Thursday 30 January 2014

Herbal Calendula (Calendula officinalis) and edema

Calendula is also known as pot marigold, a annual or perennial herbaceous plants of about 12–20 species of genus Calendula, belonging to the family Asteraceae, native to Southern Europe. It has been used in herbal medicine as spasmolytic, spasmogenic, inflammatory effects and to treat abdominal cramps, wound healing, skin diseases, colitis, constipation, etc.
Edema is a condition of accumulation of fluid in the interstitial spaces, causes of swelling in the feet, ankles and legs.

Ingredients
Beside major chemical constituents of triterpenoids, flavonoids, coumarines, quinones, volatile oil,carotenoids and amino acids, the herb also contains loliolide (calendin), calendulin and n-paraffins

The benefits
Calendula officinalis flower extract has been used effectively in treating inflammatory causes of edema in a carrageenan and dextran-induced acute paw edema model by 41.9 and 42.4%  respectively in oral administration of  250 and 500 mg/kg body weight, by the inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines and Cox-2 and subsequent prostaglandin synthesis. Study the anti-inflammatory activity of three new terpenoids, also indicated that the new chemical constituent found in calendula protected against  inhibition of croton oil induced ear edema in mouse.



References

(1) Phytochemical Constituents and PharmacologicalActivities of Calendula officinalis Linn (Asteraceae): AReview by BP Muley, SS Khadabadi and NB Banarase (Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research)
(2)Anti-inflammatory activity of flower extract of Calendula officinalis Linn. and its possible mechanism of action by Preethi KC, Kuttan G, Kuttan R.(PubMed)(3) Improved anti-inflammatory activity of three new terpenoids derived, by systematic chemical modifications, from the abundant triterpenes of the flowery plant Calendula officinalis by Neukirch H, D'Ambrosio M, Sosa S, Altinier G, Della Loggia R, Guerriero A.(PubMed)

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