Wahoo Information – Drug Interactions, Uses and Benefits
28 September 2007Taxonomic class
Celastraceae
Common Trade Names
Multi-ingredient preparations: GB Tablets, Indigestion Mixture, Jecopeptol, Ludoxin, Stago, Stomachiagil.
Common Forms
Available as extracts, dried powders, syrups, tablets, teas, and tinctures,
source
Active components are obtained from the dried bark of the root and, sometimes, the stem of Euonymus atropupureus, a shrub or tree that is native to the central eastern United States and Canada.
Chemical Components
Wahoo bark and extracts contain euonymol, euonysterol, atropurol, atropurpurin, asparagine, homoeuonysterol, phytosterol, galactitol, triacetin, citrullol, dulcitol, and various tartaric acids.
Actions
The herb is said to promote biliary function and intestinal secretions by acting as a direct bile stimulant. It also acts as a mild laxative and increases capillary circulation . Other Euonymus species appear to have attracted more attention from investigators than wahoo. The bark of E. sieboldianus yields euonymoside, a cytotoxic cardenolide glycoside that may prove to be active against human lung and ovary carcinomas.
Reported Uses
Wahoo is claimed to be useful as an antipyretic, a cathartic, a digestive aid, a diuretic, an emetic, an expectorant, a liver stimulant, a menstrual stimulant, and a tonic. An oil or powder form of wahoo has been used to kill head lice.
Dosage
Dried root: 1 oz added to 1 pt of water, simmered slowly; 1 cup taken b.i.d. or t.i.d.
Euonymin extract: 1 to 4 grains P.O. t.i.d. as needed.
Adverse Reactions
CNS: chills, seizures, syncope, weakness.
GI: diarrhea, vomiting.
Interactions
None reported.
Contraindications and Precautions
Avoid using wahoo in pregnant or breast-feeding patients; effects are unknown.
Special Considerations
- Advise the patient that no clinical data support the use of wahoo for any medical condition.
- Discourage the patient from consuming wahoo because of its potential toxicity.
- Advise the patient to consult a health care provider before using herbal preparations because a treatment that has been clinically researched and proved effective may be available.
- Advise women to avoid using wahoo during pregnancy or when breast-feeding.
Commentary
Wahoo has been used to treat several conditions. Because clinical data are lacking and the ingestion of large quantities of wahoo may be hazardous, this herb cannot be recommended for any indication.
Tagged under:antipyretic, digestive aid, euonymus, glycoside, Herbal Medicines, human lung, mild laxative, phytosterol, stimulant, taxonomic class triacetin
