. Stockton CA: Therapeutic Research Facility, 2000.

Kapadia GJ, Chung EB, Ghosh B, Shukla YN, Basak SP, Morton JF, Pradhan SN. Carcinogenicity of some folk medicinal herbs in rats. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 1978;60(3):683-686.

Klepser TB, Klepser ME. Unsafe and potentially safe herbal therapies. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 1999;56(2):125-141.

Lin HC, Cheng HH, Huang CJ, et al. Safrole-induced cellular Ca2+ increases and death in human osteosarcoma cells. Pharmacology Research. 2006;54(2):103-110.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, Online Edition. Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter. Stockton CA: Therapeutic Research Facility, 2006. Available at: http://www.pharmacistsletter.com/(S(ulqz3s45omt3ag5 5um4kj345))/home.aspx?li=1&st=1&cs=&s=ND.

Peirce A. The American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. New York: Stonesong Press; 1999.

Pereira EF, Pereira NA, Lima ME, Coelho FA, Barreiro EJ. Anti-inflammatory properties of new bioisosteres of indomethacin synthesized from safrole which are sulindac analogues. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research. 1989;22(11):1415-1419.

Report on Carcinogens, Tenth Edition; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program, December 2002. Available at: http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/roc/tenth/profiles/s159saf a.pdf. Accessed August 5, 2003.

Segelman AB, Segelman FP, Karliner J, Sofia RD. Sassafras and herb tea. Potential health hazards. [Letter] Journal of the American Medical Association. 1976;236(5):477.

Vesselinovitch SD, Rao KV, Mihailovich N. Transplacental and lactational carcinogenesis by safrole. Cancer Research. 1979;39(11):4378-4380.

Last Revised July 18, 2007

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Note: The above information is not intended to replace the advice of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not meant to indicate that the use of the product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you.

In general, herbal products are not subject to review or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are not required to be standardized, meaning that the amounts of active ingredients or contaminants they contain may vary between brands or between different batches of the same brand. Not all of the risks, side effects, or interactions associated with the use of herbal products are known because few reliable studies of their use in humans have been done.

This information is provided for your education only. Please share this information with your healthcare provider and be sure that you talk to your doctor and pharmacist about all the prescription and non-prescription medicines you take before you begin to use any herbal product.

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References