Jalap

Other Names

Batatas purgaBrioniaBryonia mechoacana nigricansChichicamolliConvolvulus Americanus jalapium dictusConvolvulus jalapaConvolvulus officinalisConvolvulus purgaConvolvulus schiedeanusEspanta VaquerosExogonium jalapaExogonium purgaIndian JalapIpoméepIpomoea jalapaIpomoea purgaIpomoea schiedeanaJalap BindweedJalap des IndesJalap OfficinalJalap RootJalap VraiJalapaJalapeMechoacánMexican Morning GloryMexican Scammony RootMichoacánPurge RootRaiz de JalapaRhubarb of the IndiasRiñonaTampico JalapTlanoquiloniTlaxapánTumba VaquerosTurbittoXtabentum

Synopsis

Jalap (Ipomoea purga): A Comprehensive Reference

1. Identity, Botanical Description, and Natural Source

Botanical and Chemical Names

Jalap consists of the dried tuberous roots or tubercles of Ipomoea purga Hayne, belonging to the family Convolvulaceae. The plant has carried several synonyms throughout its taxonomic history, including Ipomoea jalapa Nuttall, Exogonium jalapa Baillon, and Exogonium purga Bentham. Additional names used in trade and literature include Convolvulus purga, Indian Jalap, Jalap des Indes, Jalap Officinal, Jalap Vrai, Jalapa, Jalape, and Mechoacán.

Geographical Origin and Habitat

Ipomoea purga is endemic to the states of Hidalgo, Puebla, and Veracruz at elevations of 1,900–2,400 meters in wet tropical biomes such as pine-oak forests, where it has been reported in thickets, hedges, and waste places. It has been introduced and naturalized in other tropical regions, such as Jamaica, parts of Central and South America, India, and Indonesia, and is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental in Europe. The name derives directly from geography: the drug's name originates from the Mexican city of Jalapa (modern Xalapa), near where the plant was harvested, reflecting its regional sourcing in the Veracruz highlands.

Botanical Description

Ipomoea purga is described as a vine that can reach heights of 12 feet (3.7 m). When fresh, the root is black externally, white and milky within, and varies in size according to its age. It has heart-shaped leaves and purple trumpet-like flowers. The tubers, varying in size from a walnut to an orange, are dark, umber-brown in colour and much wrinkled. They are imported either whole or sliced. The plant is a large, twining perennial herb that produces thin horizontal slender runners. Adventitious roots (fusiform or napiform roots) are produced from the nodes of the runners. Some roots remain thin, but a few swell due to the storage of starch. These roots are collected after the rainy season, that is, in May.

Related Species and Nomenclatural Confusion

From the initial introduction of the medicinal jalap roots to Europe in the 16th century, various types of Neotropical purging roots were confused. The misunderstanding resulted from similar traditional uses of several species with common morphological features, organoleptic characteristics, and vernacular names. Jalap (Ipomoea purga) should not be confused with pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) or Mexican scammony root (Ipomoea orizabensis), which are also known as jalap. The Brazilian counterpart, Rhizoma Jalapae Braziliensis (Brazilian Jalap), the root of Ipomoea operculata (Gomes) Mart., is known as a substitute for Jalapae Tuber (Vera Cruz Jalap, I. purga), and its ethanol extract (Brazilian resin) is a potent laxative.

Common Preparations and Forms

The drug jalap is prepared from a resin which abounds in the roots. It has a slight smoky odour and the taste is unpleasant, followed by pungent acridity. As a result of unfavourable environmental conditions the roots are dried by woodfire in nets; since the drug is artificially dried, it gains a smoky odour. Traditional forms include:

Powdered root (Pulvis Jalapae): Ipomoea purga is rather difficult to break down, but if triturated with cream of tartar, sugar of milk, or other hard salts, the process of pulverization is much easier, and the powder rendered much finer. When in powder form, the colour is a pale grayish brown.
Jalap Resin (Resina Jalapae): Yellowish-brown or brown masses or fragments, or a yellowish-gray or yellowish-brown powder, permanent, of a faint but peculiar odor, and somewhat acrid to the taste. Soluble in alcohol.
Extract of Jalap (Extractum Jalapae, B.P.): Extract of jalap is prepared from jalap in coarse powder with alcohol and distilled water.
Compound Powder of Jalap (Pulvis Jalapae Compositus, U.S.P.): The Compound Powder of Jalap (U.S.P.) consists of jalap (35 parts) and potassium bitartrate (65 parts), with a dose of 20 to 60 grains.
Tincture: Ipomoea purga resin can be dissolved in ethanol as a tincture or diethyl ether.
Decoction: A 2 cm section of root boiled in a liter of water produces a decoction, a cup of which is taken cold before bedtime.

