Perennial, roughly hairy herb up to 120 cm tall, with fleshy rootstock stem stout, winged, hollow, often branched.There are large differences in susceptibility to pyrrolizidine alkaloids in different animals pigs are most susceptible, followed by horses and cattle, goats, and finally sheep.
Many pyrrolizidine alkaloids are not palatable and livestock avoid eating them if other forages are available. A crude extract of full-grown leaves only showed a slight analgesic activity in rats, and did not show anti-inflammatory activity. In a study using patients suffering from acute ankle sprains, the percutaneous efficacy of an ointment of Symphytum officinale rootstock extract was confirmed decisively, reducing pain as well as oedema. Allantoin is known for its healing, soothing and anti-irritating properties, and is used in anti-acne products, sun care products and clarifying lotions.
#Use of symphytum officinale skin#
The external application of Symphytum officinale preparations for use in case of contusions, strains and spraining is considered safe because absorption of pyrrolizidine alkaloids through the skin is negligible.Īll parts of Symphytum officinale contain allantoin, but the rootstock is richest (up to 1.7%). For this reason it is forbidden by law to use Symphytum officinale as an internal herbal remedy in many European countries. Many pyrrolizidine alkaloids are toxic and several have been shown to be hepatotoxic, pneumotoxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic. The major pyrrolizidine alkaloids are intermedine, lycopsamine, 7-acetyllycopsamine and 7-acetylintermedine. Most Symphytum officinale is cultivated in Europe and the United States, but amounts are not known.Īll parts of Symphytum officinale contain allantoin (0.5–1.7%), mucilage (29%), triterpene saponins, choline, asparagine, tannins (8–9% in the aerial parts, 4–6% in the rhizomes), silicic acid (4%), and pyrrolizidine alkaloids (0.003–0.2% in the leaves, especially the young ones, 0.2–0.6% in the rhizomes). The plant is a well-known ornamental, and also occasionally used for this purpose in Africa. The leaves are occasionally eaten as a cooked vegetable and fed to livestock, but these uses should be discouraged because of the presence of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
In Europe and also in Madagascar Symphytum officinale is planted together with crops such as tomato and potato against bacterial diseases (mainly bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum) and insect pests, and as a green manure and mulch. Medicinal applications in Africa are very limited, but the plant is used in Madagascar as a pain-killing poultice. Fresh rootstocks are commonly used for healing wounds and ulcers (including gastric ulcers), and flower infusions to treat cough and diarrhoea. Leaf decoctions or infusions have been used to treat colds, gum problems, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, scrofula, pleuritis, leucorrhoea, gastro-intestinal ulcers and as an anti-inflammatory, but internal use is now discouraged. Fresh leaves are widely used as a poultice on wounds, burns, bruises, sprains, insect bites, sore joints, pulled tendons, broken bones and irritated skin. In Africa it is cultivated on a small scale only, mainly in Madagascar and South Africa.Īll parts of Symphytum officinale are medicinally used in its area of natural distribution, and the flowers, leaves and rootstocks are official in several European pharmacopoeias. It is cultivated in several Mediterranean, African and Asian countries. Symphytum officinale originates from Europe, where it is widespread, and has been introduced in North America and Asia.
Common comfrey, consound, knitbone (En).Family: Boraginaceae Chromosome number: 2n = 24, 40, 48, 56 Vernacular names
0 kommentar(er)
