Background

• Pleurisy (Asclepias tuberosa) is found throughout most of the United States, except for the Pacific Northwest. Among gardeners, the plant is better known as butterfly weed or butterfly milkweed, as its showy reddish-orange flowers attract butterflies. In the past, pleurisy was used for pulmonary conditions, such as asthma and bronchitis. However, there is insufficient evidence currently available in humans to support the use of pleurisy for any indication.
• Some natural medicine textbooks say that pleurisy contains large amounts of cardiac glycosides; therefore, large doses should be avoided and pleurisy should be used cautiously in patients with cardiovascular (heart) conditions or taking cardiac glycosides.

References

• Abe F, Yamauchi T. An androstane bioside and 3'-thiazolidinone derivatives of doubly-linked cardenolide glycosides from the roots of Asclepias tuberosa. Chem Pharm Bull.(Tokyo) 2000;48(7):991-993.
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• Abe F, Yamauchi T. Pregnane glycosides from the roots of Asclepias tuberosa. Chem Pharm Bull.(Tokyo) 2000;48(7):1017-1022.
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• Petricic J. [On the cardenolides of roots of Asclepias tuberosa L.]. Arch Pharm Ber.Dtsch.Pharm Ges 1966;299(12):1007-1011.
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• Torbert HA, Prior SA, Runion GB, et al. Nitrogen and Carbon Cycling in a Model Longleaf Pine Community as Affected by Elevated Atmospheric CO(2). Environ.Manage. 12-4-2003.
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