EFFECTS OF WILLOW BARK (Salix alba) AND ITS SALICYLATES ON BLOOD COAGULANT

Abstract

The herb white willow (Salix alba), also known as willow bark, is used to treat pain and fever. It is also used for myalgias, osteoarthritis, dysmenorrheal, gouty arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, common cold, influenza, and weight loss. White willow contains a substance (salicine) that is converted by the body into a salicylate similar to the blood-thinner aspirin. Over the last twenty years, another use for aspirin has emerged connected with the discovery of its anti-thrombotic action.

Use of a hydroalcoholic extract of Salix alba L. bark powder in diets of broilers exposed to high heat stress

“…Salix alba extract has free radical scavenging activity and can be used as a radical inhibitor or scavenger, with the possibility of acting as a primary antioxidant (Sulaiman et al, 2013). When willow bark is used, its toxicity is much less than aspirin toxicity, owing to the low levels of salicylates in the plant products (Altınterim, 2013). Implications of human use of Salix as a source of acetylsalicylic acid have been studied (Mahdi, 2010;Vlachojannis et al, 2011;Ishikado et al, 2013).…”

Heat Stress in Broiler Chickens and the Effect of Dietary Polyphenols, with Special Reference to Willow (Salix spp.) Bark Supplements—A Review

“…Salicin is considered the main active ingredient as it is metabolized to salicylic acid. All Salix species contain salicin, but in a low quantity, which is metabolized during absorption into various salicylate derivatives [ 80 ]. According to the European Pharmacopoeia (04/2008: 2312), the willow bark extract contains at least 5.0% of the total salicylic derivates, expressed as salicin (C 13 H 18 O 7 ).…”

“…The extract is obtained from the active principle of the plant, by an appropriate procedure, using either water, or an equivalent hydroalcoholic solvent with a concentration of maximum 80% ethanol v / v . Toxicity is far lower with willow bark than with aspirin due to the low levels of salicylates in the plant products [ 80 ]. However, willow bark is an important bitter tonic with marked astringent properties in humans, making it useful in chronic hypersecretory states, such as mucus discharges, passive hemorrhage, leucorrhea, humid asthma, diarrhea, and dysentery [ 80 ].…”

“…Toxicity is far lower with willow bark than with aspirin due to the low levels of salicylates in the plant products [ 80 ]. However, willow bark is an important bitter tonic with marked astringent properties in humans, making it useful in chronic hypersecretory states, such as mucus discharges, passive hemorrhage, leucorrhea, humid asthma, diarrhea, and dysentery [ 80 ]. The effects of willow bark attributed to the salicin compounds include analgesic [ 78 ], anti-inflammatory [ 32 , 81 , 82 ], antipyretic [ 83 , 84 ], and antiplatelet activity [ 80 ].…”

“…Some authors [ 34 ] supported the antibacterial effect of S. alba , showing that, in liquid media, the willow extract had a 100% inhibitory effect against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus , while on agar media, it was the most active antibacterial agent against Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus . A researcher [ 80 ] highlighted that salicylates have unique physicochemical properties, caused by the close steric vicinity of the acetate hydroxyl group to the carboxyl group. The same authors explained that the major functional consequence is the action of salicylate as protonophore, for example, in mitochondrial membranes, to uncouple oxidative phosphorylation because of the abolition of the membrane impermeability to protons.…”