Wild cherry bark is the dried bark of Prunus serotina Ehrhart., belonging to family Rosaceae.
WILD CHERRY BARK
Synonyms
Virginian Prune, Black Cherry, Virginian Bark, Cortex Pruni.
Biological Source
Wild cherry bark is the dried bark of Prunus serotina Ehrhart., belonging to family Rosaceae.
Geographical Source
North America generally, especially in Northern and Central
States.
Cultivation and Collection
This tree grows from 50 to 80 feet high, and 2–4 feet in
diameter. The bark is collected in autumn from young branches and stem. In some
cases cork and cortex are removed after collection, by peeling. If the bark is
peeled it is called rossed bark and if not peeled, it is unrossed barks. It is
carefully dried and preserved in airtight containers.
Characteristics
The bark is black and rough and separates naturally from the
trunk. Leaves deciduous, 3–5 inches long, about 2 inches wide, petioles have
two pairs of reddish glands, they are obovate, acuminate, with incurved short
teeth, thickish and smooth and glossy on upper surface; flowers bloom in May,
and are white, in erect long terminal racemes, with occasional solitary flowers
in the axils of the leaves.
Fruit about the size of a pea, purply-black, globular drupe,
edible with bitterish taste, is ripe in August and September. The root-bark is
of most value, but that of the trunk and branches is also utilized. This bark
must be freshly collected each season as its properties deteriorate greatly if
kept longer than a year. It has a short friable frac-ture, and in commerce, it
is found in varying lengths and widths of 1–8 inches, slightly curved, outer
bark removed with a reddish-fawn colour. These fragments easily powder. It has
the odour of almonds, which almost disappears on drying, but is renewed by
maceration. Its taste is aromatic, prussic, and bitter. It imparts its virtues
to water or alcohol, boiling impairs its medicinal properties.
Chemical Constituents
It contains prunasin, a cyanogenetic glycoside. Prunasin is
hydrolysed in presence of water by prunase enzyme present in the drug into
benzaldehyde, glucose and hydrocyanic acid. It further contains coumarin
derivative scopoletin. Starch, resin, tannin, gallic acid, fatty matter,
lignin, red colouring matter, salts of calcium, potassium, and iron, also a
volatile oil associated with hydrocyanic acid are present.
Uses
Astringent tonic, pectoral, sedative and expectorant. It has
been used in the treatment of bronchitis of various types. It is valuable in
catarrah, whooping cough, and dyspepsia.
TH 2019 - 2024 pharmacy180.com; Developed by Therithal info.