SARSAPARILLA

[Bb]

Lähettäjä: Soijuv Lähetetty: 30.5.2005 11:46

Sarsaparillaa käytettiin ennen antibioottien keksimistä mm. syfiliksen hoitoon. Artikkelissa pohditaan yrtin vaikutuksia borrelioosiiin ja MS-tautiin:


Speculation Concerning Lyme Disease, MS, and Sarsaparilla

by Timothy R. Stout

Abstract: Before penicillin was discovered there were two major treatments for syphilis: mercury and the herb sarsaparilla. Syphilis is caused by a spirochete bacterium, lyme disease is caused by a spirochete bacterium, and there is evidence that multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome may also be caused by an as yet unnamed, unclassified spirochete-like bacteria. Lyme disease is treatable with antibiotics, but the results vary and with some patients may be extremely difficult to irradicate. Some cases of MS have also been successfully treated with antibiotics, but the treatment is long and intensive. A speculative question is discussed: If sarsaparilla can be effective with one spirochete-caused disease, syphilis, could it be of value for others? Could it work cooperatively with standard antibiotics in order to shorten the treatment time and reduce the severity of the treatment for lyme disease and/or MS and/or CFS?

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A French physician, Nicholas Monardes, published a comprehensive account of sarsaparilla and several other new "drugs" in the treatment of syphilis in 1574. In Britain and various other places mercury was the preferred drug for the treatment of syphilis, even though the treatment was often worse for the patient than the disease. However, various other places continued with sarsaparilla. "During military operations in Portugal in 1812, a British Inspector General of Hospitals noted that the Portuguese soldiers suffering from syphilis who used sarsaparilla recovered much faster and more completely than their British counterparts, who were treated with mercury ref 1.

Sarsaparilla was also used by the Chinese in the treatment of syphilis. Clinical observations in China demonstrated that sarsaparilla is effective, according to blood tests, in about 90 percent of acute cases and 50 percent of chronic cases ref 2.

Unfortunately, there has been extremely little current research done concerning the effectiveness of sarsaparilla. The accounts of the Portuguese and Chinese are about all that we have to go by. The lack of modern, double-blind studies does not reduce the potential effectiveness of sarsaparilla, but it does reduce the authority of the accounts that describe its effectiveness.

Syphilis is caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum. Lyme disease, which has entirely different symptoms than syphilis and is spread by the bite of infected ticks of the genus Ixodes, is caused by another spirochete bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. The two bacteria are closely related to each other genetically. Since bactericides (agents which kill bacteria) tend to be effective against broad groups of interrelated bacteria, this suggests that sarsaparilla may be of value in treating lyme disease or other spirochete-caused diseases.


Lyme Disease and Sarsaparilla

The actual effectiveness of sarsaparilla for a lyme patient is completely unknown. Therefore, the preferred dosage and anticipated length of treatment for effective results is unknown. However, since sarsaparilla in moderate doses is relatively cheap and is a common drink (some root beers are based on sarsaparilla extract), moderate amounts might be safe to use. Those with lyme disease might be able to use it as a dietary supplement in an effort to see if there is any benefit to the progress of their disease. The issue of safe dosage is discussed in more detail at the end of the article.

Sarsaparilla extracts are available over-the-counter at most health food stores. They are sold as nutritional supplements and are available without a prescription. In the quantities recommended by the manufacturer, they would presumably be safe to use. However, the pharmacologically active components of sarsaparilla contained in its extracts are saponins (steroid-like substances), flavonoids, tannins, sterols (steroid-like substances), and triterpenes. Because of the saponins and sterols, a person with lyme disease or anyone who is undergoing medication and who desires to use sarsaparilla extract should discuss his intentions with his personal physician before proceeding.

The amount of sarsaparilla used by the Portuguese and the Chinese in their treatment of syphilis is unknown. Likewise, we do not know the form in which they took their treatment. Hence, at this point, if a person would like to supplement his diet with sarsaparilla, he is limited to the recommendations given by the manufacturer of the product he chooses to use.


Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is another disease which may possibly be caused by a bacterium, at least in some cases. I.e., it is possible that the bacterium may be one of several possible sources to initiate the sequence of events that leads to MS.

The following information is taken from the internet web page of the Multiple Sclerosis Research Foundation:

"Since 1911 researchers in various countries have found evidence of a spirochete or similar bacteria in brain tissue of MS victims. Now, through the work of Dr. Luther Lindner at Texas A&M University, it is possible to reliably culture the bacteria from blood samples." "Spirochete like bacteria have been reported in the brain tissues of M.S. victims since as long ago as 1911. Recently, US researchers have found a way to culture living spirochetes (not yet classified as to species) from the blood, spinal fluid, and urine of M.S. patients, as well as some who have chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and lupus. The bacteria is also found in a portion of the general population who are asymptomatic. Dr. Lindner (see treatment) indicates that the bacteria appears to be a new genus, and refers to it as a Spirochete Like Bacteria (SLB).

