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Quebracho

Table of contents

Other Names

Aspidosperma chakensisAspidosperma crotalorumAspidosperma quebrachoAspidosperma quebracho-blancoAspidosperma quebracho-blanco f. malmeanaAspidosperma quebracho-blanco f. schlechtendalianaAspidosperma quebracho-blanco var. ellipticumAspidosperma quebracho-blanco var. pendulaAspidosperma quebracho-coloradoAspidosperma quebrachoideumAxe-breakerBaraúnaBraúnaBreakaxBreakaxeCommon white quebrachoCoronilloHorco quebrachoKebrakoLoxopterygium lorentziiMacaglia quebrachoMacaglia quebracho-blancoQuebrachia laurentziiQuebrachia lorentziiQuebrachilloQuebrachillo flojoQuebracho biancoQuebracho blancoQuebracho blanco coloradoQuebracho blanco lloronQuebracho bolíQuebracho chaqueñoQuebracho coloradoQuebracho colorado chaqueñoQuebracho colorado santiagueñoQuebracho cornilloQuebracho crespoQuebracho femeaQuebracho flojoQuebracho machoQuebracho montanoQuebracho negroQuebracho rojoQuebracho santafesinoQuebracho serranoQuebraco biancoRed quebrachoSchinopsis balansaeSchinopsis haenkeanaSchinopsis heterophyllaSchinopsis lorentziiSchinopsis lorentzii var. marginataSchinopsis marginataSchinopsis quebracho-coloradoWeisse quebrachoholzWhite quebrachoWillow-leaf red quebracho

Synopsis

Quebracho: A Comprehensive Reference

1. Identity and Botanical Classification

The name "quebracho" does not refer to a single botanical species but to a group of exceptionally dense South American hardwood trees. "Quebracho" is a common name in Spanish to describe very hard-wooded tree species, and its etymology derives from quiebrahacha, or quebrar hacha, meaning "axe-breaker." As a dietary supplement and medicinal ingredient, quebracho is principally sourced from two distinct genera, each with different chemical profiles and medical relevance:

  • Red quebracho — principally Schinopsis lorentzii (Griseb.) Engl. and Schinopsis balansae Engl. (family Anacardiaceae), native to the Gran Chaco region of Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia. These species are the primary industrial and winemaking sources of condensed tannin extracts. Important industrial sources of proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins) include mimosa bark extract (Acacia mearnsii) and quebracho heartwood extract.
  • White quebracho — Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco Schltdl. (family Apocynaceae), the medicinally distinct species whose bark contains a rich profile of terpenoid indole alkaloids including aspidospermine and yohimbine. At maturity, Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco can reach up to 25 m in height, with a straight trunk up to 0.8–1 m in diameter, and is widely used in the Chaco region as medicine to treat fever, malaria, swellings, stomach upsets, cough, headaches, syphilis, impotence, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and asthma-related dyspnea.

Three ecologically valuable species found in the Gran Chaco region are the red quebracho (Schinopsis lorentzii), the willow-leaf red quebracho (Schinopsis balansae), and the white quebracho (Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco).

Common Forms and Preparations

The two botanical types yield markedly different commercial preparations:

  • Quebracho tannin extract (from Schinopsis spp.): produced as a dry powder or liquid extract by hot-water extraction of the heartwood or bark. These extracts are purchased as powders from commercial producers, and the extraction methods are food-grade, characterized by natural hot-water extraction. Quebracho wood extract (QUE) is rich in a profisetinidin condensed tannin, with a tannin content of approximately 80% determined by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) method. The extract is also sold in granulated or liquid form for use in winemaking, leather tanning, and animal nutrition.
  • Aspidosperma bark extract (from A. quebracho-blanco): prepared as fluid extracts, decoctions, or tinctures from the dried stem bark, the plant part most commonly used in medicinal preparations. The stem bark of A. quebracho-blanco is the most frequently used plant part in medicinal preparations. In Europe, a standardized extract has been used as a prescription drug ingredient (see Section 5).
  • Homeopathic preparations: Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco is used in homeopathic medicine, where it is prepared in standard homeopathic dilutions (mother tincture and beyond) and is associated historically with respiratory indications.

