Boxwood toxicity

Is boxwood a toxic plant?

Boxwood is a toxic plant. All plant parts are poisonous, especially the bark and leaves.

What are the boxwood components?

  • Steroidal Alkaloids: buxine, parabuxine, parabuxinina, cloprptobuxine, buixidine, buxenone, buxandrine, buxinamine, bebeerine, bebbuxine, buxalphine, buxamine, buxaminol, buxanine, buxatine, cyclovirobuxineD and derivatives.
  • Essential oil
  • Tannins
  • Flavonoids

Effects of boxwood

  • Boxwood alkaloids are cardiotonic, sudorific, purgative, antirheumatic, antiseptic, anti-malarial and colagogogue.
  • These alkaloids are toxic to animals. Poisoning have occurred in humans.
  • Essential oils of the plant are probably toxic.

Intoxication with boxwood

BoxwoodBoxwood

– The first symptoms of poisoning that usually occur are: dizziness, vomiting, stomachache, and intestinal spasms.

– Depending on the dose, boxwood can produce nerve stimulation, digestive disorders, respiratory problems, even paralysis.

– Diarrhea and digestive disorders can be side effects in treatments with boxwood.

Precautions with boxwood

  • Do not take internal treatments with boxwood. For all its applications, there are other no toxic natural remedies. See the list of natural remedies that we have in Botanical-online.
  • Do not take boxwood if you are pregnant or lactating.
  • Do not use in children under 15 years.
  • It is recommended not to use this plant for internal use.

punto rojo More information on boxwood.

This article was endorsed by Elisenda Carballido - Dietitian nutritionist. Postgraduate in Phytotherapy and master in Nutrition and Metabolism.
Editorial
Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

11 August, 2021

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