Smilax ornata is a perennial trailing vine with prickly stems that is native to Mexico and Central America.[3] Common names include sarsaparilla,[4] Honduran sarsaparilla,[4] and Jamaican sarsaparilla.[4]
It is known in Spanish as zarzaparrilla, which is derived from the words zarza meaning "bramble" (from Basque sartzia "bramble"), and parrilla, meaning "little grape vine".[5][6][7][8][9]
Smilax ornata is used as the basis for a soft drink frequently called sarsaparilla. It is also a primary ingredient in old fashioned-style root beer,[10] in conjunction with sassafras,[11] which was more widely available prior to studies of its potential health risks.[12]
Smilax ornata was considered by Native Americans to have medicinal properties, and was a popular European treatment for syphilis when it was introduced from the New World.[13] From 1820 to 1910, it was registered in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a treatment for syphilis.
Triterpenes, a constituent of sarsaparilla
Sarsaparilloside, a constituent of sarsaparilla
Sarsaparilla R1, a constituent of sarsaparilla
Sarsaparilla R2, a constituent of sarsaparilla
Parillin, a constituent of sarsaparilla
Smilax ornata is a perennial trailing vine with prickly stems that is native to Mexico and Central America. Common names include sarsaparilla, Honduran sarsaparilla, and Jamaican sarsaparilla.
It is known in Spanish as zarzaparrilla, which is derived from the words zarza meaning "bramble" (from Basque sartzia "bramble"), and parrilla, meaning "little grape vine".