2. Traditional and Historical Use

Pre-Columbian and Mesoamerican Use

The plant was utilized by Aztec healers as a cathartic agent, as documented in the 16th-century Codex Cruz-Badianus, where it is illustrated as "νelicpahtli" for abdominal purification. In pre-colonial Mexico, the Aztecs utilized the tuberous roots of Ipomoea purga, known as jalapa, primarily as a purgative remedy for constipation and to expel intestinal parasites, preparing them as decoctions or powders to induce bowel movements. Jalap was a centuries-old purgative and vermifuge used by the Mexicans, who then taught the Spanish colonizers how to use the herb.

Introduction to Europe

The plant was first encountered and documented by Spanish conquistadors during the conquest of Mexico in the 16th century. Early accounts by Nicolás Monardes in his 1565 publication Historia medicinal de las cosas que se traen de nuestras Indias Occidentales describe the plant's medicinal properties based on reports from New World explorers, marking its initial European recognition as a potent cathartic. This discovery aligned with the broader Spanish documentation of indigenous flora, as seen in Francisco Hernández's surveys commissioned by Philip II around 1570–1577, which cataloged native plants including purgative species from the Convolvulaceae family.

Jalap was imported to Europe as a substitute for Mediterranean purgatives such as scammony (Convolvulus scammonia L.) as early as 1610. Jalap root was included in the commentary to the American pharmacopoeia, the Dispensatory of the United States (Wood and Bache, 1833) and still appeared in the 25th edition of the Dispensatory of the United States of America (Osol and Farrar, 1955), but was later excluded. Initially, the large natural populations were exploited, though high demand forced cultivation in Mexico beginning in the mid-19th century.

18th- and 19th-Century Western Medicine

In 18th- and 19th-century Western medicine, jalap was widely employed as a potent cathartic for treating conditions such as dropsy (edema) and liver complaints, where its hydragogue and purgative properties were believed to promote diuresis and eliminate excess fluids. Physicians often prescribed it in doses of 10 to 30 grains, either alone or combined with agents like cream of tartar to enhance its diuretic effects, though prolonged use was cautioned against due to potential cardiac depression.

The chief use of jalap was for the relief of dropsy from any cause. It was commonly used with cream of tartar, which increased both the cathartic and diuretic effects. It was shown by Professor Rutherford at Edinburgh to be a powerful secretory cholagogue, an action possessed by few hydragogue purgatives. The stimulation of the liver was said to depend upon the solution of the resin by the intestinal secretion. The drug was largely employed in cases of Bright's disease and dropsy from any cause, being especially useful when the liver shared in the general venous congestion.

In colonial-era Europe, jalap became a popular alternative to other cathartic agents, such as scammony or colocynth, often praised for its effectiveness and comparatively gentle action when properly dosed. It was commonly blended with gentler herbs like ginger, licorice, or senna to balance its strong purgative effect and to promote overall digestive health.

Traditional Use in Brazil

Operculina hamiltonii is a vine native to the north and northeast region of Brazil, where its roots are traded as a depurative and laxative remedy with the name of "Brazilian jalap" in traditional medicine. The jalap roots, Operculina hamiltonii (Convolvulaceae), are extensively commercialized as a depurative and laxative remedy in traditional medicine of the north and northeast regions of Brazil.

Other Traditional Applications

In addition to its use as a purgative, the Mexican jalap root complex has been employed as an anthelmintic and galactogogue, as well as in the treatment of tumors. Historically, jalap root was used primarily as a powerful laxative to relieve constipation, expel intestinal parasites, and detoxify the digestive system. Traditional healers often administered it to address ailments associated with sluggish bowels, edema, and even certain fevers.

3. Key Constituents and Active Compounds

Overview of Phytochemistry

Jalap contains 8 to 12% of glycosidal resin, and the other constituents are mannitol, sugar, β-methyl-aesculetin, phytosterin, ipurganol, starch, and calcium oxalate. The pharmacologically critical fraction is the resin. Historical standards in the United States Pharmacopeia required that 100 parts of jalap root yield not less than 12 parts of total resin, with no more than 10% of this resin soluble in ether to confirm the predominance of the ether-insoluble, active fraction (convolvulin).

