Raspberry leaf
Chinese name:
Medical Name:
Latin Name: Rubus idaeus
Origin:
Property: Warm
Taste: Slightly sour, salty
Quotes from Chinese historical sources
Western Research
Cancer Lett. 2006 May 18;236(2):282-91.
In vitro antileukaemic activity of extracts from berry plant leaves against sensitive and multidrug resistant HL60 cells.
Skupień K, Oszmiański J, Kostrzewa-Nowak D, Tarasiuk J.
Department of Processing and Storage of Plant Raw Materials, Agricultural Academy of Szczecin, 17 Słowackiego st, 71-434 Szczecin, Poland.
The aim of the present study was to determine in vitro antileukaemic activity of extracts obtained from selected berry plant leaves (Fragaria x ananassa Duch. cv Elsanta, raspberry Rubus ideus L. cv Polana and blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum L. cv Bluecrop) against promyelocytic HL60 cell line and its multidrug resistant sublines exhibiting two different MDR phenotypes: HL60/VINC (overexpressing P-glycoprotein) and HL60/DOX (overexpressing MRP1 protein). It was found that the blueberry extract was the most efficient against sensitive HL60 cell line (about 2-fold more active than strawberry and raspberry extracts) but presented much lower activity towards resistant cells. In contrast, strawberry and raspberry extracts exhibited the high cytotoxic activity against sensitive leukaemia HL60 cell line as well as its MDR sublines. The values of resistance factor (RF) found for these extracts were very low lying in the range 0.32/2.0.
Curr Med Chem. 2004 Jun;11(11):1501-12.
Therapeutic constituents and actions of Rubus species.
Patel AV, Rojas-Vera J, Dacke CG.
School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2DT, UK. asmita.sautreau@port.ac.uk
Rubus species (family Rosaceae) have been cultivated for centuries for their fruits. These and other parts of the plants have been used traditionally for therapeutic purposes. This article highlights these and the potential they can offer. The constituents reported in the various species and those demonstrated to exhibit pharmacological properties have been reviewed. In the search for biologically active compounds, one of the most frequently documented species of the genus is the raspberry plant R. idaeus, the leaves of which have been used traditionally as a uterine relaxant and stimulant during confinement, for the treatment of diarrhoea and similar enteric disorders and as an astringent. Investigations of other Rubus species have been conducted in the last twenty-five years, and have shown possible application for a wide range of indications, including bacterial infections, anxiety, pain and inflammation.
Phytother Res. 2002 Nov;16(7):665-8.
Relaxant activity of raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaf extract in guinea-pig ileum in vitro.
Rojas-Vera J, Patel AV, Dacke CG.
School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2DT, UK.
Tea made from the leaves of Rubus idaeus L. (raspberry) has been used for centuries as a folk medicine to treat wounds, diarrhoea, colic pain and as a uterine relaxant. Extracts of dried raspberry leaves prepared with different solvents, (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform and methanol) were tested in vitro for relaxant activity on transmurally stimulated guinea-pig ileum. The methanol (MeOH) extract exhibited the largest response and also indicated that the active compounds are of a relatively polar nature. Hence the bulk of the leaves were extracted with methanol and the dried extract fractionated on a silica gel column, eluting with chloroform, mixtures of chloroform and methanol and finally methanol. Each fraction was examined by thin layer chromatography and tested for relaxant activity in an in vitro transmurally stimulated guinea-pig ileum preparation. The fractions eluted with chloroform (CHCl(3)) lacked relaxant activity. Samples eluted with CHCl(3)/MeOH (95:5) had moderate relaxant activity, while a second distinctive peak of activity eluted with a more polar solvent mixture (CHCl(3)/MeOH 50:50) provided strong dose dependent responses. Evidence was obtained that there are at least two components of raspberry leaf extract which exhibit relaxant activity in an in vitro gastrointestinal preparation. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aust Coll Midwives Inc J. 1999 Sep;12(3):20-5.
Raspberry leaf and its effect on labour: safety and efficacy.
Parsons M, Simpson M, Ponton T.
Westmead Hospital
The purpose of this study was to examine the safety and efficacy of raspberry leaf products consumed by a group of mothers during their pregnancy, by comparison with a group of mothers who did not. A retrospective observational design was used. Subjects were women who birth their babies at Westmead Hospital between January 1998-July 1998. The sample consisted of 108 mothers; 57 (52.8%) consumed raspberry leaf products while 51 (47.2%) were in the control group. The findings suggest that the raspberry leaf herb can be consumed by women during their pregnancy for the purpose for which it is taken, that is, to shorten labour with no identified side effects for the women or their babies. The findings also suggest ingestion of the drug might decrease the likelihood of pre and post-term gestation. An unexpected finding in this study seems to indicate that women who ingest raspberry leaf might be less likely to receive an artificial rupture of their membranes, or require a caesarean section, forceps or vacuum birth than the women in the control group.
