Research Paper: Milkweed and Warts

Running Head: ASCLEPIAS AND A.
MEXICANA FOR WART TREATMENT
The Efficacy of Asclepias and Argemone mexicana

as Treatment for Warts
Rhondene Wint, Donald Smith, and Christal-Ann Thompson-Richards
Northern Caribbean University
Author Note:
The authors are all students of the department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental
Sciences, Northern Caribbean University
Special thanks to Professor Paul Gyles, Northern Caribbean University, for his guidance.
Correspondence concerning this paper should be address to Rhondene Wint or Donald Smith or
Christal-Ann Thompson-Richards
Contact: [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected]
ASCLEPIAS AND A. MEXICANA FOR WART TREATMENT

Abstract
This paper examines the effectiveness of the Asclepias, commonly known as milkweed, and
Argemone Mexicana (Mexican poppy) in treating warts. The sap of milkweed and Mexican
poppy has been widely acclaimed by laypeople and folklore as a medicinal remedy for treating
certain skin ailments, warts being one them (Gaertner,1979). Warts are painless outgrowths of
the skin caused by a localised infection of the human papilloma virus (HPV). We hypothesised
that the plants would shrink the size of the warts by at least 25% within 2 weeks. The experiment
was carried out by extracting the sap of the plants and incorporating them into a
cream/lotion. A sample of 25 individuals with warts was selected to apply the cream on the
warts twice per day for 2 weeks. This paper examines the results of the experiment
conducted. Summarise results and further describe the test group
Keywords:
ASCLEPIAS AND A. MEXICANA FOR WART TREATMENT

The Efficacy of Asclepias and Argemone mexicana
as Treatment for Warts
Warts are widespread in the worldwide population. Although the frequency is unknown,
warts are estimated to affect approximately 7-12% of the population, with whites being twice
as frequently affected than backs or Asians (Beutner, Becker & Stone, 1991). Warts are
benign outgrowths of skin and mucosa caused by the localised infection of the human
papillomavirus (HPV). Wart viruses are contagious. Warts can spread by contact with the
wart or something that touched the wart. They typically disappear after a few months but can
last for years and can reoccur. Warts can occur at any age but generally occur during
childhood and adolescence. An increased frequency is also seen among immunosuppressed
patients and meat handlers. Although most warts are asymptomatic, they do cause cosmetic
issues and sometimes tenderness at the site of infection. There are as many as 10 varieties of
warts; however, most common ones are considered to be mostly harmless. These include
(Anderson, Keith, &Novak, 2005): Common wart (Verruca vulgaris) appears raised and
occurs mostly on the hands. Flat wart (Verruca plana) is a small, smooth, flattened, fleshedcolour wart that commonly appear in large numbers on hands, neck and face. Filiform/
digitate warts are threadlike or fingerlike and appear commonly near the lips and eyelids.
Genital warts (Condyloma acuminatum) occur on the genitalia. Plantar wart (Verruca
plantaris) is a hard sometimes painful lump, often with multiple black specks in the centre;
usually only found on pressure points on the soles of the feet; Mosaic wart is a group of
tightly clustered plantar-type warts. Plantar warts can be painful, and extensive involvement
on the sole of the foot may impair ambulation. Malignant change in nongenital warts is rare
but has been reported and is termed verrucous carcinoma (Guardara, Sergi, Labruna, Welch
& Gazivoda, 1992).
There are multiple treatment options for warts, but none has been found uniformly
effective (Dalloglio, Damico, Nasca & Micali, 2012). Various types of warts at various
sites may need different treatments. Topical agents, intralesional injections, photodynamic
therapy, and systemic agents are possible medical treatment options. Surgical treatment
options are cryosurgery, lasers, and electrodesiccation/ curettage (Sterling,Handfield-Jones &
Hudson, 2001). According to guidelines of the British Association of Dermatologists, the
recommended treatments for cutaneous facial warts are salicylic acid ointment, cryotherapy,
curettage with light cautery, and CO2 laser.
Asclepias, the milkweeds, is a genus of herbaceous perennial, dicotyledonous plants that
contains over 140 known species, belonging to the subfamily Asclepiadoideae of the
dogbane family Apocynaceae. Carl Linnaeus named the genus after Asclepius, the Greek god
of healing, because of the many folk-medicinal uses for the milkweed plants. According to
Hartwell (19671971), the leaves and/or latex are used in folk remedies for cancer, tumors,
and warts. Reported to be alterative, analgesic, cathartic, cicatrisant, diaphoretic, diuretic,
emetic, emmenagogue, expectorant, laxative, and nervine. Milkweed is a folk remedy for
asthma, bronchitis, cancer, catarrh, cough, dropsy, dysentery, dyspepsia, fever, gallstones,
gonorrhea, moles, pleurisy, pneumonia, rheumatism, ringworm, scrofula, sores, tumors,
ulcers, warts, and wounds (Duke and Wain, 1981; Kloss, 1939; Erichsen-Brown, 1979).
According to Hager's Handbuch (List and Horhammer, 19691979), the latex contains 0.1
1.5% caoutchouc, 1617% dry matter, and 1.23% ash. Also they report the digitalis-like
mixture of a- and b-asclepiadin, the antitumor b-sitosterol, and a- and b-amyrin and its
acetate, dextrose and wax. The seed oil contains 4% paimitic-, 1% stearic-, 15% oleic-, 15%
11-octadecanoic-, 53% linoleic-, 1% linolenic; 10% 9-hexadecenic-, and 2% 9,12hexadecadenic-acids. Condurangin has also been reported from the seed, with at least 9
active cardenolids, among them uzarigenin, desgiucouzarin, syriogenin, syriobioside; also
xysmalogenin. The sprouts, eaten like asparagus, e.g. among Yugoslavs, contains
asclepiadin, nicotine, b-sitosterol, a- and b-amyrin, and tannin.
Literature Review
There are numerous topical ointments based on milkweed. However, only company was
found to produce a milkweed based cream specifically targeting warts. Phytomedx has made
genital wart removal cream designed to be used on the wart-infected external skin of the mouth,
anus, penis. labia or vagina (Phytomedx, 2012) .

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Running Head: ASCLEPIAS AND A.

MEXICANA FOR WART TREATMENT

The Efficacy of Asclepias and Argemone mexicana

ASCLEPIAS AND A. MEXICANA FOR WART TREATMENT

ASCLEPIAS AND A. MEXICANA FOR WART TREATMENT

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