2. Traditional and Historical Use

Indigenous and Pre-Colonial Use

For centuries, indigenous peoples of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil harnessed the medicinal properties of quebracho bark and wood. The bark of Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco, known as white quebracho, has been employed in traditional folk medicine across South America, particularly in the Chaco region of Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia, to treat respiratory ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, cough, and dyspnea, as well as fever, malaria, swellings, stomach upsets, headaches, and pain. Preparations typically involved decoctions or tinctures from the bark, which was valued for its bitter tonic properties and febrifuge effects.

Hieronymus records that the natives of the Argentine Republic and Paraguay made many uses of the tree: the juice of the unripe fruit was said to possess rennet-like properties used in cheesemaking, while the bark and leaves were used in tanning, with tannin content varying considerably across districts. The wood was used for tanning by the natives of South America, and in the fresh state, a decoction of the wood was reportedly used internally for ague and malarial fever.

White quebracho (Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco) was widely used in the Chaco region as medicine to treat fever, malaria, swellings, stomach upsets, cough, headaches, syphilis, impotence, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and asthma-related dyspnea. The plant's use for male sexual dysfunction is noteworthy given subsequent pharmacological investigation of its alkaloid content.

19th and Early 20th Century Western Adoption

Historical records from the 19th and early 20th centuries show that quebracho extracts were incorporated into Western pharmacopeia for treating asthma and other pulmonary conditions. A Spanish physician, Mariasi y Larrion of Madrid, employed quebracho in diseases of the respiratory and circulatory organs. A translated paper from 1880 reported that "the principal action of this drug is to cause a diminution of the number of pulse beats per minute, and lessen the frequency of the respiratory act," and that "its principal and direct action is on the circulatory center, giving tone and regularity to the contractions of the heart."

Aspidosperma was described in the early pharmacological literature as used in medicine for the relief of various types of dyspnea, especially in emphysema and asthma. Quebracho was noted to act specifically in restricted, difficult breathing — dyspnea — as occurring in many forms of heart disease and mildly in asthma of whatever character.

Like other native South American trees, the quebracho inspired wonder in South American culture and folklore, and it was also widely used in folk medicine to lower fevers and treat respiratory ailments. Its astringent properties also made it useful for addressing diarrhea and digestive disturbances.

From 19th-century pharmaceutical analysis, Froude isolated aspidospermine from the bark of Quebracho bianco, and Hesse found five additional alkaloids: aspidospermatine, aspidosamine (isomeric with it), quebrachine, hypoquebrachine, and quebrachamine. These alkaloids were subsequently studied in European and North American pharmacological literature through the early 20th century.

3. Key Constituents and Active Compounds

Condensed Tannins (Schinopsis spp.)

The heartwood and bark of red quebracho species contain a uniquely rich concentration of condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins, PAs). Quebracho is a condensed tannin that has a polymeric structure containing flavanoid units. The chemical structure of quebracho tannin extracts can be described as polymers of epicatechin, with the main properties being very rapid penetration, a high tannin content, and a relatively low percentage of non-tannins.

The quebracho extract is composed of approximately 95% condensed tannin (proanthocyanidins) and 5% water-soluble sugars on a dry basis. Red quebracho extract (Schinopsis lorentzii), containing 80% tannins mainly represented by profisetinidin condensed tannin, is obtained by hot-water extraction from trees originated in the Gran Chaco region of Argentina.

Progress in defining quebracho proanthocyanidin composition has been slow, mainly due to the complexity of the extracts and the difficulty of isolating pure proanthocyanidins; uncertainties include different hydroxylation patterns of the constituent flavan-3-ol aromatic rings, different configurations at stereogenic centers, the possibility of A-type interflavanyl bonds, average chain length (degree of polymerization), and the presence of angular oligomers.

In addition to the dominant condensed tannin fraction, analytical fractionation of Schinopsis lorentzii commercial tannin reveals other phenolic constituents. Fractions showing the highest antioxidant activity had gallic acid, pyrogallol, eriodictyol, catechin, and taxifolin identified as major constituents.

Terpenoid Indole Alkaloids (Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco)

Terpenoid indole alkaloids are the main biologically active principles of A. quebracho-blanco associated with its medicinal properties; the bark is rich in aspidospermine, yohimbine, deacetyl-aspidospermine, and quebrachamine. Additional isolated alkaloids include piryfolidine, 1,2-dehydroaspidospermidine, aspidospermidine, condilocarpine, aspidospermatidine, fendlerine, acuamicine, (−)-β-yohimbine, quebrachine (3α,15α,16α,17β,20α configuration), eburnamenine, eburnamine, and others.

