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Saya mengenal Sarsaparilla ketika jaman tahun 80′an ada permen dengan rasa sarsaparilla.

Kemudian pada comics Smurf juga ada buah sarsaparilla yg begitu populer dalam kehidupan Smurf, mereka memasak dengan campuran daun sarsaparilla. Uuh jika ada dalam kehidupan nyata, bisa dicoba resep dari papa Smurf. Nice comics. I was so excited! I smurf it very much.

Minuman Rootbeer juga membuat daun ini cukup trend, aroma yang tercium memang sangat menggoda.

The primary uses of sarsaparilla include the flavoring of beverages, and in folk medicine. As a medicinal product, sarsaparilla is supposedly a “blood purifier”, aid to detox, and a general “pep agent” that is traditionally used in cordials and tonics to invigorate and cleanse the body, although there is no evidence to support its uses.

Family Name : ASCLEPIADACEAE

Botanical Name : HEMIDESMUS INDICUS

Common Name : SARASAPARILLA, INDIAN SARASAPARILLA, ANANTMOOL, HONDURAS SARSAPARILLA,

Part Used : ROOT, LEAFES, FRUIT

Uses : It is Tonic, Diuretic, Demulcent, Disphoretic and Blood purifier. Employed in Nutritional disorders, syphilis, chronic rheumatism, gravel and other urinary diseases and skin afections. It is also employed as a vehicle for Pottasium Iodine.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION

Dulu banyak orang mengira sarasaparilla digunakan untuk obat penambah gairah, atau obat PMS, tapi itu dulu, sekarang tidak lagi.

Lebih ada dalam penilitian rematics dan pengobatan eksem, diuretic, asam urat.

Brought to Europe from the New World in the mid-sixteenth century, the herb sarsaparilla became popular with physicians and others, because of the medicinal property present in the herb that proved to be an excellent remedy for syphilis. Even today, sarsaparilla enjoys the same reputation, although the elite prefer to call the herb as “blood purifier” or an “alterative”, alternative terms for the same.

For many years, people thought sarsaparilla had testosterone in it, but there is none present, or for that matter in any plant studied so far. The spicy, pleasant smelling root is what gave old fashioned root beer its bite and is the part used medicinally. The exact mechanism of action has not been identified, however it is thought that the phytosterols it contains stimulate hormone-like activity in the body. Native Americans held it in high esteem as a tonic and blood purifier, and the root was registered in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1910 as a treatment for syphilis. However most modern herbalists no longer believe that sarsaparilla cures syphilis, build muscles or cure a flagging libido. There is research to substantiate its use. for gout, arthritis, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis and eczema. Certain root phytochemicals, called saponins, have soothed psoriasis, most likely by disabling bacterial components called endotoxins. Endotoxins show up in the bloodstreams of people with psoriasis, arthritis and gout.If you have any of these conditions, and feel the need for an all-around tonic to help you fight stress sarsaparilla could certainly play a beneficial role.

Closely related species have been used in Europe and Asia to treat a variety of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, and other inflammatory conditions.

Sarsaparilla is native to South America, Latin America, Mexico, and the islands of the Caribbean and was introduced to Europe in the late 15th century. Unlike the sarsaparilla tree which is primarily found in the Northern hemisphere, sarsaparilla is a vine-like plant that has wood-like stems and long thorns. Sarsaparilla was exported to Europe before 1530 from Mexico. It was used in the sixteenth-century for syphilis and rheumatism. Sarsaparilla was used in the 1850s for syphilis in the U. S. Pharmacopoeia. Sarsaparilla products were promoted as blood purifiers, tonics, diuretics, sweat inducers, and for many other applications and was often used in patent medicines. With claims implying it contains testosterone, sarsaparilla has been used as a male sexual rejuvenator and an anabolic steroid replacement in natural body-building formulas.

Sarsaparilla contains steroidal saponins, such as sarsasapogenin, which some researcher claim can duplicate the action of some human hormones. However, this purported property of sarsaparilla remains has not been substantiated by empirical evidence. Sarsaparilla also contains beta-sitosterol, a phytosterol, which may contribute to the anti-inflammatory property of this herb. A few reports suggest that sarsaparilla has both anti-inflammatory and liver-protecting effects. Similar findings on the effect of sarsaparilla on psoriasis can also be found in European literature.

Dosage and Administration

A recommended dosage for sarsaparilla is two or three times a day as a tea or a liquid extract. To make sarsaparilla tea, soak 1,000 mg to 4,000 mg (one gram to 4 grams) of chopped or shredded dried root for 10 minutes in about 8 ounces of hot water, and then filter before drinking. In its alcohol-based liquid supplement form it is recommended to take 2-3 teaspoons of sarsaparilla extract up to two or three times a day.

It is common to find capsules containing powdered sarsaparilla root. It is also available in a number of combination oral herbal products. The recommended doses can differ according to manufacturer. Follow the directions on the package you purchase very carefully.

Although it is used in other parts of the world in connection with acne, eczema, fungal infections, and similar skin conditions, it is not usually used in the United States for this purpose. Sarsaparilla can be applied to the inflamed or infected skin in a tea form by slashing it on as a wash or as a compress. Topically it seems to be effective against itching and infections and seems to possess slight antibacterial properties. However, there are many other commercially available topical antibacterial agents which are more effective.

Supporting Literature

Ageel AM, Mossa JS, Al-Yahya MA, et al. Experimental studies on antirheumatic crude drugs used in Saudi traditional medicine. Drugs Exp Clin Res 1989;15:369-72.
Hobbs C. Sarsaparilla, a literature review. HerbalGram 1988;17:1, 10-15.
Rafatullah S, Mossa JS, Ageel AM, et al. Hepatoprotective and safety evaluation studies on sarsaparilla. Int J Pharmacognosy 1991;29:296-301.

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