Resin Glycosides: Jalapin and Convolvulin

Resin glycosides are well known as purgative ingredients, which are characteristic of crude drugs such as Mexican Scammoniae Radix, Orizabae Tuber, and Jalapae Tuber (the tuber of I. purga Hayne). Depending on their solubility in ether, these resin glycosides are roughly classified into two groups — jalapin (soluble) and convolvulin (insoluble).

Almost all jalapins hitherto isolated and characterized had common intramolecular macrocyclic ester structures, composed of one mole of oligoglycoside of hydroxyl fatty acid (glycosidic acid) partially acylated by some organic acids at the sugar moiety, some examples of which are ester-type dimers. On the other hand, convolvulin is regarded as an oligomer of a variety of acylated glycosidic acids.

Upon alkaline hydrolysis, both jalapins and convolvulins afforded organic acids such as isobutyric, 2-methylbutyric, (E)-2-methylbut-2-enoic (tiglic), and 2-methyl-3-hydroxybutyric (nilic) acids and oligoglycosides of hydroxyl fatty acid (glycosidic acid). The glycosidic acid provided several monosaccharides (e.g., glucose, rhamnose, and fucose) and a hydroxyl fatty acid (e.g., 11-hydroxyhexadecanoic [jalapinolic], 11-hydroxytetradecanoic [convolvulinolic], and 3,11-dihydroxytetradecanoic [ipurolic] acids) on acidic hydrolysis.

Convolvulin constitutes nearly 20% of the resin. It is insoluble in ether and is more active than jalapin. Jalapin is present in about the same proportions and dissolves readily in ether, having a soft resinous consistence.

The first report on the isolation, purification, and structure elucidation of intact individual resin glycoside constituents from the herbal drug jalap was published in the Journal of Natural Products. Ipomoea purga, the authentic "jalap root," yielded two new hexasaccharides of convolvulinic and jalapinolic acids, designated purgic acids A and B, respectively.

Structural Complexity and Chemical Investigations

Chemical investigations on these resin glycosides were initiated in the middle of the nineteenth century. Although there are several reports on the isolation and elucidation of jalapin, convolvulin remains poorly understood. Many findings concerning the structures of resin glycosides have been obtained so far, and it has been proposed that the terms "jalapin" and "convolvulin" should not be used based solely on their solubility in ether, but rather to describe structural groups — i.e., the resin glycosides having intramolecular cyclic structures and the acylated glycosidic acid monomers and polymers with free carboxylic acid forms, respectively.

Convolvulin is a substance with some 18 hydroxyl groups esterified with valeric, tiglic, and exogonic acids; exogonic acid is 3,6-6,9-dioxidodecanoic acid.

4. Mechanisms of Action

Purgative and Laxative Mechanism

The action of jalap is due to the high resin content present in the tuber, which contains glycosides that, in the presence of bile, are hydrolyzed into a sugar and aglycone, releasing the corresponding free fatty acid. Jalap appears to act only in the presence of bile, and the addition of soap increases its purgative power.

Jalap is a stimulant laxative herb, containing substances that increase water loss and cause contractions of bowel muscles to push out stool. Jalap can stimulate the intestinal secretion; it acts as a laxative in small doses and as a purgative in large doses, and is also used as a hydragogue cathartic.

Jalap is a typical hydragogue purgative, causing the excretion of more fluid than scammony, but producing less stimulation of the muscular wall of the bowel. The dual mechanism — stimulation of peristalsis combined with increased fluid secretion into the intestinal lumen — distinguishes jalap from simple bulk laxatives.

Multidrug Resistance Modulation

Members of the Ipomoea genus were described as sources of resin glycosides which function as modulators of efflux pumps that produce the multidrug-resistant phenotype in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The inhibition of cell growth for a non-cytotoxic resin glycoside in combination with an antitumor agent is in line with the modulatory activity of efflux pumps responsible for the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In vitro assessments have revealed the potential of resin glycosides as coadjutants to elude drug resistance and re-establish the clinical utility of conventional drugs for treating refractive infections and cancer.

5. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use

5.1 Gastrointestinal Purgative and Laxative Effects

Strength of evidence: Pharmacologically established (preclinical/historical pharmacopoeial); no modern randomized controlled trials in humans identified.

