Common Name<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
Getting to know Oplopanax horridus<\/i><\/strong><\/h3>\nIf you are\u00a0someone who has spent any\u00a0time exploring the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest you are probably familiar with the spiky Oplopanax horridus,<\/i> commonly referred to as devil\u2019s club. \u00a0Its\u00a0broad leaves and intimidating spines that project from a woody stem make it easy to spot growing against the gentle aesthetic of the riparian wetlands of this region.\u00a0Devil’s club\u00a0<\/i>is native to the forests of the Pacific Northwest,\u00a0having a growth range\u00a0from Alaska down to Oregon\u00a0plus a disconnected species\u00a0near the Great Lakes region\u00a0of Michigan and Ontario (Pojar, 2014). While devil’s club is an easily recognized species it\u00a0is not particularly alluring, and reasonably so; its berries lack any value as food for humans and its thorny stalk can cause much distress to the skin.\u00a0However this plant actually hides many secret medicinal compounds, used throughout history for the treatment of countless ailments.<\/p>\nHistoric Uses<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"By](\"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/plantchemeco\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/271\/2017\/02\/Herald_Provincial_Park_Devils_Club1291605025-300x225.jpg\")
Devil’s Club photo by hobvias sudoneighm from Seattle, Washington<\/p><\/div>\n
Devil\u2019s club<\/a>\u00a0has been widely used by\u00a0indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest for\u00a0spiritual practices and as a medicine. Use of the plant is documented in thirty-eight different languages throughout its territory on the west coast of North America (Calway, 2012). Almost every part of the plant has been documented for medicinal use, but most commonly used are its roots and inner bark. The plant’s berries, roots and inner-bark have been used to create many remedies for health conditions such as, fever, problems with the lungs, gastrointestinal upset, ulcers, arthritis, diabetes, lice, fertility, constipation, tuberculosis and many others (American Botanical Society, 2004). Similar to aspirin, it\u00a0is effective in treating such a wide range of ailments that\u00a0the Tlingit people native to Alaska refer to it as \u201cTlingit aspirin\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
![\"Botanical](\"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/plantchemeco\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/271\/2017\/02\/Echinopanax_horridus_140-8572-237x300.jpg\")
Botanical illustration By M.S. del., J.N.Fitch lith. via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n
O. horridus<\/em> was not just used for physical ailments but\u00a0was also\u00a0seen as medicine for the spirit. Believed to ward off evil energy, people would hang a piece of devil’s club over the entryways of their homes in times of ceremony or to protect the space from bad intention.\u00a0The medicinal compounds in the plant\u00a0were also\u00a0seen as a\u00a0cure for mental illness. It was documented in the Tsimshian, Tlingit and Haida tribes\u00a0that an afflicted person would be beaten with a stem of the plant to introduce the compounds into their system (Latz, Devil’s club: An Ethnobotanical review).<\/p>\nAdditionally, devil’s club has been used historically by the first peoples of this region\u00a0<\/a>to create materials for arts. Charcoal was formed from its burnt ashes to be used for drawing; and dyes for\u00a0baskets were made from the plant. The people of this region also utilized its thick, lightweight stalk as material for fishing hooks and walking sticks. (American Botanical Society, 2004)<\/p>\nThe Healing Chemistry<\/strong><\/h3>\nDuring tuberculosis outbreaks in North America the\u00a0indigenous populations used devil’s club as\u00a0one of their main\u00a0remedies. It was not until 1997 that the compounds responsible for this medicinal effect were discovered. Falcarindiol is\u00a0found in the leaves,\u00a0inner bark\u00a0and root bark of the devil\u2019s club while oplopandiol is found in the roots, inner bark and stems (Cao, 2014). Both of these chemicals have been shown to have antimycobacterial and anticancer properties. These compounds are of special interest as antimycobacterials\u00a0because of their\u00a0effect in treating tuberculosis by targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis <\/i>(Inui, 2010).\u00a0Mycobacterium<\/em> is a genus\u00a0of bacteria that has been observed\u00a0in the lab\u00a0to have a similar appearance to mold. Both\u00a0falcarindiol and oplopandiol are\u00a0polyynes and\u00a0classified as alkaloids.\u00a0(Calway,\u00a02012). Polyyne alkaloids function in plants to produce pigments, which are the colors visible to us in plants.<\/p>\n![\"Chemical](\"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/plantchemeco\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/271\/2017\/02\/Falcarindiol-structural-formula-300x284.png\")