Yohimbine, also known as quebrachine, is an indole alkaloid derived from both the bark of the African tree Pausinystalia johimbe (yohimbe) and from the bark of the unrelated South American tree Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco. Its presence in white quebracho bark is pharmacologically significant because yohimbine is a well-characterized alpha-2 adrenergic receptor antagonist.

Several of these terpenoid indole alkaloids showed in vitro and sometimes in vivo pharmacological activities that support the medicinal effects traditionally attributed to A. quebracho-blanco. Aspidospermine specifically showed in vitro antiplasmodial activity.

Mechanism of Action: Tannin Fraction

Condensed tannins, particularly proanthocyanidins, display potent antioxidant activity through radical scavenging, metal chelation, and activation of endogenous defenses. The strong redox-modulating capacity of condensed and hydrolysable tannins provides a unifying mechanistic explanation for their effects on inflammation, metabolism, gut integrity, and neuroprotection.

Tannins bind and precipitate proteins, which underlies their astringent quality and many of their biological effects. According to their chemical structure, tannins are a group of phenolic compounds with diverse structures that share the same ability to bind and precipitate proteins. This protein-binding capacity explains effects on digestive enzymes, microbial cell walls, and gut barrier function.

In the context of carbohydrate metabolism, quebracho tannin fractions have demonstrated direct inhibitory effects on digestive enzymes in vitro. The highest α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activity was observed in fractions containing condensed and hydrolysable tannins as well as esters of quinic acid with different units of gallic acid — the last class of gallic acid esters being reported for the first time as α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitors in this context.

Mechanism of Action: Alkaloid Fraction

The primary active constituents of A. quebracho-blanco are indole alkaloids including aspidospermine, quebrachamine, and yohimbine (also called quebrachine), alongside tannins; these compounds exert a stimulant action on the respiratory center in the medulla oblongata, increasing the rate and depth of respiration, which has led to their historical use in relieving emphysema-associated dyspnea and cardiac-related breathing difficulties.

The fall of blood pressure associated with aspidosperma alkaloids is due primarily to weakness of the heart, although larger doses also cause dilatation of the blood vessels by a depressant action on the medullary centers. The increase in respiration — the most marked effect of aspidosperma — appears to be due to direct action upon the respiratory center.

For yohimbine specifically, the mechanism involves competitive antagonism at alpha-2 adrenergic receptors. In concentration-dependent manner, bark extract inhibited binding to human penile alpha-2 adrenoceptors, and somewhat less potently inhibited binding to penile alpha-1 adrenoceptors.

4. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use

4.1 Respiratory Function

Quebracho's most historically prominent medical application relates to respiration, specifically in the context of A. quebracho-blanco alkaloids. Aspidosperma quebracho contains alkaloids including aspidospermine, which have been shown to have bronchodilator properties, making it potentially useful in respiratory disorders such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Evidence strength: Historical/pharmacological; no modern controlled human clinical trials identified. The respiratory effects of quebracho alkaloids were described extensively in 19th-century European medical literature and older pharmacopeias but have not been evaluated in modern randomized controlled trials. The U.S. Dispensatory and Ellingwood's American Materia Medica (1919) document clinical observations from the era of empirical medicine, and 19th-century investigators described reduction in respiratory frequency and relief of dyspnea in patients with emphysema, bronchitis, and cardiac asthma following administration of quebracho fluid extract. The various alkaloids of quebracho act more or less antagonistically to each other, but the chief observed effect is the increase in depth and regulation of the rate of respiration. These observations lack the methodological rigor of modern clinical trials and must be characterized as historical clinical reports, not controlled evidence.

4.2 Erectile Dysfunction

An extract from the bark of A. quebracho-blanco, which is used as a prescription drug to treat erectile dysfunction in some countries, has been investigated for binding to human penile alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptors and cloned human alpha-adrenoceptor subtypes.

The key pharmacological study (Sperling et al., 2002, published in The Journal of Urology) was a radioligand competition binding study using human penile tissue and cloned receptors. In a concentration-dependent manner, the extract inhibited binding to human penile alpha-2 adrenoceptors, and somewhat less potently inhibited prazosin binding to penile alpha-1 adrenoceptors. The extract inhibited binding to cloned alpha-2 adrenoceptors more potently than to alpha-1 adrenoceptors but did not discriminate among subtypes. The authors concluded that an alpha-adrenoceptor mediated component of the pro-erectile effects of the bark extract may predominantly be caused by its yohimbine content, and that the alpha-adrenoceptor-independent pro-erectile effects of the extract could not be determined from this study.

