Cascara
Frangula purshiana (DC.) A.GrayRhamnaceae // aged bark
Overview
Plant parts
aged bark
Known constituents
cascarosides, anthraquinones
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include cascarosides; anthraquinones; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
TRADITIONAL: Cascara has been used for constipation; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants
Modern evidence
EVIDENCE: For the major use set (constipation), the evidence assessment is limited/mixed: Effective stimulant laxative, but safety concerns and lack of modern long-term evidence limit use.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants
Mixed findings, product heterogeneity, or indirect evidence are preserved in the detailed profile.
Preparation
Forms used traditionally
A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.
PREPARATION: The medicinal material is aged bark; traditional and modern forms include decoction, tincture, powder/capsule, standardized extract. No dose or potency is specified.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Preparation-specific evidence should not be generalized across extracts, teas, oils, or whole herb.
Safety
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
SAFETY: Major issues include Cramping, diarrhea, electrolyte loss; chronic misuse and rare liver injury. Contraindications/cautions include Bowel obstruction; inflammatory bowel disease.
HIGH · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include Potassium-depleting drugs, digoxin and antiarrhythmics.
MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.
SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Avoid in pregnancy/lactation unless under authoritative monograph conditions.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants
Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Dogs
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Identity
- Synonym
GBIF resolves Rhamnus purshiana (Pursh) DC. as a synonym of Frangula purshiana. The older name still appears in herbal and taxonomic literature.
HIGH · GBIF Species Match API
Botanical synonym
Rhamnus purshiana DC.
Taxonomic identity note
- Cascara is treated here as Frangula purshiana (DC.) A.Gray in the family Rhamnaceae; recorded older names include Rhamnus purshiana DC..
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
WHO monograph
NIH LiverTox monograph
- Plants of the World Online1 claim
botanical taxonomy database
EMA monograph
- GBIF Species Match API1 claim
authoritative taxonomic database