Buckthorn

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Turkey, Europe, Spain

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Emetic, Laxative, Poison, Purgative

Science studied: FRANGULIN-A, FRANGULIN-B, RHAMNETIN-3-RHAMNOSIDE, XANTHORHAMNIN

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Rhamnaceae

Scientific name: Rhamnus cathartica

Common names: Buckthorn, European Buckthorn, Adi cehri, Almindelig korsved, Bugogue, Cambron, Carolina buckthorn, Common Buckthorn, Common Buckthorn (EN), Common buckthorn, Draenen y Bwch, Dräidar, Dygioji šunobelė, Echter Kreuzdorn, Espina vera, Espina-cervina, Espino cerval, European buckthorn

POWO: 718256-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Turkey, Europe, Spain.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Emetic
• Laxative
• Poison
• Purgative
• Diuretic

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Turkey
• Europe
• Spain

Documented cultural uses

• Emetic
• Laxative
• Poison
• Purgative
• Diuretic

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Emetic · Turkey · "
• Laxative · Turkey · "
• Poison · Turkey · "
• Poison · Europe · "
• Purgative · Turkey · "
• Purgative · Spain · "
• Diuretic · Turkey · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• No evidence of a long-lived seedbank in common buckthorn, Rhamnus cathartica L., within Minnesota deciduous forests · 2024 source ↗
• Robinobiosylation of tyrosol by seed meal from Rhamnus cathartica. · 2023 source ↗
• Investigation of the antibacterial activity of <i>Rhamnus cathartica</i> L. and its anti-QS potential on <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> PAO1. · 2025 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• FRANGULIN-A
• FRANGULIN-B
• RHAMNETIN-3-RHAMNOSIDE
• XANTHORHAMNIN
• ALATERNIN
• ANTHARACENES
• ANTHRACENES
• ASCORBIC-ACID
• CATHARTICIN
• CHELIDONIC-ACID
• CHRYSOPHANIC-ACID
• EMODIN-8-O-BETA-D-GLUCOSIDE
• EMODIN-8-O-BETA-GENTIOBIOSIDE
• EMODIN-8-O-BETA-PRIMVEROSIDE
• FRANGULAEMODIN
• FRUCTOSE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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