Sarsaparilla is the dried root of Smilax ornata, S. medica, and S. officinalis plants found in Central America and exported from Jamaica. The long, thick roots grow up to 3 meters in length from rhizomes and are harvested after 2 years of cultivation. Sarsaparilla roots contain sarsasaponins and are used to treat conditions like syphilis, digestive disorders, skin diseases, and cancer due to their anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.

1. sarsaparilla

2. SYNONYM: Jamaica sarsaparilla, Radix sarsaparilla
B.S.: It consist of dried root from smilex ornata Hooker., S.medica,
S.officinalis kunth.
Family: Liliaceae
• Geographical Source: It is found in Central America, Costa Rica.
Exprted from jamaica (distributed worldwide).

3. • Cultivation & Collection:
• Hot & Humid climate and on light well drained sandy loam soil rich in
humus.
• Propagated by seed or suckers.
• Plant have short thin rhizome & very long thick root.
• Root harvested 2 nd year after cultivation.
• From rhizomes slender cylindrical roots are coming out and they are
upto 3 m in length.
• Roots are laid bare & then cut off near rhizome. Root are dried & made
into bundles.

4. • Morphology:
• Color: dark reddish brown color
• Taste: slightly bitter & muciligenous.
• Size: bindles half meter long & 12 cm diameter. Each bundle contains
root with 3 mm di. In thickness & doubled up.
• Other feature:
• Much shrunken & furrowed longitudinally & containing numerous
branching rootlets.
• They are tough & flexible.
• They bend but not break easily.
• CHEMICAL CONSTITUENT:
• Main sarsasaponin (aglcon- sarsasapogenin (reduced form of
yamogrnin), glycon-sugar)
• Sarsapic acid, fatty acid, dextrose, sitosterol, resins etc. smilagenin
(reduced form of diosgenin)

5. Uses:
1) Sarsasapogenin used as a starting material of steroids
2) Used to treat syphilis, gonorrhoea, wounds, fever, cough, gout,
hypertension, digestive disorder, anticancer, chronic skin disease,
rheumatisum
3) Alcoholic extract used as anticancer activity.
Substituents & adultrants:
S.Officinalis (jamica)
Rhizomes of species of pteris and rooys of Phelodendron (climbing plant)
Comercial variety:
1) Lima
2) Honduras
3) Guayaquil
4) Mexican
5) jamaica