In some countries, Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco extract is in use as a prescription drug to treat erectile dysfunction, and the beneficial effect is thought to be largely due to its yohimbine content.

Evidence strength: Preclinical (in vitro receptor binding). Weak. Substances purported to be extracts from the yohimbe tree have been marketed as dietary supplements for purposes including erectile dysfunction, but they contain highly variable amounts of yohimbine; no published clinical evidence supports their efficacy for treating sexual dysfunction or any disease. Evidence for any of the claimed effects of Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco extract are lacking. The prescription use reported in some European countries is based on historical regulatory frameworks and pharmacological plausibility from the extract's yohimbine content, not on modern randomized controlled clinical trial evidence specific to the quebracho extract itself.

4.3 Antioxidant Activity

The antioxidant potential of quebracho tannin extracts has been documented extensively in laboratory studies. The ethyl acetate extract of a commercial Schinopsis lorentzii tannin used for red wine production was subjected to chromatographic fractionation; all fractions were analyzed by HPLC/ESI-MS/MS and NMR; fractions showing the highest antioxidant activity (by DPPH and ORAC assay) contained gallic acid, pyrogallol, eriodictyol, catechin, and taxifolin as major constituents.

Evidence strength: In vitro/laboratory studies only. Antioxidant capacity of quebracho tannins has been demonstrated consistently in cell-free and in vitro cell assays; no controlled human clinical trials specifically investigating quebracho's antioxidant effects in humans have been identified in the peer-reviewed literature.

4.4 Glycemic Regulation (Hypoglycemic Activity)

Laboratory investigation of quebracho tannin fractions has identified in vitro inhibitory activity against key carbohydrate-digesting enzymes. The highest alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase inhibitory activity was observed in tannin fractions containing condensed and hydrolysable tannins as well as esters of quinic acid with different units of gallic acid; the last class of gallic acid esters was reported for the first time in this context as alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase inhibitors.

Evidence strength: Preliminary, in vitro only. Alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase inhibition has been demonstrated in test-tube experiments on commercial quebracho tannin fractions from Schinopsis lorentzii. No human clinical trials investigating quebracho tannin supplementation for blood glucose management have been identified.

4.5 Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Tannins have shown numerous biological properties including antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral effects. For quebracho specifically: Although oral tannin supplementation did not result in clinical improvement or significant gut microbiome shifts after 14 days in one studied population, a reduction in inflammatory state was evident and significantly correlated with microbiota modulation; among cytokines measured, MIP-1α was significantly decreased with tannin treatment (p=0.03), where it correlated positively with IL-1β and TNF-α.

Evidence strength: Preliminary; primarily animal studies and limited human in vitro fermentation data. There are no peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials in healthy humans or patient populations specifically examining quebracho tannin's anti-inflammatory effects as a primary endpoint.

4.6 Gut Microbiota Modulation

This is an area of active scientific interest. A 2021 study published in Frontiers in Microbiology used in vitro digestion and fermentation by the gut microbiota of healthy human subjects. The study explored the viability of tannin wood extracts as gut microbiota modulators; 16S rRNA amplicon next-generation sequencing was used to test the effects on the gut microbiota of tannin extracts from quebracho, chestnut, and tara associated with commercial food products; the different tannin-enriched and non-enriched foods were submitted to in vitro digestion and fermentation by the gut microbiota of healthy subjects; the profile of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by the microbiota was also investigated. The presence of tannin extracts in food promoted an increase of the relative abundance of the genus Akkermansia, recognized as a marker of a healthy gut, and of various members of the Lachnospiraceae.

In animal studies, a mixture of quebracho and chestnut tannins (1.25%) was evaluated in weaned piglets. Sequence analysis revealed an increase in the genera Shuttleworthia, Pseudobutyrivibrio, Peptococcus, Anaerostipes, and Solobacterium in the tannin-supplemented group, whereas the dietary intervention reduced the abundance of Syntrophococcus, Atopobium, Mitsuokella, Sharpea, and Prevotella. The tested tannins appeared to modulate the gut microbiota, favouring groups of butyrate-producing bacteria.

Evidence strength: In vitro (using human microbiota) and animal studies; no controlled human intervention trials identified. The in vitro fermentation results are methodologically limited in their translational value, as intestinal conditions and microbiome complexity differ substantially from simulated systems. Human clinical trials are needed before conclusions can be drawn.