"The Lyme Spirochete, B. Burgdorfori, has been shown to cause MS like plaques in advanced cases, and symptoms indistinguishable from MS have been documented in some cases. In some cases, Lyme disease has been diagnosed as MS. Existing Lyme tests are not completely reliable.

"Why not just dose up the patient with antibiotics and hope for the best? Actually this is being widely done, with some success. The problem is that there may be little or no guidance as to when to stop. Many other infections are easily cleared by antibiotics in 7-10 days. This infection (MS) may take 18 months or even longer. In some cases, the organisms have proved completely resistant to antibiotics. How do you know if the medicine is working without periodic tests?" ref 3

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So, Dr. Lindner has been able to culture spirochete bacteria from patients with MS. These bacteria appear to be related to those which cause lyme disease. Even though the medical community at large has been slow to acknowledge the validity of Dr. Lindner's work, it is interesting that late-stage lyme symptoms can mimic those of multiple sclerosis.

If MS is indeed caused in some cases by a spirochete infection, then this raises the possibility that sarsaparilla could likewise be of benefit to an MS patient.

Likewise, according to the web page, some patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) seem to have spirochetes similar to those of MS in their system. Extreme, chronic fatigue is also a symptom which is experienced by many people who have MS. So, there is a certain limited similarity of symptoms between these two diseases as well. Thus, there is the possibility that sarsaparilla could likewise be of benefit to a CFS patient.


Sarsaparilla

"Sarsaparilla (Smilax sarsaparilla) is a tropical American perennial plant. Its long slender root and short, thick rhizomes produce a vine that trails on the ground and climbs by means of tendrils growing in pairs from the petioles of the alternate, evergreen leaves. The root is the part of the plant utilized for medicinal purposes." "Sarsaparilla contains 1.8 - 2.4 percent steroid saponins, including sarsaponin; smilasaponin; and sarsaparilloside and its aglycones sarsapogenin, smilagenin, and pollinastanol ref 4. A sarsaparilla-root extract was formed by mixing ethyl alcohol with ground root, filtering, and evaporating the filtrate. The dried extract weighed about 12% of the initial sarsaparilla and consisted of saponins, flavonoids, tannins, sterols, and triterpenes ref 5.

"Sarsaparilla species have been used all over the world in many different cultures for the same conditions, namely gout, arthritis, fevers, digestive disorders, skin disease, and cancer" ref 4. Formal clinical studies may not have been done to confirm the effectiveness of sarsaparilla for these conditions. However, the fact that a number of different, widely-scattered cultures have independently found it an effective treatment for the same conditions and symptoms gives some weight for its potential validity.

There are two studies in recent literature concerning the effectiveness of sarsaparilla in treating certain artificially-induced symptoms in rats.

In one study rats were injected in their paws with a substance called "carrageenan," which causes inflammation at the site of injection. One hour before the injection some of the rats were treated with one of several plant extracts, including smilax sarsaparilla. Afterwards, the amount of swelling of the injected paw was measured. It was determined that several of the plant extracts, including that from sarsaparilla, "produced significant inhibition of carrageenan-induced inflammation in rats" ref 5.

In this study, "the plant's materials were extracted with 96% ethanol. The dried extract was dissolved in water.... The rats were administered an oral dose of 500 mg/kg body weight" ref 5. A single dose was administered for the test.

The other study reported on two separate sarsaparilla issues, effectiveness in protecting the liver against toxic substance and safety against side-effects. This study was likewise done with rats ref 6.

Amongst the widespread folklore concerning sarsaparilla is that it helps protect the liver. Carbon tetrachloride is a toxic chemical which can damage the liver, apparently by rupturing the membranes of liver cells. When the cells are ruptured, they release a chemical, GPT (a liver enzyme), into the bloodstream which can be measured. Thus, liver damage can be quantified by the amount of GPT measured in the bloodstream.

In the experiments the average level of blood GPT before carbon tetrachloride injection was 26.5 IU/L. Injection of carbon tetrachloride increased the blood level of GPT to 58 IU/L. However, some rats were first treated with a sarsaparilla extract similar to that used in the previous study at the rate of 500 mg/kg body weight per day. This was done for three days. On the fourth day they were injected with carbon tetrachloride. This time the blood-level GPT increased only slightly, to 31 IU/L. Thus, within the context of this experiment, sarsaparilla can be effective in protecting the liver of rats against certain toxins.

This study also tested sarsaparilla for side effects. They were fed 100 mg/kg for 90 days and showed no side effects during or at the end of the test period.

It should be noted that both studies used 500 mg/kg as the dosage for testing. However, only 100 mg/kg was used in the long-range (= 90 days) study. I find it disappointing that the study was not at the full test dosage. At least there were no observed side effects at this lesser dosage.

