Coltsfoot
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)
Tussilago farfara is native to western Europe, northern Asia, and North Africa (Hegi, 1912). One of the first herbs to be described in the literature of traditional medicine, Coltsfoot is used mainly in the treatment of asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema as a cough suppressant (Jaric et al., 2018). In Russia and China, it is used to treat diarrhea, skin diseases, wounds, and blemishes. In Turkey, it is used to treat burns, and in Ukraine and Poland, to treat ulcers (Koçyiǧit & Özhatay, 2006; Kujawska, Łuczaj, & Typek, 2015; Vereschagin, Sobolevskaya, & Yakubova, 1959). Additional research on the usage of this species for wound healing might prove helpful (Jaric et al., 2018).
Historical Use
John Gerard’s The Herball, first published in 1597, , provides information on the use of Coltsfoot. Its leaves were used to treat ulcers and inflammations, a “deconcoction” of leaves and roots to treat coughs, and the fumes of dried leaves to treat shortness of breath.
Latest Research
- The ethanol extract of flower buds of Tussilago farfara L. attenuates cigarette smoke-induced lung inflammation through regulating NLRP3 inflammasome, Nrf2, and NF-kappaBby Lin-Tao Xu on October 3, 2021 at 10:00 am
CONCLUSIONS: FTF-EtOH effectively attenuated lung inflammation in vitro and in vivo. The protection of FTF-EtOH against inflammation was produced by activation of Nrf2 and inhibitions of NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome. These datas definitely support the ethnopharmacological use of FTF as an anti-inflammatory drug for treating respiratory diseases in TCM.
- Medicinal ethnobotany of wild plants: a cross-cultural comparison around Georgia-Turkey border, the Western Lesser Caucasusby Ceren Kazancı on November 23, 2020 at 11:00 am
CONCLUSION: Considering the regions’ floral similarity, common historical-cultural contact, and similar livelihood strategies of the communities, shared ethnomedicinal knowledge across the Georgia-Turkey border is quite low. Even though the impacts of accessing multilingual folk and scientific literature are likely to be significant, the factors that shape the medicinal plant knowledge patterns of the communities are shown to be variable among species, needing further research into intracultural…
- A review of the ethnobotanical value, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and quality control of Tussilago farfara L. (coltsfoot)by Shujuan Chen on October 18, 2020 at 10:00 am
CONCLUSIONS: So far, remarkable progress has been witnessed in phytochemistry and pharmacology of coltsfoot. Thus, some traditional uses have been well supported and clarified by modern pharmacological studies. Discovery of therapeutic natural products and novel structures in plants for future clinical and experimental studies are still a growing interest. Furthermore, well-designed studies in vitro particularly in vivo are required to establish links between the traditional uses and…
- Extracting and Analyzing Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in Medicinal Plants: A Reviewby Thomas Kopp on May 17, 2020 at 10:00 am
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are distributed in plant families of Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, and Fabaceae and serve in the chemical defense mechanism against herbivores. However, they became a matter of concern due to their toxicity associated with the high risk of intake within herbal preparations, e.g., phytopharmaceutical formulations, medicinal teas, or other plant-derived drug products. In 1992, the German Federal Ministry of Health established the first limits of PA content for fourteen…
- NMR based metabolomic comparison of the antitussive and expectorant effect of Farfarae Flos collected at different stagesby Jing Li on December 30, 2017 at 11:00 am
Farfarae Flos (FF) is widely used for the treatment of cough, bronchitis, and asthmatic disorders in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to the experience of TCM, only the flower bud can be used as herbal drug, and its medicinal quality becomes lower after blooming. However, the underlying scientific basis for this phenomenon is not fully understood. In this study, the chemical components and the bioactivities of the FF collected at three different development stages were compared…
References
Hegi, G. (1912). Illustrierte flora von Mitteleuropa: Mit besonderer berücksichtigung von Deutschland, Oesterreich und der Schweiz. Zum gebrauche in den schulen und zum selbstunterricht (Vol. 6, part 2): Munich: JF Lehmanns, 1907-1931.
Jaric, S., Kostic, O., Mataruga, Z., Pavlovic, D., Pavlovic, M., Mitrovic, M., & Pavlovic, P. (2018). Traditional wound-healing plants used in the Balkan region (Southeast Europe). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 211, 311-328. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2017.09.018
Koçyiǧit, M., & Özhatay, N. (2006). Wild plants used as medicinal purpose in Yalova (Northwest Turkey). Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 3(2), 91-103. Retrieved from https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-34250843173&partnerID=40&md5=e699346de529d25f522e54f58b64e2c9
Kujawska, M., Łuczaj, Ł., & Typek, J. (2015). Fischer’s lexicon of Slavic beliefs and customs: a previously unknown contribution to the ethnobotany of Ukraine and Poland. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 11(1), 85.
Vereschagin, V., Sobolevskaya, K., & Yakubova, A. (1959). Useful Plants of West Siberia. Publishing of Academy of Science of USSR, Moscow-Leningrad.
Other Resources
Natural Medicines record: https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/professional.aspx?productid=730 (Access to UI only)