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Some uses and
actions of some
medicinal barks
Antimalarial,
anti-arrhythmic
Cinchona
Hemostatic
(rectal, nasal
bleeding)
Hamamelis
Tonic, stomchic
Cinchona +
Cascarilla
Antispasmodic
Cassia,
Cinnamon,
Canella
Laxative
Cascara,
Frangula
Astringent
Hamamelis,
Pomegranate
Antipyretic,
analgesic, antiinflammatory
Salix
Anthelmintic
Pomegranate
Respiratory
disorders
Wild cherry,
Cascarilla
Page | 1
Classification of barks according to
active constituents
Alkaloids
Cinchona
Pomegranate
Tannins
Hamamelis
Pomegranate
Cinchona
Volatile oil
Cinnamon
Cassia
Canella
Cascarilla
Glycosides
Cyanogenic
Wild Cherry
Saponin
Quillaia
Anthraquinones
Cascara
Frangula
Phenolic
Salix
Page | 2
Barks containing alkaloids: (Associated with tannins)
Items
Syn.
Action & Uses &
Pharmaceutical preparation
Active constituents
Origin
Pomegranate bark ‫قشر الرمان‬
Cinchona bark ‫قشر الكينا‬
Barks containing tannins
Witch-Hazel Bark ‫قشر هماميلس‬
Quishrul kiena, Countess bark
Quishrul Rouman
Hamamelis
Dried stem & root barks of Cinchona succirubra (red
cinchona) C. Ledgeriana & C. calisaya (yellow cinchona) C.
officinalis (pale cinchona) Fam. Rubiaceae.
1. About 30 alkaloids (5-15%): Quinine, Quinidine,
Cinchonine, Cinchonidine
[present in comination with Quinic acid].
Dried stem & root barks of Punica granatum
Fam. Punicaceae
Dried stem bark of Hamamelis virginiana
Fam. Hamamelidaceae
1. Alkaloids:
a) Four liquid alkaloid:
Hamamelitannin (GALLOTANNIN 7%) and
smaller amounts of condensed tannins.
2. Tannins known as Cinchotannic acids (CATECHOL tannins)
(Alkaloids combined with tannin.)
1. Bitter tonic and stomachic (due to Quinine)
Tincture Cinchona (liquid extract); take 20 drops in
plenty of water before meals.
2. Hair tonic & stimulates hair growth (due to Quinine)
Tonoscalpine lotion (contain Quinine HCl inc. blood
flow)
3. Antimalarial (due to Quinine & Quinidine)
Quinate Tablets
4. Anti-arrhythmic for atrial fibrillation ‫( االرتجاف األذيني‬due
to Quinidine)
Cardioquin
5. Antirheumatic (due to Cinchonine & Cinchonidine)
6. A decoction and infusion are used for sore throat as
gargles (due to tannins)
boil
Decoction: pd. + water →
boil
Infusion: water → +pd
Pelletierine (punicine)
Isopelletierine,
Methyl-pelletierine
Methyl-isopelletierine
b) One crystalline
alkaloid:
Pseudo-pelletierine
2. Tannins (22%): PYROGALLOL tannins
1. Anthelmintic: for tapeworms (in small
intestine – 15m) [due to alkaloids]
2. Astringent: in diarrhea (due to tannins)
N.B.
- Ascaris (lives in small intestine) anthelmintic
used: santonica flower (oral dose)
- Tapeworms (lives in small intestine)
anthelmintic used: pomegranate bark (oral
dose)
- Thread worms (lives in large intestine)
anthelmintic used: quassia wood (enema
‫)حقنة شرجية‬
1. Astringent for diarrhea.
2. Haemostatic in excessive menstruation,
haemorrhoids, rectal and nasal bleeding.
Avenoc ointment (for haemorrhoids)
3. Anti-inflammatory for prostate congestion.
Decongestyle suppository (congestion
& inflammation of the prostate)
4. In eye and skin inflammation.
5. Anti-aging or anti-wrinkle in skin
preparations (skin toner)
‫مطبوخ‬
‫منقوع‬
Page | 3
Contraindications
1. In pregnancy (as quinine cause bleeding then abortion)
2. Iron deficiency anemia (due to tannins)
3. Hypersensitivity to cinchona alkaloids
Drug interaction:
Potentiation of concurrently administrated anticoagulants
(as Warfarin, Heparin) leading to bleeding.
