Sanguinaria canadensis, also known as bloodroot, is a plant with several chemical constituents including sanguinarine, berberine, coptisine, and chelerythrine. It has various uses such as for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and heart protective properties. Its mechanism of action involves inhibiting cytokines, prostaglandins, and bacterial growth. While it can cause side effects like tissue damage and vomiting, toxicity is a risk in large doses and it has several contraindications like during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The document provides information on its solubility, dosage, and toxicity.

2. SANGUINARIA CANADENSIS

3. Introduction
Chemical Constituents
Solubility
Uses
Mechanism of Action
Side Effects
Toxicity
Dosage
Contraindications

4. INTRODUCTION
Family:
Papaveraceace
Botanical Name:
Sanguinaria
canadensis
English Name:
Bloodroot
Urdu Name:
Arq ud Daam
Part Used:
Dried roots and
rhizomes

5. CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS
Sanguinarine (Main Constituent)
Berberine
Coptisine
Narceine
Protopine
Resin
Sanguidaridine
Sanguidimerine
Sanguilutine
Sanguirubine
Chelerythrine
Chelidonine

6. SOLUBILITY
Insoluble In
Water
Soluble In
Methanol
Soluble In
Ether
Soluble In
Benzene

7. USES
Sanguinarine,
Chelerythrine, Berberine
And Chelidonine Are
Used As Anti-
inflammatory
Chelerythrine Is An
Antibacterial For
Staphylococcus Aureus
Sanguinarine Is Used As
Anti-cancer. Mainly
Used For Treatment Of
Breast Cancer
Berberine Is Used As
Antiarrhythmic
Coptisine Is Used As
Anti-depressant

8. USES
Narceine Is Used As
Psychoactive Drug
Protopine And Narceine
Is Used As Analgesic
Narceine Is Used To
Induce Vomiting To
Expel Any Toxic
Substance That Is
Swallowed
Sanguinarine Is Used As
Anti-bacterial For Helico
Pylori To Treat Gastritis
When Extract Is Used In
Mouth Rinses Or Tooth
Paste, Prevent And Cure
The Plaque

9. USES
Extract Is Used
As Blood Purifier
Coptisine Is
Used as Heart
protective agent
Protopine Is
Used To Smooth
Muscle Relaxant

10. MECHANISM OF ACTION
Berberine Treat Arrhythmia By Inhibiting Potassium Channels Which
Increases The Cardiac Action Potential
Sanguinarine, Chelerythrine, Berberine And Chelidonine Inhibits Pro
Inflammatory Cytokines And Prostaglandins Which Induce Inflammation
Coptisine Block The Enzyme Mono Amine Oxidase A, Which Degrades The
Neurotransmitter Serotonin And Keeps The Brain Functions Normal, To
Avoid Degradation Of Neurotransmitter To Keep Brain Function Normally.

11. MECHANISM OF ACTION
Narceine And Protopine Acts On CNS Receptors For Pain To Relieve Analgesia
When Narceine Is Administered, The Immune System In Response To A Narcotic
Release Histamine. High Level Of Histamine Causes Psychoactivation.
Narceine Causes Inflammation Of GIT Due To Which Vomiting Occurs
Berberine And Sanguinarine Inhibit The Bacterial Growth By Inhibiting The
Ribosomes Forming Protein And Thus Treat The Gingivitis And Gastritis

12. MECHANISM OF ACTION
Sanguinarine causes cell death by inducing release of autolytic enzymes
Sanguinarine has wide range of anti bacterial effects and anti
inflammatory, so extract may be used as blood purifier
Coptisine inhibit inducing the release of the autolytic enzymes of cardiac
muscles to prevent apoptosis, thus may act as heart protective agent
Protopine inhibit the intracellular Ca+2 release, allows the smooth
muscles to remain relax and thus it acts as smooth muscle relaxant

13. SIDE EFFECTS
Causes
Localized
Tissue
Damage
Sanguinarine
Inhibits The
Platelet
Aggregation
When Taken
Orally And
Swallowed, It
Cause
Vomiting
May cause
relaxation of
smooth
muscles

14. TOXICITY
Toxicity May Be Caused When Taken In Large Doses Causing Nausea, Vomiting, Sedation,
Low Blood Pressure, Shock, Comma, Itching And Irritation Of Mucosa And Eventually Death
If Extract Is More Concentrated In Tooth Paste Or Rinses , May Cause Mouth Cancer
If Taken During Pregnancy, High Levels Of Histamine Causes Inflammation To Fetus Which
May Prove Fatal
The Chemical Constituents May Be Secreted In Milk And May Cause Toxicity To The Child
Which Is On Breast Feeding
At higher concentration of Sanguinarine, it may cause necrosis and thus cancer

15. DOSAGE
10-20 Drops May Be
Mixed In 6ml Of Water &
Take After Every Two
Hours Or Six Hours
Blood root Tea: Boil 1
tea spoon of rhizome to
a cup of water for 20
minutes. Drink 3 times
daily.
Blood root Tincture: 1-2
ml of tincture. 3 times a
day
For Gingivitis Treatment,
Oral Rinses May Contain
300µg Of The Extract
Use The Rinses Twice A
Day Upto Six Months
For Periodontal Disease,
Rinses May Contain 0.1%
Of The Extract
Must Use Daily Upto Six
Weeks
For Children, There Is
No Proven Safe Or
Effective Dose

16. CONTRAINDICATIONS
Use Of Sanguinaria Canadensis May Be Avoided During Pregnancy And Breast Feeding
Large Doses Must Not Be Taken
Must Not Be Taken Orally In The Form Of Paste
Must Be Avoided If Suffering From Diarrhea
Must Not Be Used Undiluted
Use Must Be Avoided If The Suffering From Antral Gastritis Or Jejunitis

17. CONTRAINDICATIONS
Caution Is Advised When Taking Bloodroot With Any Agent With Similar Effects Due To Having Increased Side
EffectsBlood root effect glaucoma treatment, don't use if you have glaucoma unless health care professional
monitor your eye.
Patients using tobacco should use blood root cautiously because sanguinarine may cause leukoplakia and
lesions.
Blood root can be used on skin but is unsafe when taken by mouth during pregnancy because it stimulate
menstruation and there is risk of abortion.
It is unsafe when taken by mouth during breast feeding beacause the content harmful for the child are diffused
into milk

18. End