Goldenseal

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), also called orangeroot^[2] or yellow puccoon,^[2] is a perennialherb in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to North America. It may be distinguished by its thick, yellow knotted rootstock. The stem is purplish and hairy above ground and yellow below ground where it connects to the yellow rhizome. Goldenseal reproduces both clonally through the rhizome^[3] and sexually, with clonal division more frequent than asexual reproduction. It takes between 4 and 5 years for a plant to reach sexual maturity, i.e. the point at which it produces flowers. Plants in the first stage, when the seed erupts and cotyledons emerge, can remain in this state one or more years. The second vegetative stage occurs during years two and three (and sometimes longer) and is characterized by the development of a single leaf and absence of a well developed stem. Finally, the third stage is reproductive, at which point flowering and fruiting occurs. This last stage takes between 4 and 5 years to develop.^[4]

A second species from Japan, previously listed as Hydrastis palmatum, is now usually classified in another genus, as Glaucidium palmatum.

Hydrastis canadensis is a herbaceousperennial growing from a horizontal, yellowish rhizome that is thick with knobby knots. The finely hairy, upright, unbranched, stems grow to 15–50 centimetres (6–19+1⁄2 inches) tall.^[5] Fertile plants have a single stem with two palmately lobed leaves.^[6] Flowering plants produce a single terminal flower with no petals and three sepals and 12 or more conspicuous white pistils; flowering occurs for a short time in spring.^[6] Fertilized flowers grow into red, raspberry-like fruits with one or two seeds.^[6]

Found in southeastern Canada and the eastern United States, the plant grows in mesic forests under deciduous trees.^[6] It is found in sheltered ravines or on talus slopes. It seems to be intolerant of disturbances in the tree canopy and grazing.^[6] It can be found growing in association with other uncommon plants such as Jeffersonia diphylla (twinleaf) and Dicentra canadensis (squirrel corn).^[6]

Goldenseal became popular in the mid-19th century. By 1905, the herb was much less plentiful because of overharvesting and habitat destruction. Roots of goldenseal are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),^[12] meaning a CITES permit to export is required. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends that diggers and harvesters track sales and harvests and prove legality of all harvests.^[13]

Canada, as well as 17 of the 27 U.S. states where goldenseal grows natively, have declared it as threatened, vulnerable or uncommon.^[13][14] More than 60 million goldenseal plants are picked each year without being replaced.^[15] Although goldenseal's geographical range is wide, it is found in small quantities in these habitats.^[3] The core of the herb's range is in the Ohio River Valley,^[3] but its population there has decreased by almost half.^[16] The process of mountain top removal mining has recently put the wild goldenseal population at major risk from loss of habitat.^[17]

Many herbalists urge caution in choosing products containing goldenseal, as they may have been harvested in an unsustainable manner rather than having been organically cultivated.

There are several berberine-containing plants that can serve as useful alternatives, including Chinese coptis, yellowroot or Oregon grape root.^[18]

According to the American Cancer Society, "Goldenseal can have toxic side effects, and high doses can cause death."^[19]

Side effects of goldenseal may include "digestive complaints, nervousness, depression, constipation, rapid heartbeat, diarrhea, stomach cramps and pain, mouth ulcers, nausea, seizures, vomiting, and central nervous system depression. High doses may cause breathing problems, paralysis, and even death. Long-term use may lead to vitamin B deficiency, hallucinations, and delirium."^[19] In addition, goldenseal may cause brain damage to newborn babies if given directly or if taken by breastfeeding or pregnant mothers,^[20] and may affect blood pressure unpredictably because it contains several compounds that have opposite effects on blood pressure.^[19]

Taking goldenseal over a long period of time can reduce absorption of B vitamins, and it is cautioned to avoid goldenseal during pregnancy and lactation, with gastrointestinal inflammation and with pro-inflammatory disorders.^[21] A 2011 study found rats fed goldenseal constantly for two years had a greater tendency to develop tumors.^[22]

Se ha descubierto que la hidrastis inhibe la actividad del citocromo P450 CYP2D6 , CYP3A4 y CYP3A5 en aproximadamente un 40%, una reducción estadísticamente y clínicamente significativa. ^{[ 23 ]} El CYP2D6 es un metabolizador conocido de muchos fármacos de uso común, como los antidepresivos (incluidos todos los ISRS excepto la fluvoxamina ), los neurolépticos , la codeína ^{[ 24} ] y la metformina . ^{[ 25 ] La combinación de hidrastis con estos medicamentos debe hacerse con precaución y bajo la supervisión de un médico ,} ya que puede provocar toxicidad grave, incluso mortal. ^{[ 26 ]} Las personas con una deficiencia genética en estas enzimas corren un riesgo particular.

