Sarsaparilla

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Sarsparilla)

This article or section has multiple issues. Please help improve the article or discuss these issues on the talk page.

It needs additional references or sources for verification. Tagged since April 2007.
It may require general cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.Tagged since July 2007.

Sarsaparilla

Image:Fruit aritjol.jpg

Scientific classification

Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Liliales
Family:	Smilacaceae
Genus:	Smilax
Species:	S. regelii

Binomial name

Smilax regelii
Killip & Morton

Sarsaparilla (pronounced SAS-per-il-luh, IPA /ˌsæspəˈɹɪlə/) (Smilax regelii and other closely related species of Smilax) is a perennial trailing vine with prickly stems native to tropical America and the West Indies. Its name comes from the Spanish words sarza for "shrub" and parilla for "little vine."^[1]

1 History
2 Uses
3 Appearance
4 See also
5 References

History

Throughout history, Sarsaparilla has been used to cure syphilis. Native Americans used Saraparilla for its medical benefits also. The root of the plant is what is used in medicine.^[2] In the nineteenth century, it was believed it could improve one's vigor.

Uses

Saraparilla contains active principle, Parillin (Smilacin), glucoside, sarsapic acid, sarsapogenin (related to progesterone and used in its synthesis), sarsaponin and starch ^[3]

Fatty acids:

Oral remedy for psoriasis^[4]

Appearance

The vine has a long prickly stem and shiny leaves, and numerous reddish-brown roots up to 3 meters long. Several species of Smilax are used in agriculture, but the Jamaican S. regelii (syn. S. officinalis) is the species preferred for commercial use. Sarsaparilla is also grown in Mexico, Central America and parts of South America. It is also grown in parts of South India, known in Telugu as Sugandhi-pala, in Kannada as sogade beru and in Tamil as Nannaari. The primary uses of sarsaparilla include the flavoring of beverages, and folk medicine.

Before processing, the roots are bitter, sticky, and have a strong odor. They are dried and boiled in order to produce the extract. In beverages, oil of wintergreen or other flavors may be added in order to mask the natural bitterness of the root. Root beer made from sarsaparilla roots is generally more "birchy" than the extract used in the more popular, commercial brands.

A carbonated beverage, made from and called sarsaparilla, is available in many countries.^[5]