''Smilax glabra'', sarsaparilla, is a plant species in the genus ''

Smilax ''Smilax'' is a genus of about 300–350 species, found in the tropics and subtropics worldwide. In China for example about 80 are found (39 of which are endemic), while there are 20 in North America north of Mexico. They are climbing flowering ...

''. It is native to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

, and

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> ''S. glabra'' is a

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

Chinese herbology Chinese herbology () is the theory of traditional Chinese herbal therapy, which accounts for the majority of treatments in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A ''Nature'' editorial described TCM as "fraught with pseudoscience", and said that t ...

, whence it is also known as tufuling () or chinaroot, china-root, and china root (a name it shares with the related '' S. china''). Chinaroot is a key ingredient in the Chinese medical

dessert Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and ...

guilinggao ''Guilinggao'' (), also known as tortoise jelly (though not technically correct) or turtle powder, is a jelly-like Chinese medicine, also sold as a dessert. It was traditionally made from the ''gao'', or paste of the plastron (bottom shell) fr ...

'', which uses its ability to set certain kinds of jelly.

Chemical composition

Dihydro-flavonol

glycosides In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to another functional group via a glycosidic bond. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. ...

( astilbin,

neoastilbin Astilbin is a flavanonol, a type of flavonoid. Astilbin is the (2R-trans)-isomer; neoisoastilbin is the (2S-cis)-isomer and isoastilbin is the (2R-cis)-isomer. Natural occurrences Astilbin can be found in St John's wort (''Hypericum perforatum'' ...

isoastilbin Astilbin is a flavanonol, a type of flavonoid. Astilbin is the (2R-trans)-isomer; neoisoastilbin is the (2S-cis)-isomer and isoastilbin is the (2R-cis)-isomer. Natural occurrences Astilbin can be found in St John's wort (''Hypericum perforatum'' ...

neoisoastilbin Astilbin is a flavanonol, a type of flavonoid. Astilbin is the (2R-trans)-isomer; neoisoastilbin is the (2S-cis)-isomer and isoastilbin is the (2R-cis)-isomer. Natural occurrences Astilbin can be found in St John's wort (''Hypericum perforatum' ...

, (2''R'', 3''R'')-

taxifolin Taxifolin (5,7,3',4'-flavan-on-ol), also known as dihydroquercetin, belongs to the subclass flavanonols in the flavonoids, which in turn is a class of polyphenols. Stereocenters Taxifolin has two stereocenters on the C-ring, as opposed to quer ...

-3'-O-beta-D-pyranoglucoside) have been identified in the rhizome of ''Smilax glabra'' as well as

smitilbin Smitilbin is a flavanonol, a type of flavonoid. It is a rhamnoside that can be isolated in ''Smilax glabra'' (Chinaroot, sarsaparilla). Uses Smitilbin could be used for preventing Immunity (medical), immunological hepatocyte damage. Related c ...

, a flavanonol rhamnoside. Smiglabrone A and Smiglabrone B are phenylpropanoid-substituted

epicatechins Catechin is a flavan-3-ol, a type of secondary metabolite providing antioxidant roles in plants. It belongs to the subgroup of polyphenols called flavonoids. The name of the catechin chemical family derives from ''catechu'', which is the tanni ...

that have also been isolated from the root.

Sarsasapogenin Sarsasapogenin is a steroidal sapogenin, that is the aglycosidic portion of a plant saponin. It is named after sarsaparilla (''Smilax'' sp.),. a family of climbing plants found in subtropical regions. It was one of the first sapogenins to be ide ...

, a

steroidal A steroid is a biologically active organic compound with four rings arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter membrane fluidity; and ...

sapogenin Sapogenins are the aglycones, or non-saccharide, portions of the family of natural products known as saponins. Sapogenins contain steroid or other triterpene frameworks as their key organic feature. For example, steroidal sapogenins such as tigge ...

, can also be found in ''S. glabra''.

Use in Traditional Chinese Medicine

The root of ''S. glabra'' is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat dysentery, joint pain and colds. S. glabra is grown in Southern China. The rhizome of the plant is collected and dried during all seasons for herbal use. The dried root is mixed with water and taken orally. It is believed to restore balance in the body in response to yin disease by removing dampness and toxicity.

References

External links

Smilacaceae Flora of China Flora of the Indian subcontinent Flora of Indo-China Flora of Eastern Asia Plants described in 1832 Medicinal plants {{Liliales-stub