Question
What is your familiarity with the medicinal uses of Chaparral? Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Answer
HERBALPEDIA
CHAPARRAL
Larrea tridentata (in the past L. tridentata was
considered synonymous with the Argentinian
species L. divaricata, but most botanists now think
of them as separate species)
FAMILY: Zygophyllaceae
NAMES: Creosote Bush, Gobernadora,
Greasewood; hediondilla; dwarf evergreen oak
DESCRIPTION: The Creosote Bush is the most
characteristic feature of North America's hot
deserts. It is one of the best examples of a plant that
tolerates arid conditions simply by its toughness. It
competes aggressively with other plants for water,
and usually wins, accounting for its prevalence in
many arid locations of the southwest. This
medium-to-large evergreen shrub has numerous
flexible stems projecting at an angle from its base.
It is usually less than 4 feet high, but can grow to
12-foot heights with abundant water. Its small (1/4
to 1/2 inches), pointed, yellow-green leaves have
adapted to conserve water and dissipate heat. The
bush may lose some of these waxy, resinous leaves
during extreme drought, but never loses them all.
The secretion of the leaves gives them a varnished
look and is responsible for the creosote smell.
These leaves are especially pungent after a rain. Its
foliage provides refuge for crickets, grasshoppers
and praying mantids. The flowers are inch-wide
twisted, yellow petals bloom from February-August.
Some individuals maintain flowers year
round. The fruit is globose, hairy, reddish-white. It
prefers well-drained slopes and plains, especially
those with a layer of caliche, up to 4,000 feet.
CULTIVATION: Perennial to zone 9. Needs full
sun. Can survive without water. Looks better with
some. To harvest: strip the leaves, flowers, seeds
and small twigs off the branches and discard the
woody stems. For external, antimicrobial use, older
plants work better; internally, leafy, bright green
ones are preferred. The dried plant is usually stable
for up to two years.
HISTORY: Chaparral is an Indian name referring
broadly to any dense thicket of shrubs growing in
alkali soils. Widely used by Native Americas,
chaparral was taken as a decoction to treat stomach
troubles and diarrhea. Young twigs were used for
toothache. The leaves were applied as a poultice
for respiratory problems and as a wash for skin
problems. One folk use is as a hair tonic where it is
said to grow hair on balding scalps. A recent
remedy attributed to chaparral is taking the residue
of LSD out of the system to prevent recurrences of
hallucinations. The plant was listed in the
Pharmacopoeia of the United States from 1842 to
1942.
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: aromatic
compounds: volatile oils; terpenes (pinenes,
limonene, camphor, calamenene); vinyl ketones (1-hexen-
3-one, 1-hepten-3-one); other ketones: 2-heptanone,
2-undecanone); fixed oil and resin;
astringent compounds: Resin; falvonoids (ternatin,
goyyspetin, herbacetin); lignanes:
nordihydroguariaretic acid {NDGA} and others;
Mucilaginous compounds: Polysaccharides (Gum)
ENERGETICS: slightly salty, acrid, bitter, cool
MERIDIANS AFFECTED: kidneys, lung, liver
MEDICINAL USES: Uses: Chapparal is used for
treating such ailments as: tuberculosis, bowel
complaints, stomach ulcers and bowel disorders,
cancers, and colds and flu. It is found to be
beneficial to the walls of capillaries throughout the
body, and so are good to take regularly in cases of
capillary fragility. Chapparal contains N.D.G.A.. It
is responsible for inhibiting several enzyme
reactions, including lipo oxyginase, which is
responsible for some unhealthy inflammatory and
immune-system responses. It has been shown to
reduce inflammatory histamine responses in the
lung, which is good news for asthma sufferers.
N.D.G.A. is one of the most highly anti-oxident
substances known to man. Several types of tumors,
such as those in uterine fibroids and fibrosystic
breast disease, can be helped immensely by a
concentrated extract of the plant. Chapparal can
improve liver function, causing the liver
metablolism to speed up, clearing toxins, and 6 Tbsp tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
salt
1 tsp sugar
4 Tbsp distilled vinegar
4 Tbsp coriander leaves
1 tsp zedoary, chopped finely
Simmer the vegetables in 2 1/2 cups water
until cooked but firm. Reserve along with the
cooking fluid. Heat the oil in a separate pan and
add the onion. Saut?until golden. Add the
tomatoes, salt and sugar. Stir until the tomatoes
become mushy. Add the vegetables with the broth,
vinegar, chopped coriander leaves and zedoary.
Bring to a boil and take off the heat. Serve very
hot. (The Indian Spice Kitchen)
References:
Cooking with Spices, Carolyn Heal & Michael
Allsop, David &Charles, 1983; ISBN: 0-7153-8369-8
The Indian Spice Kitchen, Monisha Bharadwaj,
Dutton, 1997; ISBN: 0-525-94343-9
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Leroy