Eupatorium Snakeroot

Ligularia (Asteraceae) spp. milk from cow foraging on Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot) killed Abraham Lincoln s mother Nancy Hanks Lincoln... 

There is no evidence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot) but this plant also has poisonous properties, which are attributed to an unstable toxin called tremetol. Transfer from cow s milk to humans can produce a condition known as milk sickness, including trembles, weakness, nausea and vomiting, prostration, delirium, and even death. 

Polygalaceae), Virginia (Aristolochia serpentaria, Aristolochiaceae) and white snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum, Asteraceae). In the United States, a list of standardized common names called Herbs of Commerce (American Herbal Products Association, 1992) was adopted by the FDA as the only permitted source for common names on product labeling. Products that contain plants not listed in Herbs of Commerce are required to use the correct Latin name of the plant on the label. In addition to difficulties with nomenclature, problems have arisen because of the difficulty in determining exactly which plants are present in a finished product. Capsules that contain more than one plant and/or a dried crude extract make identification of the plant(s) by traditional means such as microscopy virtually impossible (Betz et al., 1995). Determination of the identity of a misidentified plant then becomes a matter of looking for specific toxic chemical constituents, which is usually a needle in a haystack approach unless symptoms are characteristic of a particular compound. Good quality assurance of raw material obviates the need for this detective work. 

The hot infusion in quantity can cause vomiting otherwise, there are no side effects. It has been reported that the fresh plant contains trematol, which causes "milk-sickness" in cows and in people who drink infected milk. My research shows that trematol is confined to Eupatorium rugosum, white snakeroot, and does not occur in boneset. A significant number of clinicians feel that as a tincture, fresh boneset is best, and that the dried herb should be used for tea. 

Compounds with similar structure have been implicated in cases of livestock and human poisoning by Eupatorium rugosum, white snakeroot, in the eastern United States (Beier and Norman, 1990 Beier et al., 1987). This plantpoisoning syndrome was once a major problem and was considered an illness, often called milk sickness (Beier and Norman, 1990 Kingsbury, 1964). The lipophilic compounds of white snakeroot are excreted by lactating animals, usually cattle. In the southwestern United States, where white snakeroot does not grow, another species. Isocoma wrightii (syn. Haplopappus heterophyllus), has... 

Also obtained by catalytic hydrogenation of Tremetone in the presence of Pd/C. Tremetone has been isolated from the White Snakeroot plant (Eupatorium urticaefolium) [3449,3487]. 

From the white snakeroot plant (Eupatorium urticaefolium) [4306]. 

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