Jalap's purgative action is the most extensively documented effect in pharmacognosy and historical pharmacopoeial literature. Rigorous clinical trials in humans are limited, and modern research has yet to conclusively validate all of jalap's purported health benefits. While anecdotal and historical evidence suggests a positive role in gastrointestinal health, more comprehensive studies are needed to confirm its safety and efficacy for contemporary use.

Evidence for the purgative mechanism rests largely on pharmacognostic investigations and animal model data. The resin glycosides are found throughout the species of the Convolvulaceae family and are the active ingredients related to purgative or laxative activities in several medicinally used plants. Resin glycosides are responsible for the purgative and laxative actions.

For the closely related Brazilian jalap (Operculina macrocarpa), resin glycosides have been studied in animal models of intestinal motility. Intestinal motility effects from the dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and residual fractions and the powder preparation of O. macrocarpa have been characterized in mice, as O. macrocarpa is used by the population as a laxative. These studies are preclinical; direct clinical trial data in humans for Ipomoea purga itself are absent from the current indexed literature.

A 2025 PMC study on the related Ipomoea purpurea — conducted using ex vivo isolated rat ileum and aorta models — provides some mechanistic context for the genus: In the initial phase of the experiments on isolated ileal tissues, both methanolic and dichloromethane extracts induced a spasmodic (contractile) effect on basal motility. In contrast, during the final phase of the experiments, both extracts demonstrated a spasmolytic effect. This biphasic intestinal motility effect is consistent with the observed clinical pattern of initial griping followed by evacuation, but is not a direct study of I. purga.

5.2 Diuretic Effects

Strength of evidence: Weak; historical/traditional use only, no controlled clinical data.

Jalap has been used to increase urine flow to relieve water retention (as a diuretic). The chief traditional use of jalap for the relief of dropsy from any cause included its combination with cream of tartar, which increased both the cathartic and diuretic effects. No modern controlled studies substantiating a direct diuretic mechanism have been identified in the indexed literature. The apparent diuretic benefit historically described may have been secondary to the hydragogue effect and fluid redistribution from the gut rather than a direct renal mechanism.

5.3 Multidrug Resistance (MDR) Reversal and Antimicrobial Activity

Strength of evidence: Preliminary; in vitro only, no human clinical studies.

An active area of contemporary research concerns the resin glycosides from I. purga and related Convolvulaceae species as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitors — efflux pumps central to multidrug resistance in both bacterial and cancer cells. Immunofluorescence flow cytometry was used to detect decreased expression of P-gp by resin glycosides after incubation of MDR MCF-7/Vin cells with an anti-P-gp monoclonal antibody. Two examples of these potent MDR modulatory glycolipids are purgin II and jalapinoside I from I. purga. Reversal fold (RF >1906) indicated that both natural products are extremely potent as vinblastine chemosensitizers at 25 μg/mL in modulation assays.

Jalapinoside II, a novel bidesmoside resin glycoside from the MeOH-soluble extract of the roots of I. purga, was described for its isolation, structural elucidation, and modulatory activity of multidrug-resistance in MCF-7 cancer cells. When combined at 50 μM with a sublethal concentration of the antineoplastic drug vinblastine at 0.004 μM, one resin glycoside significantly improved its cytotoxic effect and ability to reverse the vinblastine-resistant phenotype in MCF-7 cells by arresting the cell cycle at the G2/M phase and acting as a competitive substrate for P-gp. Resin glycosides could become promising alternatives for developing new therapeutic combinatory strategies to combat multidrug resistance in cancer treatment. All such findings are in vitro; no human clinical trials on this application have been conducted.

Ipomoea stans, a related species, is available as dried root, crude resin, and liquid alcoholic extract, all containing the resin glycosides jalapin and convolvulin, both of which showed cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities.

5.4 Anthelmintic Properties

Strength of evidence: Traditional use; no formal clinical trial evidence identified.

Historically, jalap root was used primarily as a powerful laxative to relieve constipation and to expel intestinal parasites. The Mexican jalap root complex has been employed as an anthelmintic. Scientific evidence for this application is limited to traditional documentation; no controlled antimicrobial or antiparasitic studies in humans using I. purga specifically have been located in indexed literature.

5.5 Anti-inflammatory and Other Emerging Properties

Strength of evidence: Preliminary; in vitro and related-species animal data only.

