Native to Brazil, Chile and Peru, this evergreen tree grows 4-8 meters in height with a trunk 30-40 cm in diameter. It produces an abundance of small pretty white flowers with yellow centers in clusters, and a small round green seedpod with black seeds inside. The leaves have a peppery taste and are sometimes used as a condiment. The tree was named after a Captain Winter, who discovered the healing properties of the tree bark while on Sir Francis Drake's expedition from England and it became known as "Winter's Bark." Casca de anta trees can be found mostly in the higher elevations and cloud forests along the lower Andes Mountains as they drop into the Amazon basin areas.

TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES

In Brazilian herbal medicine, casca de anta is highly recommended for all types of stomach and gastric disorders including dyspepsia, dysentery, nauseau and vomiting, intestinal pain, and colic. It is also employed for fever, anemia, toothaches, dematitis, and debility. In some areas of the Brazilian amazon it is sometimes used as a substitute for quinine in treating malaria and other feverous conditions. The bark is brewed into a tea (infusion) for this common natural medicine.

PLANT CHEMICALS

The compounds identified in casca de anta thus far include: 1beta-p-cumaroyloxypolygodial, caryophyllene, cellulose, 1,8-cineole, confertifoline,. cryptomeridol, dihydroquercetin, drimenin, drimenol, drimendiol, drimine, drimanial, drimol, EO, eugenol, fuegine, furtonolide, hemicellulose, isotadeonal, isodrimeninol, kaempferol, l-3-beta-acetoxydrimenin, lignin, mannitol, pinenes, polygodial, quercetin, rhamnose, tadeonol, tannic-acid, valdiviolide, and winterin.

BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH

Two chemical compounds discovered in casca de anta bark called drimanial and polygodial have evidenced potent pain-relieving effects in several animal studies in 2002 and 2001. Earlier research in 1998 reported that an alcoholic extract of the bark demonstrated pain-relieving, anti-allergenic, and anti-inflammatory properties. These Brazilian researchers indicated that the pain-relief actions of the bark were more potent than either aspirin or acetaminophen.

The above text has been authored by Leslie Taylor, ND, copyrighted © 2005 All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, including websites, without written permission.

† The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information contained in this plant database file is intended for education, entertainment and information purposes only. This information is not intended to be used to diagnose, prescribe or replace proper medical care. The plant described herein is not intended to treat, cure, diagnose, mitigate or prevent any disease. Please refer to our Conditions of Use for using this plant database file and web site.

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