1. Test for Cinchona red (Dry heat test):
∆ 𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑢𝑏𝑒
Pd →
purplish red vapours → condensed as
𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑜ℎ𝑜𝑙 (50%)
purplish-red tarry drops →
blue fluorescence
Tannins are contraindicated in:
- Constipation
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Malnutrition
Test for tannins:
𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑘𝑒,𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑟
Pd + water →
ppt.
Test for tannins:
+ . 𝐹𝑒𝐶𝑙3 → bluish- black
𝐹𝑒𝐶𝑙3
Pd + water → filtrate →
bluish-black ppt.
Remember:
Test for
identity
2. Test for alkaloids (Mayer’s test):
𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑘𝑒,𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑟
Pd + dil. HCl →
Mayer’s reagent → a creamy ppt.
Mayer’s test is a general test for alkaloids.
Catechol tannins (=condensed tannins) gives
Greenish black color with 𝐹𝑒𝐶𝑙3 .
3. Test for quinine and quinidine:
𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙,𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑒𝑟
Pd. + dil. 𝐻2 𝑆𝑂4 →
Other
items
+ water → blue fluorescence
Cinchonism (quinism):
- Is a pathological condition caused by an overdose of
quinine, quinidine or cinchona bark.
- Mild cinchonism (standard therapeutic doses): includes
ringing ‫ طنين‬of ears, blurred vision, abdominal pain,
nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
- Sever cinchonism (large doses): skin rashes, deafness,
blindness (damage of auditory and optic nerves), death.
- Most symptoms of mild cinchonism are reversible and
disappear once the drug is withdrawn.
Pyrogallol tannins (=gallotannins, hydrolysable
tannins) gives Bluish black color with 𝐹𝑒𝐶𝑙3.
Test for purity:
Pomegranate bark contains no phloem fibers.
Stem bark
Root bark
1. Curved, channeled 1. Recurved, flat
2. Lenticels, lichens 2. No lenticels; no
present
lichens
3. 0.5 % alkaloids ↓
3. 0.6 % alkaloids ↑
Page | 4
Treatment of overdose (severe cinchonism):
If ingestion is recent, perform the following:
1. Gasrtic lavage or emesis induction.
2. Administration of activated charcoal (to reduce
absorption of any remaining drug)
3. Administration of a hypertonic cathartic (sodium
sulfate in water) [to hasten passage of unabsorbed drug
through GIT]
Morphological differences bet. Stem & root barks:
Stem bark
Root bark
1. Epiphytes
1. No epiphytes
2. Single, double quill 2. Curved, channeled
3. Laticiferous tube
3. No laticiferous tube
4. Normal fibers
4. Forked fibers
5. No sclereids
5. Sclereids
6. Lower % of alkaloids 6. Higher % of alkaloids
N.B:
Pomegranate & canella
barks contain no phloem
fibers.
∴ their powders don’t
show any phloem fibers
under microscope
Questions:
1. Explain:
The absence of laticiferous tube in root bark?? Or the absence of 1ry cortex?? Or the whole cortical part of the root bark consists of
phelloderm (2ry cortex)??
Ans:
In root bark, phellogen is formed in the pericycle, ∴ all outer tissues including 1ry cortex (showing laticiferous tubes) changes to
rhytidoma. The whole cortical part of the bark consists of phelloderm (2ry cortex).
2. Give reason:
The use of castor oil or saline with pomegranate bark.
Ans: - Pomegranate only paralyze worms but not expel them.
- Castor oil or saline act as purgative so used with pomegranate bark to expel the paralyzed worms.
Page | 5
Barks containing volatile oil
Action & Uses
constituents
Items
Syn.