Chemical structure for the alkaloid falcarindiol found in the roots of O. horridus<\/p><\/div>
![\"The](\"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/plantchemeco\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/271\/2017\/02\/Oplopandiol-structural-formula-300x284.png\")
The chemical structure of oplopandiol found in the stems and roots of O. horridus.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n
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The chemical falcarindiol is found in large quantities in the roots of plant and serves as a protector against fungal pathogens. This compound is also found as a fungal defense in the American ginseng and carrot roots (Minto, 2008). Oplopandiol found in the roots, stems and bark of O. horridus <\/i>is of particular excitement because of its novelty to this species. <\/i>It has antibacterial properties and builds the plant\u2019s defense against\u00a0infections and pathogens.<\/p>\n
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![\"By](\"https:\/\/sites.evergreen.edu\/plantchemeco\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/271\/2017\/02\/Oplopanax_horridus_15099-225x300.jpg\")
By Walter Siegmund<\/p><\/div>\n
Thoughts on\u00a0Conservation with Commodification<\/strong><\/h3>\nRecently the use of devil\u2019s club has increased, reaching a global audience that it never has before. You can now find it sold in teas and tinctures in many parts of the world, often marketed as\u00a0\u201cAlaskan ginseng\u201d. Native groups have sustainably harvested and used devil\u2019s club for generations but as it gains popularity and harvesting becomes unsustainable we could see this species disappear. Devil\u2019s club is particularly sensitive to over harvesting because it takes a long time to recover after being picked and collected. In addition to over harvesting devil\u2019s club also faces an increasing loss of habitat. Devil\u2019s club grows only in pristine riparian areas in the understory of evergreen forests and these clean areas are constantly threatened by development and pollution. As more research is done on the medicinal compounds in O. horridus<\/em> we can only expect to see an increase in use. Many plants discovered to be medical wonders\u00a0are soon after\u00a0threatened by mass harvesting. A sad example of this is the endangered Chinese yew<\/a>, Taxus chinensis. <\/em>After being discovered as a successful\u00a0cancer drug it was harvested at an alarming rate, since the 1990’s about 50% of\u00a0the yew\u00a0population in\u00a0China\u00a0has been\u00a0wiped out\u00a0(Thomas, 2015). It’s important that we begin to\u00a0think about\u00a0sustainable harvesting and conservation of Pacific Northwest wetlands or the devil’s club\u00a0could see\u00a0the same fate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
References:<\/p>\n
Historic Uses<\/strong><\/h3>\nDevil’s Club photo by hobvias sudoneighm from Seattle, Washington<\/p><\/div>\n
Devil\u2019s club<\/a>\u00a0has been widely used by\u00a0indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest for\u00a0spiritual practices and as a medicine. Use of the plant is documented in thirty-eight different languages throughout its territory on the west coast of North America (Calway, 2012). Almost every part of the plant has been documented for medicinal use, but most commonly used are its roots and inner bark. The plant’s berries, roots and inner-bark have been used to create many remedies for health conditions such as, fever, problems with the lungs, gastrointestinal upset, ulcers, arthritis, diabetes, lice, fertility, constipation, tuberculosis and many others (American Botanical Society, 2004). Similar to aspirin, it\u00a0is effective in treating such a wide range of ailments that\u00a0the Tlingit people native to Alaska refer to it as \u201cTlingit aspirin\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Botanical illustration By M.S. del., J.N.Fitch lith. via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n
