Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a member of the family Papaveraceae.1 This North American plant commonly is found in widespread distribution from Nova Scotia, Canada, to Florida and from the Great Lakes to Mississippi.2 Historically, Native Americans used bloodroot as a skin dye and as a medicine for many ailments.3
Bloodroot blooms for only a few days, starting in March, and fruits in June. The flowers comprise 8 to 10 white petals, surrounding a bed of yellow stamens (Figure). The plant thrives in wooded areas and grows to 12 inches tall. In its off-season, the plant remains dormant and can survive below-freezing temperatures.4
Flowered bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis).
Chemical Constituents
Bloodroot gets its colloquial name from its red sap, which is released when the plant’s rhizome is cut. This sap contains a high concentration of alkaloids that are used for protection against predators. The rhizome itself has a rusty, red-brown color; the roots are a brighter red-orange.4
The rhizome of S canadensis contains the highest concentration of active alkaloids; the roots also contain these chemicals, though to a lesser degree; and the leaves, flowers, and fruits harvest approximately 1% of the alkaloids found in the roots.4 The concentration of alkaloids can vary from one plant to the next, depending on environmental conditions.5,6
The major alkaloids in S canadensis include both quaternary benzophenanthridine alkaloids (eg, sanguinarine, chelerythrine, sanguilutine, chelilutine, sanguirubine, chelirubine) and protopin alkaloids (eg, protopine, allocryptopine).3,7 Of these, sanguinarine and chelerythrine typically are the most potent.1 Oral ingestion or topical application of these molecules can have therapeutic and toxic effects.8
Biophysiological Effects
Bloodroot has been shown to have remarkable antimicrobial effects.9 The plant produces hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion.10 These mediators cause oxidative stress, thus inducing destruction of cellular DNA and the cell membrane.11 Although these effects can be helpful when fighting infection, they are not necessarily selective against healthy cells.12
Alkaloids of bloodroot also have cardiovascular therapeutic effects. Sanguinarine blocks angiotensin II and causes vasodilation, thus helping treat hypertension.13 It also acts as an inotrope by blocking the Na+/K+ ATPase pump. These effects in a patient who is already taking digoxin can cause notable cardiotoxicity because the 2 drugs share a mechanism of action.14