Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea).Plant Part Used: Wood.Dominican Medicinal Uses: Wood: decoction, gargle for sore throat; decoction, for arthritis, joint pain, body aches, blood-cleansing, menopausal symptoms and to induce abortion.Safety: No adverse effects known associated with proper use of needles or oil; however, data is needed on the safety of the internal use of the wood decoction.Laboratory & Preclinical Data: In laboratory studies, Pinus species have shown the following effects: anti-influenza virus (pine cone extract), anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant (pitch/tar extracts); antitumor (cone constituents); antiviral (plant extracts).* See entry for Cuaba in “Part 3: Dominican Medicinal Plant Profiles” of this book for more information, including references.
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