O. horridus<\/em> was not just used for physical ailments but\u00a0was also\u00a0seen as medicine for the spirit. Believed to ward off evil energy, people would hang a piece of devil’s club over the entryways of their homes in times of ceremony or to protect the space from bad intention.\u00a0The medicinal compounds in the plant\u00a0were also\u00a0seen as a\u00a0cure for mental illness. It was documented in the Tsimshian, Tlingit and Haida tribes\u00a0that an afflicted person would be beaten with a stem of the plant to introduce the compounds into their system (Latz, Devil’s club: An Ethnobotanical review).<\/p>\nAdditionally, devil’s club has been used historically by the first peoples of this region\u00a0<\/a>to create materials for arts. Charcoal was formed from its burnt ashes to be used for drawing; and dyes for\u00a0baskets were made from the plant. The people of this region also utilized its thick, lightweight stalk as material for fishing hooks and walking sticks. (American Botanical Society, 2004)<\/p>\nThe Healing Chemistry<\/strong><\/h3>\nDuring tuberculosis outbreaks in North America the\u00a0indigenous populations used devil’s club as\u00a0one of their main\u00a0remedies. It was not until 1997 that the compounds responsible for this medicinal effect were discovered. Falcarindiol is\u00a0found in the leaves,\u00a0inner bark\u00a0and root bark of the devil\u2019s club while oplopandiol is found in the roots, inner bark and stems (Cao, 2014). Both of these chemicals have been shown to have antimycobacterial and anticancer properties. These compounds are of special interest as antimycobacterials\u00a0because of their\u00a0effect in treating tuberculosis by targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis <\/i>(Inui, 2010).\u00a0Mycobacterium<\/em> is a genus\u00a0of bacteria that has been observed\u00a0in the lab\u00a0to have a similar appearance to mold. Both\u00a0falcarindiol and oplopandiol are\u00a0polyynes and\u00a0classified as alkaloids.\u00a0(Calway,\u00a02012). Polyyne alkaloids function in plants to produce pigments, which are the colors visible to us in plants.<\/p>\nChemical structure for the alkaloid falcarindiol found in the roots of O. horridus<\/p><\/div>
The chemical structure of oplopandiol found in the stems and roots of O. horridus.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The chemical falcarindiol is found in large quantities in the roots of plant and serves as a protector against fungal pathogens. This compound is also found as a fungal defense in the American ginseng and carrot roots (Minto, 2008). Oplopandiol found in the roots, stems and bark of O. horridus <\/i>is of particular excitement because of its novelty to this species. <\/i>It has antibacterial properties and builds the plant\u2019s defense against\u00a0infections and pathogens.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
By Walter Siegmund<\/p><\/div>\n
Thoughts on\u00a0Conservation with Commodification<\/strong><\/h3>\nRecently the use of devil\u2019s club has increased, reaching a global audience that it never has before. You can now find it sold in teas and tinctures in many parts of the world, often marketed as\u00a0\u201cAlaskan ginseng\u201d. Native groups have sustainably harvested and used devil\u2019s club for generations but as it gains popularity and harvesting becomes unsustainable we could see this species disappear. Devil\u2019s club is particularly sensitive to over harvesting because it takes a long time to recover after being picked and collected. In addition to over harvesting devil\u2019s club also faces an increasing loss of habitat. Devil\u2019s club grows only in pristine riparian areas in the understory of evergreen forests and these clean areas are constantly threatened by development and pollution. As more research is done on the medicinal compounds in O. horridus<\/em> we can only expect to see an increase in use. Many plants discovered to be medical wonders\u00a0are soon after\u00a0threatened by mass harvesting. A sad example of this is the endangered Chinese yew<\/a>, Taxus chinensis. <\/em>After being discovered as a successful\u00a0cancer drug it was harvested at an alarming rate, since the 1990’s about 50% of\u00a0the yew\u00a0population in\u00a0China\u00a0has been\u00a0wiped out\u00a0(Thomas, 2015). It’s important that we begin to\u00a0think about\u00a0sustainable harvesting and conservation of Pacific Northwest wetlands or the devil’s club\u00a0could see\u00a0the same fate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
References:<\/p>\n
Devil’s Club photo by hobvias sudoneighm from Seattle, Washington<\/p><\/div>\n
Devil\u2019s club<\/a>\u00a0has been widely used by\u00a0indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest for\u00a0spiritual practices and as a medicine. Use of the plant is documented in thirty-eight different languages throughout its territory on the west coast of North America (Calway, 2012). Almost every part of the plant has been documented for medicinal use, but most commonly used are its roots and inner bark. The plant’s berries, roots and inner-bark have been used to create many remedies for health conditions such as, fever, problems with the lungs, gastrointestinal upset, ulcers, arthritis, diabetes, lice, fertility, constipation, tuberculosis and many others (American Botanical Society, 2004). Similar to aspirin, it\u00a0is effective in treating such a wide range of ailments that\u00a0the Tlingit people native to Alaska refer to it as \u201cTlingit aspirin\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Botanical illustration By M.S. del., J.N.Fitch lith. via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n O. horridus<\/em> was not just used for physical ailments but\u00a0was also\u00a0seen as medicine for the spirit. Believed to ward off evil energy, people would hang a piece of devil’s club over the entryways of their homes in times of ceremony or to protect the space from bad intention.