Sacred Bark Extract powder (Rhamnus purshiana)

• Product Detail

Product name	Sacred Bark Extract powder
Latin Name	Rhamnus purshiana DC
Active ingredients	cascarosides, Rhamnus Catharine
synonyms	Cascara Sagrada,Rhamnus purshiana bark
Appearance	Light Yellow fine powder
Part used	Bark
Specification	Cascarosides20%,25%/10:1/ Rhamnus Catharine 25%/cascarosides 6% HPLC , Hydroxyanthraquinone 50% UV/cascarosides 25% HPLC , Cascarosido A 6% HPLC
Dosage
Main benefits	laxative,weight loss
Applied industries	Medicine, food additive, dietary supplement,

What is Sacred Bark(Cascara Sagrada) Extract powder (Rhamnus purshiana)

Cascara is obtained from the dried bark of Rhamnus purshianus (Rhamnaceae). It is found in Europe, western Asia, and in North America from northern Idaho to the Pacific coast in mountainous areas. In Spanish, cascara sagrada means "sacred bark," perhaps because this woody shrub has provided relief for several constipated individuals. Cascara has been used as a tree bark laxative by Native American tribes and Spanish and Mexican priests since the 1800s. The cascara sagrada bark is aged for a year so that the active principles become milder, as freshly dried bark produces too strong a laxative for safe use.

Today, with the continuing popularity of the cascara sagrada, some of the health food stores and other outlets provide the herb in the form of tablet, powder, liquid, dried herb or tea, and even capsule.  And as a proper way of taking it, one should first know that cascara sagrada is quite bitter to the taste and if it applied in a liquid form, it will usually need a sweetener.  This is probably the reason that most of the people preferred applying the herb in tablet or capsule form.

Chemical constituents of Sacred Bark(Cascara Sagrada) Extract powder (Rhamnus purshiana)

The chemicals primarily responsible for the laxative action are the hydroxyanthracene glycosides (particularly cascarosides A, B, C and D), and emodin. These act as stimulant laxatives, with the hydroanthracene glycosides stimulating peristalsis, and emodin exciting smooth muscle cells in the large intestine.

Benefits of taking Sacred Bark(Cascara Sagrada) Extract powder (Rhamnus purshiana) supplements:

laxative

>Randomized controlled trial of laxative use in postcolostomy surgery patients.

(Stomal Therapy Nursing, Stomal Therapy Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. )

Abstract

PURPOSE:

We compared a standardized postoperative laxative protocol to laxatives provided on an ad hoc basis by the surgical team.

SUBJECTS AND SETTING:

Forty-five patients who underwent colostomy surgery participated in the study. The research setting was 2 acute care facilities in south-eastern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

METHODS:

A randomized controlled trial was conducted. The intervention group (n 5 19) received a standardized laxative protocol postsurgery. Two types of laxatives were selected for first-line treatment: sterculia and frangula bark (Normacol Plus), a bulking agent and stimulant; and liquid paraffin (Agarol), a stool softener. An iso-osmotic polyethylene glycol macrogel (Movicol) was chosen as second-line treatment. The comparison group (n = 26) received laxative intervention(s) as preferred by the surgical team. Constipation, measured as fecal loading on plain abdominal film, stomal therapy nurse activity, patient comfort, and length of hospital stay were compared between intervention and control groups.

RESULTS:

The presence of fecal loading favored the intervention group (1 episode in the treatment group vs 7 episodes in the comparison group; χ5 = 3.8; P = .05). This finding suggests that the laxative protocol given to the treatment group was more likely to prevent fecal loading/constipation when compared to the ad hoc laxative group. Stomal therapy nurse activity in terms of the number of empty bag changes was significantly higher in the comparison group (F 5 4.8; P 5 .03).

CONCLUSION:

The findings of this study support the benefits of a standardized laxative protocol for prevention of constipation. Data collection was discontinued after 3 years due to a contamination effect developing, because our surgeons observed the utility of the laxative protocol and incorporated it into their routine practice. Further experimental research is needed to explore the best constipation prevention approaches for postcolostomy surgery patients.

Other use

>Gallstones.

>Liver disease.

>Cancer.

Side effects and safety of Sacred Bark(Cascara Sagrada) Extract powder (Rhamnus purshiana)

Cascara is POSSIBLY SAFE for most adults when used for only one or two weeks. Side effects include stomach discomfort and cramps.

But don’t use cascara for longer than two weeks. Long-term use can cause more serious side effects including dehydration; low levels of potassium, sodium, chloride, and other “electrolytes” in the blood; heart problems; muscle weakness; and others.

Don’t give cascara to children. They are more likely than adults to become dehydrated and also harmed by the loss of electrolytes, especially potassium.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of cascara during pregnancy. Stay on the safe side and avoid use if you are pregnant. Cascara is POSSIBLY UNSAFE during breast-feeding. Cascara can cross into breast milk and might cause diarrhea in a nursing infant.

Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders such as intestinal obstruction, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, appendicitis, stomach ulcers, or unexplained stomach pain: People with any of these conditions should not use cascara.