Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals : Popular #Herbs

Wednesday, 30 October 2013

Popular #Herbs - #Elecampane (Inula helenium)

Elecampane, also known as Horse-heal (Inula helenium) is a perennial composite plant, genus nula, belonging to Asteraceae, native to Southern Europe, and Asia. It has been used in traditional and herbal medicine in treating in bronchitis or emphysema, night sweats, pulmonary tuberculosis, irritating cough, catarrhal discharges, etc.

Health Benefits
1. Antioxidant response
In the evaluation of fractionated the methanolic extract and theirs detoxifying enzymes effect found that the highest QR-inducing activity and also induced glutathione S-transferase in a dose-dependent manner. Its potential to induce the reporter activity suggested an antioxidant response element-mediated mechanism of action in the induction of phase II detoxifying enzymes, according to the study of "Induction of detoxifying enzyme by sesquiterpenes present in Inula helenium" by Lim SS, Kim JR, Lim HA, Jang CH, Kim YK, Konishi T, Kim EJ, Park JH, Kim JS.(1)

2. Antiproliferative effects
In the investigation of components ginger and elecampane of Padma Laxand theirs effect on constipation found that PL exhibits antiproliferative properties which may be beneficial to prevent constipation-related cancer, according to the study of "Antiproliferative properties of Padma Lax and its components ginger and elecampane" by Hofbauer S, Kainz V, Golser L, Klappacher M, Kiesslich T, Heidegger W, Krammer B, Hermann A, Weiger TM.(2)

3. Prophet Job diseases
In the observation of Elecampane (Inula Campana) and it ani Prophet Job disease found that the herb relieves all kinds of pains, especially those arising from chills, and animal bites. In traditional medicine, Elecampane was and is still used in different forms for the cure of many diseases according to "Elecampane and Job's disease" by Al-Gammal SY.(3)

4. Antimycobacterial effects
In the evaluation of the root extracts of Elecampane (Inula helenium L.; Asteraceae) and Sweet Coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa Pursh.; Asteraceae and their effects in Antimycobacterial eudesmanolides found that l. helenium, which exhibited significant activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, provided the known eudesmanolides alantolactone, isoalantolactone, and 11 alpha H, 13-dihydroisoalantolactone, according to "Antimycobacterial eudesmanolides from Inula helenium and Rudbeckia subtomentosa" by Cantrell CL, Abate L, Fronczek FR, Franzblau SG, Quijano L, Fischer NH.(4)

5. Relaxant effects
In the examination of the effects of volatile oils of 22 plants from 11 different families and of some of their constituents on tracheal and ileal smooth muscles found that in all of the oils had relaxant effects on the tracheal smooth muscle, the most potent were angelica root, clove, elecampane root, basil and balm leaves oil. 16 oils inhibited the phasic contractions of the ileal myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle preparation, according to "Relaxant effects on tracheal and ileal smooth muscles of the guinea pig" by Reiter M, Brandt W.(5)

6. Anti-tumor activity
In the identification of botanical extracts with antineoplastic activity from Inula helenium root and its effect found that the Inula helenium extract revealed a highly selective toxicity toward four different tumor cell lines (HT-29, MCF-7, Capan-2 and G1), but a much lower toxicity against healthy human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from two donors, according to "Tumor cell specific toxicity of Inula helenium extracts" by Dorn DC, Alexenizer M, Hengstler JG, Dorn A.(6)

7. Cytostatic effect
In the affirmation of Biological activity of peptide extracts of medicinal plants, including Inula helenium L., found that thiers effect in non-small-cell lung carcinoma A549 cells, lung cancer H1299 cells, and cervical cancer HeLa cells, found that the cytostatic effect was produced by peptide extracts of Camelia sinesis Kuntze, Inonotus obliquus, and a mixture Inula helenium L., Chelidonium majus L., Equisetum arvense L., and Inonotus obliquus, according to "Cytostatic activity of peptide extracts of medicinal plants on transformed A549, H1299, and HeLa Cells" by Tepkeeva II, Aushev VN, Zborovskaya IB, Demushkin VP.(7)

8. Natural preservative system
In observation of development of a new natural preservative system containing both chitosan and I. helenium L. extract found that the patch test also showed that this preservative system reduced skin irritation by about 30-50%, as compared to the organic preservative system. Therefore, the good natural preservative system including chitosan and Inula helenium L. extract could be incorporated in cosmetic formulations according to "Development of a natural preservative system using the mixture of chitosan-Inula helenium L. extract" by Seo SB, Ryu CS, Ahn GW, Kim HB, Jo BK, Kim SH, Lee JD, Kajiuchi T.(8)

9. Skin cancer
in the study of Isocostunolide,a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from the roots of Inula helenium and its effect in cytotoxicity found that isolated and characterized isocostunolide from I. helenium. This compound induces apoptosis through a mitochondria-dependent pathway in A2058 cells, according to "Isocostunolide, a sesquiterpene lactone, induces mitochondrial membrane depolarization and caspase-dependent apoptosis in human melanoma cells" by Chen CN, Huang HH, Wu CL, Lin CP, Hsu JT, Hsieh HP, Chuang SE, Lai GM.(9)

10. Anti stress
In the evaluation of preparations from the underground part of elfwort (Inula helenium) and its antistressor and antioxidant properties found that The preparations produced a protective effect with respect to internal organs, blood, carbohydrate metabolism, and lipid peroxidation process, according to "[Mechanisms of antistressor activity of Inula helenium preparations].

[Article in Russian]" by Nesterova IuV, Zelenskaia KL, Vetoshkina TV, Aksinenko SG, Gorbacheva AV, Gorbatykh NA.(10)

11. Etc.