zanthoxylum clava-herculis bark

Zanthoxylum clava-herculis bark is a plant-derived herbal product traditionally used in North American medicine for a variety of ailments including coughs, fevers, poor circulation, digestive issues, rheumatism, and toothache. The bark contains active compounds such as alkaloids (notably chelerythrine and magnoflorine), coumarins, lignans, volatile oils (including xanthoxylin), resins, and tannins. These constituents are believed to contribute to its medicinal effects. Mechanistically, extracts from the bark have demonstrated neuromuscular effects—either stimulating or inhibiting muscle contractile response via actions on postjunctional end-plate receptors or neurotransmitter release—and hypotensive activity in animal studies. The alkaloid chelerythrine has shown antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Magnoflorine may inhibit NF-kB-mediated inflammation and promote vasodilation and microcirculation. Zanthoxylum clava-herculis is not an approved pharmaceutical drug but is available as an ingredient in some over-the-counter herbal products[2][4][5][7].

Other names

zanthoxylum clava-herculissouthern prickly ashhercules clubpepperwoodsea ash