This Raintree product has not been the subject of any clinical research. Available third-party research on each ingredient in this formula can be found in the Tropical Plant Database (click on the ingredient names below) or on PubMed. A partial listing of published research on these ingredients is shown below:
Simarouba (Simarouba amara)
Simarouba shares some of the same bitter quassinoid chemicals as quinine and amargo. These bitter chemicals explain simarouba's long standing traditional uses as a digestive stimulant and for many types of digestive complaints.*
Caceres, A. "Plants used in Guatemala for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. 1. Screening of 84 plants against enterobacteria." J. Ethnopharmacol. 1990; 30(1): 55-73.
Quinine (Cinchona officinalis)
Quinine bark is still harvested today to make bitter tonic waters. Nearly half of the world harvest is directed to the food industry for the production of quinine water, tonic water, and as an FDA-approved bitter food additive. In traditional medicine systems around the world, quinine has been used for centuries as a digestive stimulant, a bitter tonic and appetite stimulant, and for a wide range if digestive complaints.*
Keast, R. S., et al. “A psychophysical investigation of binary bitter-compound interactions.” Chem. Senses. 2003; 28(4): 301-13.
Zhang, Y., et al. “Coding of sweet, bitter, and umami tastes: Different receptor cells sharing similar signaling pathways.” Cell. 2003 Feb; 112(3): 293-301.
Tsunenari, T., et al. “A quinine-activated cationic conductance in vertebrate taste receptor cells.” J. Gen. Physiol. 1996 Dec; 108(6): 515-23.
Carqueja (Baccharis genistelloides)
In laboratory studies, carqueja has evidenced antiulcerous, antacid, digestive stimulant, and gastric protective actions.*
Gonzales, E., et al. “Gastric cytoprotection of Bolivian medicinal plants.” J. Ethnopharmacol. 2000; 70(3): 329–33.
Gamberini, M. T., et al. “Açoes antiúlcera e antiácida do extracto aquoso e das fraçoes da Baccharis trimera.”
Anais XII Simposio de Plantas Medicinais do Brasil. UFP: Curitiba, Paraná, 15–17 September 1992.
Sousa, B., et al., “Avaliaçao da atividade antiulcera do extrato bruto e fraçoes de Baccharis trimera.” Anais XII
Simposio de Plantas Medicinais do Brasil. UFP: Curitiba, Paraná, 15–17 September 1992.
Gamberini, M. T., et al. “Inhibition of gastric secretion by a water extract from Baccharis triptera. Mart.” Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz. 1991; 86(Suppl. 2): 137-9.
Amargo (Quassia amara)
Amargo bark contains many active constituents including bitter principles reported to be 50 times more bitter than quinine. While amargo contains many of the same types of antimalarial chemicals as quinine bark, it also contains another chemical called quassin. The large amount of quassin in the bark and wood gives amargo a bitterness rating of 40,000. In herbal medicine systems in South America, amargo is employed as a bitter digestive aid to stimulate gastric and other digestive secretions.*
Sugimoto, N., et al. “Analysis of constituents in Jamaica quassia extract, a natural bittering agent.” Shokuhin Eiseigaku
Zasshi. 2003 Dec; 44(6): 328-31.
Toma, W., et al. “Antiulcerogenic activity of four extracts obtained from the bark wood of Quassia amara L. (Simaroubaceae).” Planta Med. 2002; 68(1): 20–24.
Garcia Gonzalez, M., et al. “Pharmacologic activity of the aqueous wood extract from Quassia amara (Simarubaceae) on albino rats and mice.” Rev. Biol. Trop. 1997; 44–45: 47–50.
Artichoke (Cynara scolymus)
Artichoke is popular for its pleasant bitter taste, which is attributed mostly to a plant chemical called cynarin found in the green parts of the plant. Cynarin is considered one of artichoke's main biologically active chemicals. It occurs in the highest concentration in the leaves of the plant, which is why leaf extracts are most commonly employed in herbal medicine.
Emendorfer, F., et al. “ Antispasmodic activity of fractions and cynaropicrin from Cynara scolymus on guinea-pig ileum.” Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2005; 28(5): 902-4.
Emendorfer, F., et al. “Evaluation of the relaxant action of some Brazilian medicinal plants in isolated guinea-pig ileum and rat duodenum.” J. Pharm. Pharm. Sci. 2005 Mar; 8(1): 63-8.
Bundy, R., et al. “Artichoke leaf extract reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and improves quality of life in otherwise healthy volunteers suffering from concomitant dyspepsia: a subset analysis.” J. Altern. Complement. Med. 2004 Aug; 10(4): 667-9.
Holtmann, G., et al. “Efficacy of artichoke leaf extract in the treatment of patients with functional dyspepsia: a six-week placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicentre trial.” Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. 2003 Dec; 18(11-12): 1099-105.
Walker, A. F., et al. “Artichoke leaf extract reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in a post-marketing surveillance study.” Phytother. Res. 2001; 15(1): 58–61.
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