Sanguinaria canadensis, the only species in its genus, is a dainty woodland herb of the eastern and midwestern portions of North America. It is one of the earliest flowers to emerge in spring; each plant bears a single white flower and a single lobed leaf that expands fully after the plant has finished flowering. The small cylindrical rhizome bleeds a red-orange latex when broken, hence the common name. Bloodroot tea was formerly used for respiratory ailments, and bloodroot is used in toothpastes that are intended to reduce gum disease. Bloodroot contains skin-irritating compounds and was used topically for warts. It was also a main ingredient in traditional ?black salves? that were supposed to destroy tumors on or under the skin; these are still marketed today but (as discussed below) are quite unsafe. European agribusinesses, which are forbidden to increase animal growth rates by putting antibiotics in feed, have been purchasing large amounts to add to animal feed as a natural substitute. As bloodroot is a small, slowly reproducing plant, industrial-scale harvesting would probably be unsustainable and threaten the survival of the species in many areas.

Internal use of bloodroot is now avoided, because it contains alkaloids that are fairly toxic. It has a demonstrated antibacterial activity, and most human trials show that the short-term use of bloodroot toothpaste and mouthwash does reduce plaque and gum inflammation. Studies have not lasted longer than several months, meaning that safety of long-term use has not been fully demonstrated. Use of bloodroot toothpaste has been reported to be associated with leukoplakia (whitish lesions in the mouth), although leukoplakia is common and the evidence for causality is limited. Bloodroot-based escharotic (tissue-destroying) ?cancer salves? require weeks of daily applications, which slowly and painfully burn deeper into the tissues exposed, before the dead tissue finally falls out, leaving a large raw wound crater. Although bloodroot extract is sometimes used by dermatologists under controlled conditions, folk preparations are too dangerous to be used in preference to simple surgical removal of growths, which is readily available in modern times (and does not commit patients to accepting other allopathic treatments). Even if the escharotic process removed cancer as effectively as surgery (and there is reason to suspect that it may not), it is far more painful, and side effects include severe scarring and disfigurement. These salves should no longer be sold or used.

Selected References

Allen, C. L., J. Loudon, and A. K. Mascarenhas. 2001. Sanguinaria-related leukoplakia: epidemiologic and clinicopathologic features of a recently described entity. Gen. Dent. 49:608-614.

Hong, S. J., S. S. Jeong, and K. B. Song. 2005. Effect of sanguinaria in fluoride-containing dentifrices on the remineralisation of subsurface carious lesion in vitro. Int. Dent. J. 55:128-132.

Kiger, R. W. 1997. Sanguinaria. P. 305 in: Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. Flora of North America, vol. 3. Oxford University Press: New York.

McDaniel, S., and G. D. Goldman. 2002. Consequences of using escharotic agents as primary treatment for nonmelanoma skin cancer. Arch. Dermatol. 138:1593-1596.

Munro, I. C., E. S. Delzell, E. R. Nestmann, and B. S. Lynch. 1999. Viadent usage and oral leukoplakia: a spurious association. Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 30:182-196.

Schemske, D. W. 1978. Sexual reproduction in an Illinois population of Sanguinaria canadensis L. Amer. Midl. Nat. 100:261-268.

Tenenbaum, H., M. Dahan, and M. Soell. 1999. Effectiveness of a sanguinarine regimen after scaling and root planing. J. Periodontol. 70:307-311.