Species of the Ipomoea genus are widely employed in Mexican traditional medicine for their purgative, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and sedative properties. Research specifically on I. purpurea (a closely related species also used in Mexican traditional medicine) has identified compounds with potential anti-inflammatory activity; however, these findings are not directly transferable to I. purga without species-specific data.

6. Body Systems and Health Areas

Gastrointestinal system: Jalap can stimulate the intestinal secretion, acting as a laxative in small doses and as a purgative in large doses, and is also used as a hydragogue cathartic.
Hepatobiliary system: Jalap was shown to be a powerful secretory cholagogue; the stimulation of the liver is said to depend upon the solution of the resin by the intestinal secretion.
Renal/fluid regulation: The drug was largely employed in cases of Bright's disease and dropsy from any cause, being especially useful when the liver shared in the general venous congestion.
Oncology (investigational, in vitro): Resin glycosides from I. purga have been studied as P-glycoprotein inhibitors in multidrug-resistant cancer cell lines.
Antimicrobial (investigational, in vitro): Resin glycosides jalapin and convolvulin showed cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities.

7. Dosage Forms and Reported Dosages

No modern clinical pharmacokinetic dosing studies for jalap have been identified. The following dosages are drawn exclusively from historical pharmacopoeial and eclectic medical sources:

Powdered jalap root (B.P.): Dose — 3 to 12 decigrams (5 to 20 grains).
Powdered jalap root (Eclectic Materia Medica): Dose: 10 to 30 grains.
Resin of Jalap (Resina Jalapae): Dose: 2 grains. Per the British Pharmacopoeia, the resin is given in doses of two to five grains.
Compound Powder of Jalap (Pulvis Jalapae Compositus, U.S.P.): The formulation consisting of 35 parts jalap and 65 parts potassium bitartrate was administered in doses of 20 to 60 grains to produce copious evacuations without excessive griping.
Jalapin (isolated fraction): It may be given in half-grain doses.
Onset of action: Jalap alone purges in about 3 to 4 hours.

Jalap is a powerful purgative, producing copious watery evacuations. In large doses it causes considerable pain, and its preparations should not be used by those suffering from gastric or intestinal inflammation.

8. Safety Considerations and Interactions

General Safety Profile

The root contains a resin known as jalap, which is a powerful cathartic that causes intense vomiting and diarrhea, which in rare cases proves fatal. While jalap roots were historically used for their purgative effects, their use has diminished in modern medicine due to concerns about safety and the availability of more gentle laxatives.

Overdose can cause severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalance. Prolonged use may lead to dependency or damage to intestinal muscles.

Contraindications

Pregnancy: It is unsafe to use jalap when pregnant, as it might start menstrual periods, and that could cause a miscarriage.
Breastfeeding: It is unsafe to use jalap when breastfeeding.
Gastrointestinal disease: Jalap should not be used in conditions such as appendicitis, ulcers, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis, as it can irritate the digestive tract and make such conditions worse.
Historical caution regarding cardiac effects: Jalap should not be given for any great length of time, for the depletion finally has a depressing effect upon the heart.

Drug Interactions

Warfarin (Coumadin): Jalap can work as a laxative and in some people can cause diarrhea. Diarrhea can increase the effects of warfarin and increase the risk of bleeding. Use of excessive amounts of jalap together with warfarin warrants caution.
Diuretic drugs: Some laxatives, including jalap, can decrease potassium levels in the body. "Water pills" (diuretics) also decrease potassium. Taking jalap along with diuretics might decrease potassium in the body too much. Examples include chlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, furosemide, and hydrochlorothiazide.
Digoxin (Lanoxin): Stimulant laxatives can decrease potassium levels in the body. Low potassium levels can increase the risk of side effects of digoxin.
Other stimulant laxatives: Taking jalap along with other stimulant laxatives could speed up the bowels too much and cause dehydration and low minerals in the body. Other stimulant laxatives include bisacodyl, cascara, castor oil, and senna.
Oral medications generally: Laxatives can decrease how much medicine your body absorbs.

Adulteration Concerns

Due to the morphological resemblance among false jalap roots (e.g., I. orizabensis and/or I. stans) with the officinal jalap (I. purga), adulteration occurs due to the negligence of suppliers and collectors. HPLC and ¹³C NMR profiles can be employed to recognize the constant composition of the commercialized resins prepared from the officinal jalap root.

References

Health Conditions

Health conditions that Jalap may help support.

No conditions available.

Body Systems

Body systems that Jalap may help support.

No body systems available.