Conclusions

Folklore and history have shown that people believed sarsaparilla to be an effective treatment for a number of varying symptoms and conditions. This includes syphilis, a disease known to be caused by spirochete bacteria. Laboratory tests on rats were made concerning two of the purported beneficial aspects of sarsaparilla: inflammation reduction and liver protection. The test results indicated that sarsaparilla seemed to be effective with rats under the artificial laboratory conditions. This gives hope that they might have some validity for people under real-life conditions.

Concerning the effectiveness of sarsaparilla for spirochete caused diseases, we still have no authoritative test data. All we can say is that if certain effects of sarsaparilla show a possibility of confirmation, that perhaps there might be a basis for the others as well. Hence, we look at sarsaparilla as having constituent chemicals which may someday become confirmed as having value against spirochete bacteria.

Although this may have some implications for cases of syphilis which are becoming resistant to antibiotics, my real interest is in the possibility of sarsaparilla being of value for those with lyme disease, MS, or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lyme disease is also known to be caused by a spirochete. Although in many cases it can be controlled by antibiotics, there are also many cases that do not respond to antibiotics. The natural question becomes whether or not sarsaparilla can help with these cases. This could be as a supplement to standard antibiotic treatment in an effort to increase its effectiveness, or as a stand-alone treatment such as was historically done for syphilis.

MS and CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) are even more remote possibilities for sarsaparilla treatment. There are a few researchers who claim that they have seen spirochetes in the blood of these patients, but these assertions are not accepted by the mainstream of medical opinion. Hence, the connections between MS, CFS, and sarsaparilla are admittedly quite remote. Yet, however tenuous the connections may be, there does exist a rational path between the two.

The ideal first place for testing the effectiveness of sarsaparilla would be in the test tube in a laboratory. A test to measure the effects of differing concentrations of sarsaparilla extract on the various spirochetes could quickly quantify whether or not there is any basis for using it in real life.

Considering the devastating effects of MS and CFS upon the lives of those who have it, as well as those with lyme disease who do not respond well to standard antibiotics, it may be worth pursuing the possibilities of sarsaparilla as a treatment before the lab tests are done. At this point the side effects of sarsaparilla appear to be minimal and it is available as an inexpensive over-the-counter nutritional supplement.

However, because of the approximate 2% steroid content of sarsaparilla, a person should not use it in self treatment. Particularly, a person who is undergoing any type of medication should discuss thoroughly with his doctor what the effect of the steroids may be on his treatment scheme, if there will be interaction between the components of his treatment drugs and those of sarsaparilla, and what side effects he should watch for and what to do if they are observed.

Recommended dosage: I do not know the dosage levels of sarsaparilla which were used by the Chinese or the Portuguese soldiers. However, both experiments with rats discussed above used 500 mg/kg body weight. This seems like it would be an extremely high dosage for humans and one which definitely should not be attempted without the advice and consent of a monitoring physician. If a person buys sarsaparilla tablets from a health food store, the manufacturer will typically give a recommended dosage for its use as a nutritional supplement; this would perhaps be the best value to use.

Murray makes the following recommendation: "Sarsaparilla can be used at the following dosages as a "blood purifier" and tonic as well as for conditions associated with high endotoxin levels, most notably psoriasis, eczema, arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. Doses should be taken three times daily:


· Dried root: 1-4 grams or by decoction or

· Liquid extract (1:1) 8-12 milliliters (2 to 3 teaspoons) or



"No adverse effects have been reported; however, problems could arise if large doses are used for a long period of time" ref 4 Again, the relevance of these recommendations to what is appropriate to kill spirochetes is unknown; it simply is a statement of what has apparently been an appropriate value for certain symptoms and may have use as a starting point for dosage tests.

Unfortunately, the journal articles quoted earlier did not discuss the effectiveness of lesser dosages of the extract. Furthermore, they were not testing the effectiveness of the extract against spirochete bacteria, but against inflammation and internal cell damage. The ideal dosages for the two might be totally unrelated to each other.

One other concern I have is that the "long-range" test was only for 90 days and was at only 1/5 the strength of the treatment dosage. Hence, not only were the long-range tests done on rats, not humans, but the dosage used was much less than the treatment dosage. A question naturally presents itself, did they use less than the treatment dosage because of a known but undisclosed problem? This discrepancy in dosage values detracts from the credibility of the test results.

References

ref 1 Griggs B: Green Pharmacy: A History of Herbal Medicine. Jill Norman & Hobhouse, London, 1981 as quoted in ref 4.

ref 2 Bensky D and Gamble A: Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica. Eastland Press, Seattle, WA, 1986. as quoted in ref 4

ref 3 (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepage ... n/main.htm) retrieved September 20, 1996.

ref 4 Murray MT: The Healing Power of Herbs. Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA USA 95677, 1995: 10, 302-305

ref 5 A. Ageel, et al, "Experimental Studies on Antirheumatic Crude Drugs Used in Saudi Traditional Medicine," Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research 1989, 15 (8 ): 369-72.

ref 6 S. Rafatullah, et al, "Hepatoprotective and safety evaluation studies on sarsaparilla, International Journal of Pharmacognosy, 1991, 29(4): 297-301.