Origin
Cinnamon bark ‫قشر دار صيني‬
Ceylon Cinnamon, Darsieni, Quirfa Helwa
Dried decorticated bark of shoots of
coppiced trees of Cinnamomum
zeylancium Fam. Lauraceae
Cassia bark ‫قشر قرفة صيني‬
Chinese cinnamon
Dried bark of Cinnamomum
cassia Fam. Lauraceae
Canella bark ‫قشر قرفة بيضاء‬
White Cinnamon, Wild cinnamon
Dried decorticated bark of Canella
alba Fam. Canellaceae.
- Occurs in channeled pieces or
N.B. Coppicing:
single quills.
Is a method in which tree stems are
repeatedly cut down to near the ground
level.
1. Cut close to base in winter
2. Following spring shoots rapidly regrow
from stool.
3. 7-20 years later coppice ready for
harvest
1. Volatile oil composed of cinnamic
1. Volatile oil containing mainly
aldehyde (55-65%) and eugenol (4-8%)
cinnamaldehyde (85%), no
2. Condensed tannins (1%)
eugenol.
3. Mucilage (pectose and callose)
2. Condensed tannins (10%)
3. Mucilage (pectose)
Secretory str. → oil cell
1. Antispasmodic in GIT disorders,
carminative in flatulence.
2. Sedative and analgesic
(Cinnamaldehyde)
3. Antiseptic and mild astringent,
flavouring agent.
4. Emmenagogue, stimulates the uterus
and encourage menstrual bleeding.
5. Helps maintain normal blood sugar
(Cinnamaldehyde)
Cascarilla bark ‫قشر العنبر‬
Sweet wood bark, Quishrul Anbar
Dried stem bark of Croton eleuteria
Fam. Euphorbiaceae
-
Allied drug for cinnamon.
Occurs in quills or curved pieces.
Decorticated by removing the cork.
First layer is sclerenchymatous
phelloderm (2ry cortex).
- No phloem fibers.
1. Volatile oil: (0.5-1.28%)
Eugenol, cineole, caryophylline
and canellal (antifungal
sesquiterpene dialdehyde).
2. Resin & mucilage.
3. No tannins
1. Volatile oil (1-1.5%):
Eugenol, limonene, vanillin.
2. Bitter principle, cascarillin.
3. Alkaloid cascarilline.
1. Carminative and has anti1. Improve poor digestion.
1.
ulcer properties.
2. Aromatic stimulant and tonic.
2. Sedative and analgesic (has a 3. Antifungal (due to canellal).
2.
soothing effect) in
3.
abdominal pain.
N.B: Cassia and Canella are allied
3. Flavouring agent.
drugs of Cinnamon.
4.
4. Used as a substitute for
Remember: Mucilages are classified into:
cinnamon.
R𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐝
1. Pectose type ⇒
𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐚
2. Callose type ⇒
3. Neutral type ⇒
red color
red color
𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞
Bitter stomachic: often mixed with
rhubarb.
Expectorant in chronic bronchitis.
Fragrant component in soaps, creams
& lotion.
In fumigating mixtures.
Blue color
Page | 6
 Drug interaction:
- Cinnamon may increase the risk of
bleeding when taken with drugs that
increase the risk of bleeding, as aspirin,
anticoagulants.
-
N.B: Cinnamaldehyde inhibits the
aggregation of plates and may reduce the
tendency of blood to clot i.e. has
anticoagulant effect.
- Cinnamon may lower blood sugar
levels. Caution when using antidiabetic
medications.
Other
items
 Contraindication:
Not recommended during pregnancy and
lactation.
-
 Description:
Pleasant aromatic odour.
Bitter taste.
When burned it gives an agreeable
fumigating odour.
Inner surface shows remains of wood.
∴ the bark named sweet wood bark.
Outer layer shows a white or greyishwhite cork with:
1. Chalky appearance due to
presence of numerous Ca.OX
prisms in inner walls of cork cells.
2. Chequred appearance due to
longitudinal wrinkles and
transverse furrows.
