Pokeweed

Scientific Name(s): Phytolacca americana L.
Common Name(s): American nightshade, Cancer jalap, Cancerroot, Chongras, Coakum, Crowberry, Garget, Inkberry, Pigeonberry, Poke, Pokeberry, Red ink plant, Scoke

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Mar 21, 2022.

Clinical Overview

Use

Young pokeweed leaves and berries may be eaten as food, but only after being cooked properly by boiling in several changes of water. Clinical trials are lacking; however, applications for observed antiviral activity are being investigated.

Dosing

At doses of 1 g, dried pokeweed root is emetic and purgative. At lower doses of 60 to 100 mg/day, the root and berries have been used to treat rheumatism and for immune stimulation; however, there are no clinical trials that support these uses or doses.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not yet been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Documented adverse effects. Avoid use. Uterine stimulant with toxic constituents; is reputed to affect menstrual cycle.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

GI distress, possibly leading to severe toxicities (see Toxicology).

Toxicology

Ingestion of poisonous parts of the plant may cause severe stomach cramping, nausea with persistent diarrhea and vomiting, slow and difficult breathing, weakness, spasms, hypotension, severe convulsions, and death.

Scientific Family

• Phytolaccaceae

Botany

Pokeweed is an ubiquitous plant found in areas such as fields, along fences, and in damp woods. Pokeweed is indigenous to eastern North America, and widely naturalized in Europe, the West Indies, and Asia. This vigorous shrub-like perennial can grow up to 4 m from a heavy tap root. The reddish stem has large pointed leaves that taper at both ends. The flowers are numerous, in small and greenish-white racemes, developing into clusters of juicy, purple-black berries that mature from July to September.1, 2

History

Pokeweed leaves and roots have been used in folk medicine for the treatment of chronic rheumatism and arthritis, and as an emetic and purgative.3 The plant has also been used to treat edema4 skin cancers, catarrh, dysmenorrhea, mumps, ringworm, scabies, tonsillitis, and syphilis. Poke greens, the young immature leaves, are commercially canned and sold under the name "poke salet." The juice of the berries has been employed as an ink, a dye, and as a coloring agent in wine.5

Chemistry

The toxic components of the plant are saponins based on the triterepene genins phytolaccagenin, jaligonic acid, phytolaccagenic acid (phytolaccinic acid), esculentic acid, and pokeberrygenin.4 These include phytolaccosides A, B, D, E, and G, and phytolaccasaponins B, E, and G.6, 7 The saponins are present in cell culture as well.8 The free triterpenes also have been isolated from different plant parts.4, 9 In addition, poke root has been found to contain sterols, including alpha-spinasterol.10

Several neolignans have been isolated from seeds, including americanins A, B, and D11, 12; americanol A; isoamericanol A13; and the methyl esters and ethers of the latter compounds.14

A 4 kDa antifungal peptide, PAFP-s, has been elucidated from th...