\u00a0The medicinal compounds in the plant\u00a0were also\u00a0seen as a\u00a0cure for mental illness. It was documented in the Tsimshian, Tlingit and Haida tribes\u00a0that an afflicted person would be beaten with a stem of the plant to introduce the compounds into their system (Latz, Devil’s club: An Ethnobotanical review).<\/p>\n Additionally, devil’s club has been used historically by the first peoples of this region\u00a0<\/a>to create materials for arts. Charcoal was formed from its burnt ashes to be used for drawing; and dyes for\u00a0baskets were made from the plant. The people of this region also utilized its thick, lightweight stalk as material for fishing hooks and walking sticks. (American Botanical Society, 2004)<\/p>\n During tuberculosis outbreaks in North America the\u00a0indigenous populations used devil’s club as\u00a0one of their main\u00a0remedies. It was not until 1997 that the compounds responsible for this medicinal effect were discovered. Falcarindiol is\u00a0found in the leaves,\u00a0inner bark\u00a0and root bark of the devil\u2019s club while oplopandiol is found in the roots, inner bark and stems (Cao, 2014). Both of these chemicals have been shown to have antimycobacterial and anticancer properties. These compounds are of special interest as antimycobacterials\u00a0because of their\u00a0effect in treating tuberculosis by targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis <\/i>(Inui, 2010).\u00a0Mycobacterium<\/em> is a genus\u00a0of bacteria that has been observed\u00a0in the lab\u00a0to have a similar appearance to mold. Both\u00a0falcarindiol and oplopandiol are\u00a0polyynes and\u00a0classified as alkaloids.\u00a0(Calway,\u00a02012). Polyyne alkaloids function in plants to produce pigments, which are the colors visible to us in plants.<\/p>\n Chemical structure for the alkaloid falcarindiol found in the roots of O. horridus<\/p><\/div> The chemical structure of oplopandiol found in the stems and roots of O. horridus.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The chemical falcarindiol is found in large quantities in the roots of plant and serves as a protector against fungal pathogens. This compound is also found as a fungal defense in the American ginseng and carrot roots (Minto, 2008). Oplopandiol found in the roots, stems and bark of O. horridus <\/i>is of particular excitement because of its novelty to this species. <\/i>It has antibacterial properties and builds the plant\u2019s defense against\u00a0infections and pathogens.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By Walter Siegmund<\/p><\/div>\n Recently the use of devil\u2019s club has increased, reaching a global audience that it never has before. You can now find it sold in teas and tinctures in many parts of the world, often marketed as\u00a0\u201cAlaskan ginseng\u201d. Native groups have sustainably harvested and used devil\u2019s club for generations but as it gains popularity and harvesting becomes unsustainable we could see this species disappear. Devil\u2019s club is particularly sensitive to over harvesting because it takes a long time to recover after being picked and collected. In addition to over harvesting devil\u2019s club also faces an increasing loss of habitat. Devil\u2019s club grows only in pristine riparian areas in the understory of evergreen forests and these clean areas are constantly threatened by development and pollution. As more research is done on the medicinal compounds in O. horridus<\/em> we can only expect to see an increase in use. Many plants discovered to be medical wonders\u00a0are soon after\u00a0threatened by mass harvesting. A sad example of this is the endangered Chinese yew<\/a>, Taxus chinensis. <\/em>After being discovered as a successful\u00a0cancer drug it was harvested at an alarming rate, since the 1990’s about 50% of\u00a0the yew\u00a0population in\u00a0China\u00a0has been\u00a0wiped out\u00a0(Thomas, 2015). It’s important that we begin to\u00a0think about\u00a0sustainable harvesting and conservation of Pacific Northwest wetlands or the devil’s club\u00a0could see\u00a0the same fate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n References:<\/p>\nThe Healing Chemistry<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Thoughts on\u00a0Conservation with Commodification<\/strong><\/h3>\n