Guayule
Scientific Name(s): Parthenium argentatum A. Gray.
Common Name(s): Guayule, Mexican rubber
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Oct 15, 2021.
Clinical Overview
Use
There are no clinical studies using guayule. In vitro studies have shown that triterpene argentatins possess cytotoxic activity against some human cancer cell lines. Guayule provides an alternative source of rubber products for use in latex allergy.
Dosing
There are no clinical applications for guayule.
Contraindications
Contraindications have not been identified.
Pregnancy/Lactation
Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.
Interactions
None well documented.
Adverse Reactions
Cross-reactivity with other members of the Asteraceae family is possible.
Toxicology
Information is lacking; 1 study demonstrated a lack of genotoxic effects for certain chemical constituents.
Scientific Family
- Asteraceae (daisy)
Botany
Guayule is a common shrub native to the deserts of northern Mexico and the adjacent region of Texas. The plant can be readily grown in the arid regions of the southwestern United States. The perennial shrub, which produces white to yellow flowers, grows to 1 m in 2 years, at which time it can be harvested by cutting off the whole plant just above the ground. Regrowth occurs after 12 to 18 months, allowing for further harvesting. The plant produces terpene resins, which are natural pesticides, making it resistant to many pests and diseases.PLANTS 2010, Ray 1993, Wood 2010
History
The use of guayule as a source of rubber for making balls for games has been attributed to the indigenous people of the Americas during the Mayan civilization. The plant was chewed to separate the fibrous material from the resin.
In the early 1900s, guayule accounted for almost 50% of all the natural rubber consumed in the United States and 10% of worldwide consumption; however, it later lost favor to the cheaper Hevea rubber. Interest in guayule as an alternative to latex in allergenic people has surged, and in 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave marketing approval to Yulex gloves, which conform to Category 4 American Society for Testing and Materials rubber standards. The US Agricultural Research Service is evaluating the energy-rich byproduct bagasse, which is produced after the resin has been extracted as a source of biofuel; its production is not likely to affect food crop areas because it is grown on agriculturally marginal land.Mooibroek 2000, Ray 1993, van Beilen 2007, Wood 2010
Chemistry
The physical and chemical properties of guayule rubber, which is composed of polymeric cisisoprenoid units, are essentially identical to those of Hevea rubber. Guayule rubber is found in parenchymatous cells of the stem and root tissue as latex.
Major components of the acetone extracts of woody guayule tissue are sesquiterpene esters (10% to 15% of the total), triterpenoids (7%), and fatty acid triglycerides (7% to 19%). The sesquiterpenes are, in part, artifacts of heat processing. The major triterpene compounds are C-30 argentatins, which may possess antifungal and antibacterial activity. Organic acid content varies, but the major aromatic acid is cinnamic acid and the major fatty acid is linoleic acid. The presence of unsaturated fatty acid triglycerides facilitates oxidative degradation of the latex product.Maatooq 2002, Parra-Delgado 2005,