 Pharmaceutical preparation:
Carminex (syrup)
- Composition:
Each 100ml contains:
Cinnamon oil 0.1 ml
Fennel oil 0.1 ml
Caraway oil 0.1 ml
- Indications:
- Flatulence
- Digestive disorders, spasm, colic,
nausea …
Page | 7
Main differences between Cinnamon and Cassia:
Items
Origin
Shape
Color
Kind
Taste
Microscopically
Cinnamon
Cassia
Dried decorticated bark of shoots of
coppiced trees of Cinnamomum
zeylancium Fam. Lauraceae
Single or double compound quills
Yellowish-brown
Decorticated
Sweet, less astringent
Cork
No cork
Pericycle
Continuous
Keratenchyma
Present
Elements diameter Less than 30 μ
of fiber
Diameter of starch Less than 10 μ
Dried stem bark of
Cinnamomum cassia Fam.
Lauraceae
Channeled or single quills
Dark brown
Complete bark
Sweet more astringent
Presence of cork
Discontinuous
Absent
More than 20 μ
More than 10 μ

Active
constituents
Chemical tests
Volatile oil (0.5-1%):
 Volatile oil (1-1.5%):
Cinnamic aldehyde (55-65%)
Cinnamic aldehyde (85%)
Eugenol (4-8%)
No eugenol
 Tannins (1%)
 More tannins
 Mucilage
 More mucilage
Sudan III
+ ve
+ ve
For V.O
For
FeCl3
Blue color
- ve
eugenol
KOH
Needle crystals
- ve
For
mucilage
Ruthenium
red
Corallin
soda
+ ve (pectose)
+ ve
+ ve (callose)
- ve
Page | 8
Barks containing glycosides
Items
Syn.
Origin
a) Barks containing cyanogenic glycosides
b) Barks containing Saponin glycosides
Wild Cherry bark ‫قشر كرز بري‬
Quillaia bark ‫قشر الكوياليا‬
Dried stem bark of Prunus serotina Fam. Rosaceae.
- Collected in the autumn, at which time it is most active.
- Carefully dried and kept in air-tight container.
- Odour: odourless, but when slightly moist it has an odour of
benzaldehyde (bitter almond).
The cyanogenic glycoside: prunasin.
𝑃𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑧.𝑖𝑛 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑘/𝑚𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒
Prunasin →
HCN + benzaldehyde + dextrose.
(bitter almond odour).
Antitussive (cough sedative); for chronic, dry & whooping coughs and in
bronchitis.
(antibacterial, antiviral & mild sedative actions).
Action & Uses
constitue
nts
Test for
identity
Test for cyanogenic glycoside: (Guignard’s test):
Put small pieces of bark + 𝐻2 𝑂 in a test tube closed with cork holding a
strip of moistened sodium picrate paper (Guignard reagent) between it
& the tube, HCN evolved will change the yellow color to a brick-red
color.
Soap bark, Panama wood
Dried inner bark (decorticated) of Quillaia saponaria Fam. Rosaceae.
- Outer surface is:
Longitudinally striated, streaked with reddish brown color where rhytidoma is
imperfectly removed.
- Bark consists entirely of: phloem tissues (inner bark).
- Characterized by styloid prisms.
Saponin glycosides:
- quillajic acid
- quillaia sapotoxin
Only for external use:
1. Used as a hair tonic and anti-dandruff in hair shampoos.
2. Used as a cutaneous stimulant ‫ منشط للجلد‬in the treatment of skin ulcers and
eruptions (rashes) ‫طفح جلدي‬
3. Foaming agent in fire extinguishers.
Caution:
Must not used as:
1. Oral administration: as when taken by mouth produce severe GIT irritation.
2. Intravenous injections
The injection of large amounts may result in systemic poisoning with liver
damage, respiratory failure, convolutions and coma as saponins cause
haemolysis of RBCs.
1. Froth test (foaming test):
Shake pd. with water → persistent froth.
2. Haemolysis test:
aqueous extract of pd produce haemolysis of RBCs.
Page | 9
Barks containing glycosides
c) Barks containing anthraquinone glycosides
Items
Syn.
Origin
Action & Uses
constitue
nts
Cascara bark )‫قشرة مقدس (الكسكرة‬
Cascara sagrada, Cascara Buckthorn
Dried stem bark of Rhamnus
purshiana Fam. Rhamnacea.
- Collected at least one year before
being employed medicinally.
