White cedar (Thuja occidentalis) is a long-lived evergreen conifer with small, scaly leaves. This tree can be found growing throughout Ontario and North America in swampy areas or on limestone. In Ontario, some individuals of white cedar are as old as 700 years. The wood of white cedar is in high demand for long-lasting furniture, as its natural oils confer anti-insect and anti-rotting properties.
White cedar is also called the Tree of Life or “Arbor vitae”, for its extensive healing properties. In folk medicine, the species has been used to treat ailments including bronchial catarrh (mucus buildup in airways), bladder infection, psoriasis (a type of skin rash), female infertility, and rheumatism (condition affecting joints). A modern analysis of the plant secondary compounds in white cedar identifies thujone, an essential oil, as the species’ most important bioactive compound. Thujone is currently being investigated as an immunostimulant, activating the immune system to produce antibodies and activate other immune cells such as cytokines or macrophages. In line with the species’ traditional use to treat female infertility, a recent study determined that the oil of white cedar is beneficial to treat polycystic ovary syndrome. This is a condition in which ovaries produce excessive male sex hormones, such as testosterone and result in missed or irregular periods, excess hair growth, acne or infertility. The syndrome is one of the leading causes of infertility in women. In this study, white cedar oil was administered to rats with polycystic ovary syndrome for 21 days. At the end of the treatment, blood samples taken from these rats indicated that female hormones increased significantly, while testosterone decreased. Therefore, white cedar may be an additional treatment option for women in regulating symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome. Taken together, white cedar qualifies as one of the most remarkable and historically important tree species in Canada.
Original text written by Hera Jamil, rewritten by Ivana Stehlik
https://www.ontario.ca/page/eastern-white-cedar
Akkol I. M., Demirel M. A., Keles H., Tumen, I. and Suntar I. 2015. Thuja occidentalis L. and its active compound, α-thujone: Promising effects in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome without inducing osteoporosis. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 168: 25-30.
Danneyrolles V., Dupuis S., Arseneault D., Terrail R., Leroyer M., de Romer A., Fortin G., Boucher Y. and Ruel J.-C. 2017. Eastern white cedar long-term dynamics in eastern Canada: Implications for restoration in the context of ecosystem-based management. Forest Ecology and Management 400: 502-510.
Naser B., Bodinet C., Tegtmeier M. and Lindequist U. 2005. Thuja occidentalis (Arbor vitae): a review of its pharmaceutical, pharmacological and clinical properties. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2: 69-78.
Photo credit: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), via Wikimedia Commons