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Capparis spinosa Linn.

Botanical Name

Capparis spinosa Linn.

English Name

Caper and Caper Bush

Synonym(s)

Capparis rupestris, Capparis ovata Desf.

Family

Capparaceae

General Info

Description

A prostrate, glabrescent, polymorphic shrub or climber armed with divaricate light yellow thorns. Leaves variable in texture, orbicular to elliptic, base rounded, apex mucronate; flowers white, solitary, axillary; berry ellipsoid, ovoid or obovoid, pericarp thin; seeds 3-4 mm in diam.

Herb Effects

Analgesic, bitter, antirheumatic and diuretic (root bark); antibacterial, fungicidal and anticystic (plant juice and volatile portion of plant); anthelmintic (root); mild laxative and expectorant; acrid and astringent (dried flower bud)

Links

Caper
Capers
Plants for a Future
Herbal Monograph

Chemistry

Active Ingredients

Stachydrine (root bark and leaf); rutic acid and a volatile substance (root bark); beta-sitosterol, citric acid, coumarin, glucoiberin, glucosinolates, lauric acid, sinigrin, glucocapparin, glucocleomin, glucocapangalin, myristic acid, oxalic acid, rutin, tannin (plant); ascorbic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, queretin, riboflavin, rutin, thiamin (flower); choline (fruit)

Chemistry of Active Ingredients

Name

CAS#

IUPAC Name

Formula

Structure

Stachydrine

Not Available

1,1-dimethyl-2,3,4,5
-tetrahydropyrrole-2
-carboxylate

C₇H₁₃NO₂

Glucoiberin

554-88-1

3,4,5-trihydroxy-2-(
hydroxymethyl)-6-(4-
methylsulfinyl-1-sul
fonatooxyi mino-but
yl)sulfanyl-oxane

C₁₁H₂₀NO₁₀S₃-

Sinigrin

534-69-0

3,4,5-trihydroxy-2-(
hydroxymethyl)-6-(1-
sulfooxyiminobut-3-e
nylsulfany l)oxane

C₁₀H₁₇NO₉S₂

Glucocapparin

497-77-8

3,4,5-trihydroxy-2-(
hydroxymethyl)-6-(1-
sulfonatooxyiminoeth
ylsulfanyl )oxane

C₈H₁₄NO₉S₂-

Glucocleomin

36286-64-3

3,4,5-trihydroxy-2-(
hydroxymethyl)-6-(3-
hydroxy-3-methyl-1-s
ulfonatoox yimino-p
entyl)sulfanyl-oxane

C₁₂H₂₂NO₁₀S₂-

Beta-sitosterol

5779-62-4

17-(5-ethyl-6-methyl
-heptan-2-yl)-10,13-
dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9
,11,12,14,

C₂₉H₅₀O

Citric acid

Not Available

2-hydroxypropane-1,2
,3-tricarboxylic
acid

C₆H₈O₇

Coumarin

60094-90-8

6-(1,2-dihydroxy-3-m
ethyl-but-3-enyl)-7-
methoxy-chromen-2-on
e

C₁₅H₁₆O₅

Lauric acid

8045-27-0

Dodecanoic acid

C₁₂H₂₄O₂

Sinigrin

534-69-0

3,4,5-trihydroxy-2-(
hydroxymethyl)-6-(1-
sulfooxyiminobut-3-e
nylsulfany l)oxane

C₁₀H₁₇NO₉S₂

Myristic Acid

Not Available

Hexane

C₆H₁₄

Oxalic acid

553-91-3

oxalic acid

C₂H₂O₄

Rutin

Not Available

2-(3,4-dihydroxyphen
yl)-4,5-dihydroxy-3-
[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-
[(3,4,5-tr ihydroxy
-6-methyl-tetrahydro
pyran-2-yl)oxymethyl
]tetrahydropyran-2-y
l] oxy-chromen-7-on
e trihydrate

C₂₇H₃₆O₁₉

Tannin

1401-55-4

Not Available

C₂₇H₂₂O₁₈

Ascorbic acid

Not Available

2-(1,2-dihydroxyethy
l)-4,5-dihydroxy-fur
an-3-one

C₆H₈O6

Linoleic acid

8024-22-4

Octadeca-9,12-dienoi
c acid

C₁₈H₃₂O₂

Oleic acid

8046-01-3

octadec-9-enoic acid

C₁₈H₃₄O₂

Palmitic acid

66321-94-6

hexadecanoic acid

C₁₆H₃₂O₂

Quercetin

Not Available

2-(3,4-dihydroxyphen
yl)-3,4,5-trihydroxy
-chromen-7-one

C₁₅H₁₀O₇

Riboflavin

Not Available

C₁₇H₂₁N₄O₉P

Thiamin

59-43-8

2-[3-[(4-amino-2-met
hyl-pyrimidin-5-yl)m
ethyl]-4-methyl-1-th
ia-3-azoni acyclope
nta-2,4-dien-5-yl]et
hanol

C₁₂H₁₇N₄OS+

Choline

67-48-1

2-hydroxyethyl-trime
thyl-ammonium

C₅H₁₄NO+

Pharmacology

Medicinal Use

Spleen, kidney and liver maladies (root); gastrointestinal infections, diarrhoea, gout, rheumatism, skin conditions, capillary weakness and easy bruising; coughs, and externally to treat eye infections and in preventing the formation of cataracts (unopened flower buds); to treat vaginal thrush (plant decoction).

Reference

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.

Uniyal et al., Medicinal Flora of Garhwal Himalayas.

The Himalaya Drug Company.

Gadgoli C. Mishra SH. Antihepatotoxic activity of p-methoxy benzoic acid from Capparis spinosa.

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