4.7 Methane Reduction and Rumen Health (Animal Nutrition)

The largest body of peer-reviewed research on quebracho tannins concerns their use as feed additives in ruminant livestock, where the goals include reducing enteric methane emissions and improving nitrogen utilization. This is not a human-health application but is an established area of scientific investigation.

Quebracho and chestnut tannins have shown promising potential for reducing enteric methane (CHâ‚„) emissions in ruminants. Both condensed and hydrolysable tannins have the ability to reduce enteric methane production in ruminants; however, the precise mechanism of action is not fully understood, with proposed hypotheses including reduction of ruminal digestibility, direct control action on protozoa, reduction of archaea, and a hydrogen sink mechanism.

A 2022 study evaluated quebracho condensed tannins in dairy goats using a controlled Latin square design. The study evaluated the impact of dietary quebracho CT extract at 0%, 2%, 4%, or 6% of dry matter on the composition of the dairy goat ruminal microbiota with a two-times repeated 4×4 Latin square design. Increasing CT levels reduced alpha- and beta-diversity, with the 6% CT diet showing the most pronounced decline; CT inclusion induced phylum-level shifts in fiber-degrading microbes, including inversion of the Firmicutes to Bacteroidota ratio; the study showed that decreased nutrient degradability in the rumen due to higher dietary CT alters the goat rumen microbiota and is associated with reduced methane production.

Quebracho and chestnut industrial tannin extracts were tested against fresh cattle manure slurry, and the results showed that all tannins added to freshly collected dairy manure could decrease Nâ‚‚O and CHâ‚„ emissions over a 14-day incubation period.

In a comparative goat study: A total of 27 cashmere goats received either a basal diet, a basal diet with 0.5% tannic acid (hydrolysable tannin), or a basal diet with 0.5% quebracho tannin (condensed tannin); compared to the control group, hydrolysable tannin showed decreased feed intake, while condensed (quebracho) tannin showed increased feed intake and body weight gain. The quebracho condensed tannin group showed a significant decrease in the abundances of Verrucomicrobia and Methanobrevibacter in the rumen.

These findings collectively support further investigation of tannins as a potential CHâ‚„-mitigating feed additive, although their antimethanogenic efficacy tends to increase with dosage; however, higher inclusion levels also raise the risk of antinutritional effects.

4.8 Antimalarial and Analgesic Activity

The indole alkaloids of Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco exhibited antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum (Bourdy et al., 2004) and analgesic activity (Benoit et al., 1973). While decoctions of quebracho wood were reportedly used internally by South American natives for ague and malarial fever, Heise and Penzoldt, in experimental investigations, found no alkaloids in dried specimens and reported that they possessed no therapeutical properties in malarial fevers in that context.

Evidence strength: Preliminary in vitro for antimalarial activity; historical anecdotal for analgesic use. No modern controlled clinical trials identified.

5. Body Systems and Health Areas of Association

  • Respiratory system: Historically associated with dyspnea, asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, and cardiac-related breathing difficulties through alkaloid-mediated respiratory center stimulation (A. quebracho-blanco).
  • Reproductive/urological system: Associated with erectile dysfunction through alpha-adrenoceptor antagonism of the yohimbine fraction; used as prescription drug ingredient in some countries for this indication.
  • Gastrointestinal system: Historically used for diarrhea and digestive disturbances through astringent/tannin-mediated effects; investigated for gut microbiota modulation and digestive enzyme inhibition.
  • Metabolic/glycemic regulation: Laboratory investigation identifies alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase inhibitory properties of tannin fractions.
  • Antioxidant/anti-inflammatory pathways: In vitro evidence for radical scavenging, metal chelation, and cytokine modulation.
  • Fever and infection: Traditionally used as a febrifuge; in vitro antimalarial and antiplasmodial activity demonstrated for isolated alkaloids.