En 1998, solo el 2,4 % del material vegetal de sello de oro provenía de una fuente cultivada en lugar de la recolección silvestre, aunque se proyectaba que esa cifra aumentaría entre un 15 % y un 30 % en los años siguientes. ^{[ 13 ]} En respuesta a las preocupaciones sobre la conservación, la investigación se ha ampliado con respecto al éxito de la propagación de material vegetal silvestre para obtener rendimiento comercial. Debido a que el sello de oro crece en parches de ramets interconectados que se reproducen asexualmente mediante propagación clonal, es posible trasplantar propágulos de rizoma a entornos cultivados. ^{[ 27 ] [ 28 ] [ 29 ]} La propagación por semillas también es factible y tiene ventajas como un menor costo y una mayor variabilidad genética, pero se considera difícil e impredecible. ^{[ 30 ] [ 31 ]}

Goldenseal may be commercially cultivated through agroforestry in natural settings mirroring the plant's ecological environment, or on farms with artificial shade canopies.^[31][30] Another propagation method of goldenseal utilizes a controlled environment such as a greenhouse growing lab where the plant's environmental needs such as light, water and temperature are artificially simulated. Crop selection and biotechnology experimentation may be employed to increase yield and pharmacological potency.^[32] Controlled environments can greatly reduce the amount of time required to grow goldenseal to its desired harvestable state. While forest-cultivated plants double in mass every three to five years, plants can double in mass every 15 weeks in growth chambers and triple in growth when in a course soil medium.^[33] Subculturing can take place every 30 days to mass-propagate the plant.^[34]

Another option is cultivating goldenseal in new regions. An experiment conducted by Douglas et al.^[35] grew goldenseal over a six-year period in a warm, temperate environment in New Zealand. The yields were 74% higher in the sixth year of growth compared to the fourth year of growth, which is when goldenseal is normally harvested.^[35] The overall growth of the allochthonous goldenseal was comparable to that found in the United States, and the hydrastine and berberine concentrations were within the American and European standards.^[35] Cultivating goldenseal in a New Zealand environment that is similar to its home range is an option to maintain its population.^[35]

At the time of the European colonization of the Americas, goldenseal was in extensive use among certain Native American tribes of North America, both as a medicine and as a coloring material. In 1798, Benjamin Smith Barton referred to the Cherokee use of goldenseal as a cancer treatment;^[38] he called attention to its properties as a bitter tonic, and as a local wash for ophthalmia. It became a favorite of the Eclectics from the time of Constantine Raffinesque in the 1830s. Tribes also used goldenseal for digestive issues, as an eyewash, as a diuretic and as a bitter.^[10]

According to the American Cancer Society, "Available scientific evidence does not support claims that goldenseal is effective in treating cancer or other diseases."^[19] According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, "The scientific evidence does not support the use of goldenseal for any health-related purpose."^[39]

In the early 20th century, it was used as a yellow dye, astringent, and insect repellent.^[40]

• Coptisine
• List of ineffective cancer treatments

• Blanchan, Neltje (2005). Wild Flowers Worth Knowing. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. ISBN 0-665-98934-2.
• John Uri Lloyd (1908). Hydrastis canadensis. Lloyd Library, Cincinnati. PDF
• W. Scott Persons and Jeanine M. Davis (2005) Growing & Marketing Ginseng, Goldenseal & Other Woodland Medicinals Bright Mountain Books. ISBN 978-0-914875-42-0
• Richo Cech. (2002) Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs, Cultivation, Conservation and EcologyISBN 978-0-9700312-1-1

• Goldenseal: An Annotated Bibliography
• About.com's Herb & Supplement Guide: GoldensealArchived 2006-10-04 at the Wayback Machine
• Bruce A. Ford: Hydrastis in the Flora of North America, Volume 3