Acorus root

Sweet Bag (Acorus) root Acorus calamus L. Araceae... 

The root of the plant Acorus calamus (also called flag root and sweet calomel), which grows over much of the world, is chewed by the Cree Indians of Canada to produce psychedelic effects. The active compound seems to be asarone — a precursor in an hallucinogenic amphetamine. 

Calamus oil (sweet flag oil) is obtained by steam distillation of fresh or unpeeled, dried roots of Acorus calamus L. (Araceae). It is a yellow to medium brown, moderately viscous liquid with a pleasant, spicy, aromatic odor. 

The drug asarone, which comes from a plant, Acorus calamus (found in Asia, Europe, and North America) is chemically very similar to mescaline. The roots of this plant are chewed to produce a dose-dependent effect about 2 inches produces a mild euphoria, whereas nearly 10 inches produces hallucinations. In some cultures, wives will chew on the roots and collect their expectorant throughout the day for their husbands to enjoy later. Nothing says welcome home at the end of a hard day like a nice warm bowl of spit. 

Fig. 27.15. AOA of water (A) and alcohol (B) herb extracts obtained by photometric and potentiometric methods. Herb extracts samples (1) Haw (2) Juniper fetus (3) Acorus calamus rhizome (4) Dandelion roots (5) Oak bark.

Material A chemical related to mescaline and the amphetamines found in the roots of sweet flag ( Acorus calamus ) and Asarum spp. It is chemically the precusor of TMA-2 (2,4,5-trimethoxy-a-methyl-4,5-methylenedioxyphenylethylamine), a hallucinogen with 18 times the gram potency of mescaline. Asarone is converted to TMA-2 in the body by aminization which takes place shortly after ingestion. 

CALAMUS -- Sweet flag, rat root ( Acorus calamus ). Family Araceae (Arum family). 

Acorus calamus (calamus root, sweet flag, rat root, sweet sedge, flag root, sweet calomel, sweet myrtle, sweet cane, sweet rush, beewort, muskrat root, pine root) contains several active constituents called asar-ones. The basic structure is 2,4,5-trimethoxy-l-propenyl-benzene, which is related to the hallucinogen 3,4-methylenedioxyphenylisopropylamine (MDA). The amounts of the asarones in calamus rhizomes vary considerably with the botanical variety. For example, there are high concentrations in triploid calamus from Eastern Europe but none detectable in the diploid North American variety. 

Acorus calamus (calamus root) Aesculus hippocastanum (horse chestnut)... 

Sophora falvescens (ku shen) Fabaceae (pea) Caiamus root Acorus calamus... 

Calamus. Sweet flag root. Acorus calamus. W. II. 199, Bn. II. 63. Radix. The root. ... 

Sweet flag The aromatic root of the Acorus calamus, used as a carminative and tonic In dyspepsia and colic. 

Production By steam distillation from the roots of calamus (Acorus calamus), origin eastern Europe. CompositionC. consists mostly of sesquiterpenoid compounds. Typical components are shyobunone (C15H24O, Mr 220.35) and its isomers (together ca. 8-10%), as well as preisocalamendiol (C15H24O, Mr 220.35) (8%) and acorenone (C,5H240, Mr 220.35) (11 %). The characteristic component of calamus is cis-asarone ()3-asarone, see asarones) present to about... 

Acorone (166), a sesquiterpene diketone isolated from the essential oil of roots of Acorus calamus, was the first spirosesquiterpenoid to be characterized, with the carbon skeleton of cation 158. At present several compounds of this class are known and an extensive review has been published (267). Hydrocarbons (e.g., y-acoradiene = a-alaskene, 167) and alcohols (e.g., a-acorenol, 168) directly derivable from the spiro-cation 159 have been isolated from wood of Juniperus... 

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