 |
| Astragalus membranaceus |
I found an article in which nine different herbal medicines were tested in China to test their efficacy in testing viral diseases including viral myocarditis. While more research needs to be done, the article states that herbal medicines are widely used for treating viral myocarditis in China. One plant that showed some positive findings was Astragalus membranaceus, and you can read the article here:
Herbal medicines for viral myocarditis
- James Conrad Moore
I have created a 'Resources' section on the main page of this blog that lists many articles I have found concerning Ailanthus altissima & myocarditis. Some of the links also explore the Spotted Lanternfly as the tree of heaven is the main source of food for this invasive pest. I also included one link to a research article that studied alkaloids present in the bark of Ailanthus altissima.
Of the links on the main page of this blog are eight articles which connect exposure to the sap of Ailanthus alissima as being a cause of myocarditis. I will also list the links to those articles here:
Myocarditis from the Chinese Sumac Tree
Tree-of-Heaven Isn’t “Heavenly”
Tree-of-heaven | Ontario Invading Species Awareness Program
A Tale of Two Invaders: Tree of Heaven and Spotted Lanternfly
Tree-of-Heaven | PennState Extension
Now is the Time to Tackle Tree of Heaven
Heart Beat: Tree of heaven may be hard on the heart
- James Conrad Moore
A plant lover I work with by the name of Delisa mentioned to me that her son was working with Ailanthus altissima in New York, and that I should see what I can find about that plant in that state. One of the first articles I found was from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation that focused on an invasive insect called Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). That moth has a bright orange color to warn predators that it's toxic, and it obtains that toxic characteristic from the Tree of Heaven...
That led me to another article that studied what alkaloids could be isolated from the root bark of Tree of Heaven. My plan now is to find other plants that contain similar alkaloids and if there are any reports related to medical issues caused by being exposed to the sap. I also plan to make a list of all articles I've found along my journey in making this blog.
- James Conrad Moore
