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Lacquer tree

Synonyms: Rhus vernicifluum, Chinese Lacquer Tree, Chinese Tree of the Gods

What is Toxicodendron vernicifluum?

Toxicodendron vernicifluum, also known as Rhus vernicifluum or Chinese Lacquer Tree, is one of the newest botanical extracts to emerge in the sports supplement industry and is raising questions for many. The tree from which this supplement ingredient is derived is best known for the sap that is extracted from it and used as a decorative lacquer. However, Toxicodendron vernicifluum also has a long history of medicinal use. This is where things get a little strange though - Toxicodendron vernicifluum is a potent poison. What is such an ingredient doing in a testosterone booster?

Where does Toxicodendron vernicifluum come from?

Toxicodendron vernicifluum is native to China and the Indian subcontinent and grows throughout Asia. This plant is cultivated for its sap in China, Japan and Korea.

Benefits of Toxicodendron vernicifluum

Toxicodendron vernicifluum has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is used to stop bleeding and fight parasites. Like many traditional botanical remedies, it has attracted the attention of Western scientists who have begun to investigate the potential benefits of this plant and have isolated a number of known and novel chemicals. Toxicodendron vernicifluum can suppress inflammation (1). This property has not yet been fully investigated, but scientists have recently discovered that this effect is also neuroprotective in nature and may help combat the progression of degenerative diseases. In addition to this, Toxicodendron vernicifluum contains natural chemicals that can inhibit cell division, meaning that Toxicodendron vernicifluum may have some potential for use in the treatment of cancer (2). Research has shown that extracts of this plant may play a role in the treatment of fibrosis and other conditions caused by excessive growth of connective tissue (3, 4). Finally, many of the chemicals produced by this plant are powerful antioxidants and have been shown to prevent the formation of end products of advanced glycosylation. These end products are formed in the body when sugars combine with proteins and are believed to contribute to degenerative diseases such as the accompanying symptoms of diabetes and arteriosclerosis (6).

Benefits of Toxicodendron vernicifluum for bodybuilders

The reason the supplement industry is interested in Toxicodendron vernicifluum is the presence of a chemical called butein (2). Studies carried out on human cells have shown that butein has a strong aromatase-inhibiting effect. Aromatase is the enzyme that converts androgens such as testosterone into estrogens (5).

Toxicodendron vernicifluum side effects and disadvantages

Although we know that Toxicodendron vernicifluum contains butein and that butein can inhibit the aromatase enzyme in human cell cultures in the laboratory, there is no direct research showing that the use of Toxicodendron vernicifluum extracts leads to an increase in testosterone levels, and there are significant concerns about the safety and harmlessness of this plant. Toxicodendron vernicifluum is closely related to poison ivy and also produces the same irritating chemical called urushiol. Urushiol irritates the skin and lungs and is extremely toxic if ingested. We know a little about the effects of this poison in humans because it was used as part of a ritual called 'Sokushinbutsu' performed in Japan by an extremist Buddhist sect. As part of this ritual, tea made from Toxicodendron vernicifluum was drunk to induce vomiting and diarrhea to cleanse the body of fluids. This tea also made the meat so poisonous that it was not consumed by insects and coated the digestive system with a sticky juice with preservative properties. The participant in the ritual died as a result of the tea or was buried alive and in most cases his body was naturally mummified. Unsurprisingly, this practice and tea made from Toxicodendron vernicifluum have since been banned in Japan. We can only assume that Toxicodendron vernicifluum extracts used in supplements are free of urushiol.

Toxicodendron vernicifluum dosage and timing of intake

There is no established dosage recommendation for Toxicodendron vernicifluum as a supplement and different extracts will likely vary in concentrations of butein and other active ingredients.

Toxicodendron vernicifluum supplements

The first product to contain Toxicodendron vernicifluum was the controversial testosterone booster Nova-X from Gaspari Nutrition. As butein has shown good potential as an aromatase inhibitor, other supplement manufacturers are likely to jump on the Toxicodendron vernicifluum bandwagon in the future.

Combinations of Toxicodendron vernicifluum with other supplements

As Toxicodendron vernicifluum acts as an aromatase inhibitor, it is best combined with a testosterone booster. Other plant-based supplements such as Tribulus or Mucuna Pruriens are also a good choice and have been combined with Toxicodendron vernicifluum at Nova-X.

References

  1. Cho N, Choi JH, Yang H, Jeong EJ, Lee KY, Kim YC, Sung SH. Neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of flavonoids isolated from Rhus verniciflua in neuronal HT22 and microglial BV2 cell lines. Food Chem Toxicol. 2012 Jun;50(6):1940-5.
  2. Kim KH, Moon E, Choi SU, Pang C, Kim SY, Lee KR. Identification of cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory constituents from the bark of Toxicodendron vernicifluum (Stokes) F.A. Barkley. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015 Mar 13;162:231-7.
  3. Ai J, Nie J, He J, Guo Q, Li M, Lei Y, Liu Y, Zhou Z, Zhu F, Liang M, Cheng Y, Hou FF. GQ5 Hinders Renal Fibrosis in Obstructive Nephropathy by Selectively Inhibiting TGF-β-Induced Smad3 Phosphorylation. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2014 Nov 12.
  4. He JB, Luo J, Zhang L, Yan YM, Cheng YX. Sesquiterpenoids with new carbon skeletons from the resin of Toxicodendron vernicifluum as new types of extracellular matrix inhibitors. Org Lett. 2013 Jul 19;15(14):3602-5.
  5. Wang Y, Chan FL, Chen S, Leung LK. The plant polyphenol butein inhibits testosterone-induced proliferation in breast cancer cells expressing aromatase. Life Sci. 2005 May 20;77(1):39-51.
  6. Eun Ha Lee, Dae-Geun Song), Joo Young Lee), Cheol-Ho Pan), Byung Hun Um), Sang Hoon Jung. Inhibitory Effect of the Compounds Isolated from Rhus verniciflua on Aldose Reductase and Advanced Glycation Endproducts. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin Vol. 31 (2008) No. 8 P 1626-1630.