Family

Rutaceae

Genus

Zanthoxylum

Common Name

winged prickly ash

Plant Figure

Description

The deciduous shrub Zanthoxylum planispinum, more commonly known as winged prickly ash, is predominantly found in the southeast and southwest of China and Korea. It is widely used as medicinal herb for the treatment of colds, stomachaches, snakebites, toothaches and roundworms. Previous studies have demonstrated that this herb produces quite a varied number of phytochemicals, alkaloids , amides , lignans, essential oils and fatty acids are largely represented in this plant. Many of these compounds have shown anticancer, antiviral, antimicrobial, antiplatelet aggregation, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.