Alnus serrulatoides

Alnus serrulatoides is most commonly used in parts of Japan and Korea as an astringent and mild gastrointestinal soother. Historic sources record that Japanese kampo practitioners prepared leaf or bud infusions for diarrhea and dysentery and used bark washes and poultices for wounds and skin infections, with the hot water extract deemed particularly suitable for internal use. Korean herbal texts likewise describe short infusions of young leaves taken for loose stools and stomach upset, while bark was steeped or simmered in water and applied externally or as a mouthwash for gum inflammation. Among the Ainu of Hokkaido, alder bark decoctions and compresses were employed in the treatment of cuts and sores; several ethnobotanical surveys note that both bud and bark infusions were favored for their astringent effects (Tsukamoto, 1975; Murai, 1989; Hara, 2001). On the eastern slopes of the Himalayas, including Bhutan, Tibetan medicine lists Alnus serrulatoides bark infusions or washes for mouth ulcers, gingivitis, and minor wounds, with the bitter, high-tannin infusions taken in small, measured doses (Dorje, 1999; Kalsang & Wangdi, 2014). Regional Monpa records from Arunachal Pradesh describe leaf infusions for stomach complaints and the use of bark and young shoots in poultices applied to wounds or bruises (Bhat et al., 2009; Jadhav, 2014).

In practice, a simple traditional preparation is a mild leaf tea. Place roughly 3–4 fresh young leaves (or 1–2 dried leaf tips) in a small saucepan with 250 ml of just-boiled water, cover, and steep for 10–12 minutes. Strain and drink warm, taking no more than one cup daily for adults and none during pregnancy; do not exceed short-term use. For a bark decoction, simmer about 5 g of finely chopped fresh bark in 250 ml of water for 20–25 minutes, let cool to a comfortably warm temperature, strain, and apply to the affected skin or as a short, cooled mouth rinse twice daily for no longer than a week (Hara, 2001; Tsukamoto, 1975).

The astringency is consistent with a tannin-rich profile; analyses of A. serrulatoides wood and bark repeatedly identify hydrolyzable and condensed tannins, with reported flavonols such as quercetin and kaempferol glycosides and modest amounts of phenolic acids like caffeic acid. These constituents align with the astringent, hemostatic, and anti-inflammatory actions described in the ethnomedical records.

Modern research on Alnus serrulatoides remains limited, but investigations into related alders point to anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects that plausibly support wound-care and gastrointestinal uses, and the plant is still sometimes available from specialty suppliers of East Asian or Himalayan herbs (Dorje, 1999; Hara, 2001; Kalsang & Wangdi, 2014; Tsukamoto, 1975).

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