Anthraquinones:
Cascarosides A, B, C, D
1. Laxative or purgative in large doses (fecal softener)
- Occasional constipation
- Disorders that aquires easy evaculation with soft stool as: anal fissures,
hemorrhoids, after recto-anal operations.
2. Tonic and stomachic in small doses.
3. Cascara: Cathartic with disagreeable taste,
Frangula: Agreeable cathartic, preferable than cascara (less disagreeable taste)
1. Borntrager’s test:
𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙
Pd + alc. KOH →
Chemical test
Frangula bark ‫قشر العوسج األسود‬
Quishrel Awsagel-Aswad
Dried stem bark of Rhamnus frangula
Fam. Rhamnaceae.
- Collected at least one year before
employed medicinally.
Anthraquinones:
Frangulins A, B
𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎
→
𝐻𝐶𝑙
𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟
filtrate → cold solution →
d) Barks containing Phenolic glycosides
Willow bark ‫قشر الصفصاف‬
Salix
Dried barks of Salix alba, Salix purpurea and other species of Salix. Fam.
Salicacea.
-
Phenolic glycosides (1.5-11%), salicin (salicylic derivatives)
P-coumaric, caffeic and ferulic acids, salicyl alcohol (saligenin)
Tannins (8-20%)
Antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, astringent actions.
Indicated in:
Feverish colds and infections (influenza)
Rheumatic disorders, gout
Mild headache
Diarrhea (tannin)
ethereal layer
orange red color in aqueous layer
2. Microsublimation test:
𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑎𝑙𝑖
heat pd. in dry tube → yellow crystal →
Reddish-brown color
3. Test for callose mucilage: T.S. + corallin soda, the callus plates acquire a
red stain. → +ve in cascara / –ve in frangula
Page | 10
Side
effects
Pharm.
Prep.
Other
items
- Cramp or gripping of GIT.
- Repeated defecation → hypokalemia (low conc. of potassium 𝐾 + in the
blood) leading to cardiac disorders, muscular weakness.
(Long-term use: disturbance of electrolyte balance especially potassium
deficiency)
- Mucinum tablets: cascara extract
- Normacol: 8% frangula
- Normalin tablets:
Non-griping laxative (cascara
extract 70mg + hyoscyamus 10 mg)
Mechanism of action:
Stimulant or irritant laxatives (cascara, frangula) increase the peristaltic
movement of the intestine.
- Possibility of gastrointestinal troubles (due to tannins)
- Possibility of urticaria, asthma and bronchial spasms (with known
hypersensitivity to salicylates).
Contra indications:
- In intestinal obstruction and inflammation.
- During pregnancy and lactation. Colitis.
- Children under 12 years old.
Salicylic acid inhibits the synthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes via
cyclo-oxygenase and lipo-oxygenase enzymes.
The analgesic action of willow is slow-acting but last longer than standard
aspirin products.
Willow bark is the precursor of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).
Mechanism of action:
𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑎
Salicin →
salicylic acid
𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑑,𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑑.𝑖𝑛 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑 & 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟
saligenin + glucose→
Powdered willow is characterized by:
- Crystal sheath containing prisms of CaOX.
- Scattered large cluster crystals of Ca.OX.
Page | 11
Questions:
1. Give reason: cascara and frangula must be stored at least one year before use?
Ans:
Fresh bark contains: Anthanols, anthrones (active cathartic but emetic, irritant)
Stored bark contains: corresponding anthraquinones (less emetic, less irritant, mild cathartic) changes in intestine to anthranols.
After 1 year storage: The irritant principles (anthranols) present in freash barks changes to less irritant corresponding anthraquinones.
Anthranols
Irritant cathartic
(Fresh bark)
𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
→
anthraquinones
𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒
←
Less irritant, mild cathartic
(after 1 year storage)
2. Explain:
1) Role of hyoscyamus in normalin tablets.
Hyoscymus acts as antispasmodic that treats the gripping effect of cascara.
2) Normalin tablets is contraindicated in patient with cardiac disorders.
As Normalin contains cascara which on long-term use causes repeated defecation and finally leads to hypokaleimia.
3) Use of Mucinum tablets after recto-anal operations, haemorrhoids.
Bec it soften the stool.
Page | 12