6. Dosage Forms and Reported Dosages

Specific dosages for human use from controlled clinical trials are generally absent from the literature. The following dosages are reported only as stated in the available sources and pertain to specific research contexts:

  • Animal nutrition research (quebracho condensed tannin extract): Dietary quebracho condensed tannin extract was evaluated at 0%, 2%, 4%, or 6% of dry matter in dairy goat diets. A 140-day poultry trial evaluated dietary quebracho tannin inclusion at 0%, 1%, and 2% in growing females.
  • Goat study comparative dose: A 0.5% quebracho tannin (condensed tannin) inclusion in basal diet was evaluated in Liaoning cashmere goats.
  • Animal nutrition (tannin mixture in piglets): A mixture of quebracho and chestnut tannins at 1.25% was evaluated for its efficacy in reducing the negative weaning effects on piglet growth.
  • In vitro rumen study: An additive containing 70% condensed tannins from quebracho (on a dry matter basis) was added at four levels of inclusion (2, 4, 6, 8% on an as-fed basis) to fermentation substrate in rumen simulation.
  • Pharmacological study (bark extract / pro-erectile): Intraperitoneal injection of an indole alkaloid-rich fraction (25 and 50 mg/kg) in a mouse model elicited pro-erectile behavioral responses similar to yohimbine (2 mg/kg, i.p.); 75% of mice treated showed penile erections.
  • There is not enough scientific research to determine a recommended dosage for Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco extract in humans.

7. Safety Considerations and Interactions

Iron Absorption Inhibition

This is one of the most established safety considerations for tannin-rich substances including quebracho. Polyphenols and tannins present in various plant sources inhibit iron absorption, and the inhibition is dose-dependent, with higher amounts leading to greater reductions in iron absorption. The NIH states that tannic acid can inhibit nonheme iron absorption by binding iron, although ascorbic acid can lessen that effect in some meal contexts. This effect is relevant to individuals with iron deficiency anemia or those relying on plant-based (non-heme) iron sources.

Anti-Nutritional Effects at High Doses

While quebracho and chestnut tannins have shown potential as feed additives, higher inclusion levels raise the risk of antinutritional effects. These anti-nutritional effects, documented in animal nutrition research, include protein binding, reduced digestibility, and decreased feed intake at high doses. Dietary quebracho tannin may be used up to 1% in growing female White Livorno chickens without adverse effects on performance. The translational relevance of animal nutrition findings to human supplementation doses is uncertain.

Gastrointestinal Irritation

The irritating effect of quebracho alkaloids in the gut that stimulates cough can, if the dose is excessive, induce nausea and vomiting.

Skin Irritation (Topical / Environmental Exposure)

The tree's juice produces a serious skin irritation. This is relevant to occupational or direct-exposure contexts rather than oral supplementation.

Potential Carcinogenicity of Sulphited Extract

The sulphited quebracho extract has been reported to be potentially carcinogenic in mice; however, other more recent studies show that quebracho tannins present strong anti-mutagenic activity. This distinction between the sulphited and unsulphited forms of the extract is important; most commercial quebracho tannin used in food and nutrition applications is unsulphited.

Cardiovascular Effects (Alkaloids)

The alkaloids of quebracho are hypotensive overall; however, they are also arterially hypertensive, spasmolytic, diuretic, peripherally vasoconstrictive, and respiratory-stimulating. This complex and partially opposing profile reflects the different activities of individual alkaloids in the extract. The fall of blood pressure associated with aspidosperma alkaloids is due primarily to weakness of the heart, and larger doses cause dilatation of the blood vessels by a depressant action on the medullary centers. These cardiovascular effects suggest caution in contexts of cardiovascular compromise, though no controlled clinical safety data in humans are available.

Yohimbine-Specific Safety Concerns

Because A. quebracho-blanco bark extract contains yohimbine: In the United States, it is illegal to market an over-the-counter supplement product containing yohimbine as a treatment for any supposed health effect without FDA approval. Substances purported to be extracts from the yohimbe tree — which applies by extension to quebracho blanco extracts with yohimbine content — have been marketed as dietary supplements but contain highly variable amounts of yohimbine. Yohimbine is associated with cardiovascular stimulation, anxiety, and hypertension at pharmacological doses, effects that are relevant to extracts of A. quebracho-blanco that retain meaningful yohimbine concentrations.

Regulatory Status

Quebracho tannin extract from Schinopsis spp. is approved and used as a food additive and enological (winemaking) additive in various jurisdictions, including within the European Union for use in wine. The alkaloid-rich extract of A. quebracho-blanco has been used as a prescription drug ingredient for erectile dysfunction in some European countries, reflecting regulatory recognition of both its pharmacological activity and its associated safety profile relative to its yohimbine content.

References

Health Conditions

Health conditions that Quebracho may help support.

  • No conditions available.

Body Systems

Body systems that Quebracho may help support.

  • No body systems available.
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Quebracho | Vitabase