Calamus root, c/s

Approx. Cups/Lb: 6 cups

Herb:  Calamus Root

Botanical Name:  Acorus calamus

Common Names:  Calamus, Sweet Flag, Cinnamon Sedge, Sweet Sedge, Sweet Root, Sweet Cane, Sweet Rush, Myrtle Grass, Myrtle Flag, Gladdon

Habitat/Range:  Native to India and North America and naturalized in Europe, Australia, Siberia, China, Japan and Indonesia.

Description:  Calamus produces tiny green flowers, but does not bear fruit. The leaves are stem-less, shaped like spears and arranged in dual rows. The rhizome yields and oil that is highly fragrant and imparts a bitter flavor.

Parts Used:  Rhizomes

Traditional Uses:  Calamus has been used medicinally for centuries by various North American peoples, such as the Penobscot tribe of Canada and the Potawatomi people of the upper Mississippi River region of the United States. In Medieval Europe, the herb was strewn across floors to mask the offensive odors of poor sanitation and was used as roofing thatch.  In traditional Indian medicine, or Ayurveda, calamus is used to treat toothaches and stomach complaints.

Chemical Composition:  Calamus root contains a volatile oil called asarone, including alpha, beta and gamma types. Other chief constituents found in the rhizome include  ZZ-Deca-4,7-dienal and acorone, the agents responsible for the herb’s fragrance and bitter taste, respectively, (1). Additional active chemicals found in the essential oil are methyl isoeugenol and cyclohexanone (1 and 2).

Pharmacological Actions:  According to the “Physicians’ Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines,” cis-isoaron is involved in glucose utilization, inhibits platelet aggregation and has insecticidal and vermicidal qualities (1). In fact, calamus root extract is used in veterinary medicine to counter cattle tick (4).

Animal-based studies suggest that that agent may act on the central nervous system since antispasmodic and sedative effects have been observed (1). The anti-ulcerative effect associated with this herb may also be due to this agent (1). Animal studies also indicate that calamus may have cardioprotective effects. For example, the June 22, 2011 issue of “Cardiovascular Toxicology” published a study in which calamus rhizome extract significantly lessened symptoms of isoproterenol-induced cardiomyopathy in rats (3).

Researchers from the College of Biomedical and Health Science at Konkuk University in Korea reported in the June 27, 2011 issue of the “Journal of Natural Products” that methyl isoeugenol and cyclohexanone demonstrate antimicrobial activity against various bacteria and yeast, including Propionibacterium acne (2).

Side Effects/Drug Interactions

According to the PDR for Herbal Medicines, there are no known health hazards or side effects associated with therapeutic dosages of calamus root. However, the editors caution that long-term use is not advised since malignant tumor formation was observed in rats that received a tetraploid strain of calamus oil for an extended time. As with all medicines, do not use this herb to self-treat any condition if you have a chronic condition, use other medications or are pregnant or nursing.