Caper

Capparis spinosa

Other names: caper, caperbush, capers (pickled flower buds), caperberries (immature fruit)

Edible plant

European

Photo credit: Otto Wilhelm Thomé / Wikimedia Commons

Safety information

Toxicity: Edible buds/berries: none known (commercial capers high in salt/sodium from brining). Folk root-bark/whole-plant extracts less characterized — use caution; some Capparis preparations contain irritant glucosinolate-derived compounds.

Contraindications: Pickled capers — sodium load (hypertension, sodium-restricted diets). Pregnancy/lactation: insufficient safety data for medicinal extracts — avoid medicinal doses. Possible allergy.

Interactions: Quercetin-rich extracts theoretically interact with drugs metabolized by CYP enzymes / antidiabetic and anticoagulant agents at medicinal doses. Culinary amounts: no significant interactions.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Avoid medicinal-dose extracts in pregnancy/lactation (insufficient data).

Evidence level

Preclinical

Supported by laboratory or animal studies; not yet confirmed in humans.

Preparations

edible · flower bud

Part used: flower bud

Traditional use: culinary condiment(Folk and historical sources have not been validated by clinical research.)

Proposed mechanism: concentrated dietary quercetin/flavonoid

Dosage note (descriptive only): high sodium when brined

Evidence:Folk

decoction · root bark

Part used: root bark

Traditional use: hepatoprotective / liver tonic (folk)

Proposed mechanism: quercetin — antioxidant/hepatoprotective (animal/in-vitro)

Evidence:Preclinical

General preparation guide →

Associated conditions

digestive anti-rheumatic hepatoprotective / liver tonic

Edibility

Edible parts: pickled flower buds (capers) and caperberries; root bark/leaf are folk-medicinal, not standard food

Toxic lookalike warning

Harvest from identified Capparis spinosa; do not confuse buds/berries with unrelated toxic shrub fruits

Nutritional notes

Low calorie; rich in flavonoids (quercetin, rutin, kaempferol) and antioxidants; provides some vitamin K, iron, and (when brined) high sodium

Healing traditions

European

Sources (3)

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Capparis spinosa L. fractions and Quercetin on tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced acute liver damage in mice (2018)
Caper (Capparis spinosa L.): An Updated Review on Phytochemistry, Nutritional Value, Traditional Uses, and Therapeutic Potential (Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2022)
Effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Capparis spinosa fruit, quercetin and vitamin E on MSG-induced toxicity in rats

All sources →