Chaparro Amargo, a plant from my neck of the woods.
The Chaparro Amargo or Bisbirinda (Castela texana, tortuosa), a member of the Simaroubaceae family, is a thorny shrub acclimated to the semi-desert. It grows wild in Northern and Northeastern Mexico and the Southeastern United States. Other species are found in the Western part of the country and North America.
Castela texana ssp. tortuosa in early bloom with dew drops from the first rains. Dandelion Ranch, February 2018. P.L.
Our local Chaparro Amargo is harvested at Dandelion Ranch, located in Nuevo León, in a pristine area free from agriculture or livestock. It is respectfully pruned so as not to harm the plant; I ask for its permission to take some of its foliage, and I like to sing a song of gratitude for its valuable medicine. Ever since I read "The Secret Life of Plants" by Peter Tomkins, my perception of plant consciousness and intelligence has broadened. I use the leaves and stems to prepare our ethanolic tincture.
What service or help does this valuable plant provide to our lives? Below is a compilation of its traditional uses and the latest scientific studies regarding the plant and its properties:
It is widely used as an antidiarrheal, amoebicide (E. histolytica), and against intestinal parasites and trichomonas. Studies demonstrate its insecticidal activity against some lepidopterans, and cases of infections by Salmonella typhimurium and Helicobacter pylori. A study proved that this bacterium can cause mutations in the gastric lining and cancer, and Castela texana helps prevent it by eliminating the bacterium. Castela texana was shown to be antimutagenic and antigenotoxic, and even at very high concentrations, it is not toxic. C. texana has shown in studies the same effectiveness (80%) and NO side effects compared to other amoebicides like diiodohydroxyquinoline. (Martínez and Samaniego 1986 and 87)
People used to drink it as a tea, a decoction of the leaves and stems. On an empty stomach is best so it goes directly. In some cases, people use the root, which also contains active compounds. But since this method would mean killing the entire plant, we don't use it at Dandelion.
Its main constituents are: Alkaloids like allantoin, Quassinoids like: castelaline, casteloside A, B and C, chaparramarin, chaparrin, chaparrinone, chaparrolide, amarolide; Triterpenes: glaucarubol, glaucarubolone; Flavonoids: prosonin, fisetinidol; Lactones: castelanolid; Carbohydrates: glucose, sucrose.
Chaparro Amargo fruits. Dandelion Ranch, May 2018. P.L.
The preparation of the tincture is carried out by first collecting healthy and vibrant Castela texana plant material, which is then dried at room temperature. Next, pruning shears are used to cut it into small pieces that fit into the electric grinder (we often prick our fingers with the thorns!). Then we grind it bit by bit. Since it is a semi-hard wood and the thorns are tough, sometimes the grinder gets stuck. (We are waiting to raise funds to buy a good grinding machine that will make the process easier!)
As for verifiable stories, I myself, the author, have been cured on several occasions by this wonderful plant that grows abundantly where I am from. My uncle Alfonso once cured me of a stomachache, and Dr. Ana cured me a second time when I began to feel dizzy and nauseous. It was when my herbalism teacher, the renowned Biologist and Botanist Mauricio González Ferrara, from the Faculty of Biological Sciences at U.A.N.L., taught us how to make tinctures in a course and mentioned Chaparro Amargo that the idea came to me to create this medicine myself to reach and help those who do not have easy access to it.
One day, my boyfriend, feeling nauseous, I prepared him a warm tea with 30 drops of Chaparro Amargo tincture. He smiled and felt happy that after a few minutes the discomfort had subsided. Teas can enhance the effects of the tincture, due to the temperature and even more so if digestive plants such as mint, rosemary, ginger, or chamomile are used.
Infallible when traveling, Janet proved it when traveling through Guatemala and South America. She regretted not having her Chaparro Amargo with her on a trip to Cuba, as she contracted a stomach infection there that caused her pain, made her lose money on doctors and medicines, and resulted in 3 days of rest that diminished her vacation.
Renata says: "It cured my hangover." Although this type of case has not been examined, as Chaparro Amargo is a digestive ally in dyspepsia and liver purification, the argument makes sense.
Rachel, who travels a lot, was able to confirm firsthand the great effects of Castela texana, confessing that it had saved her on several occasions. Living in Oakland, she ordered her not-so-insignificant 30 bottles of Chaparro Amargo. Just in case!
Lluvia uses it to deworm every 6 months and takes it for a week.
Fernanda also says that "it has saved me several times."
My mom (the skeptic) says "wow, it worked for me, it took away the stomachache I had."
And only those who have suffered from a stomach infection know the horrible pain and inconveniences this causes. It's been almost 7 years since I've had this problem, and I travel a lot. I always have my Chaparrito tincture with me.
Do you have a Castela texana plant located? Go ahead and collect some, prepare some teas for yourself to provide health with traditional herbal medicine. As you may have learned if you read our links, C. texana is not toxic (you just have to identify it correctly and make sure it is not a different plant).
Comments?
Suggestions?
Testimonials?
We'd love to know.
Thanks for reading. Until next time.
P.
"The amoebicidal aqueous extract from Castela texana possesses antigenotoxic and antimutagenic properties." M. Reyes-López, S. Villa-Treviñoa, M. Arriaga-Alba, L. Alemán-Lazarini, M. Rodrıguez-Mendiolac, C. Arias-Castro, S. Fattel-Fazenda, M. de la Garza.
"In Vitro Anti-Trichomonic Activity of Castela texana." C. Calzado Flores, E.M. Guajardo Touche, M. P. Carranza Rosales & J.J. Segura Luna.