HOLY THISTLE

HOLY THISTLE

Castilian: blessed thistle, blessed CENTÁUREA.

English: Blessed thistle; Holy thistle.

French: Chardon Benito.

Family: Composed.

Cardo also called blessed.

Anemia, weakness, inappetence. Intermittent fevers such as malaria and malt. Scrofulosorum. Asthma. Diseases of the Liver.

DESCRIPTION:

Height: 20 - 50 cm. Large sheets, Vella, thorny and large veins in the lower side. Yellow flowers surrounded by red thorns.

Used Part.

The entire plant.

Active Principles.

Lactones Sesquiterpenes type germacranólido: cnidina, bearing Benedictine. Flavonoids: glycosides of apigenol, luteola and kenferol. Traces of essential oil: triterpenic constituents and steroids. Tannins. Abundant mineral salts (10 to 20%) Traces of alkaloids in the fruits.

Drug Action.

The cnidina is a bitter substance with action aperitive, eupéptica, antibiotic, diuretic, febrífugo, hypoglycemic and anti - inflammatory; the essential oil has bacteriostatic properties and antifungal; the flavonoids have a diuretic action.

Indications.

Popularly used in particular for the treatment of inappetence and dispepsias hiposecretoras. Also in diabetes and light states that requires an increase of diuresis: genitourinary disorders (cystitis, ureteritis, urethritis, pyelonephritis, oliguria, urolithiasis) hiperazotemia, hyperuricemia, gout, high blood pressure, edema, overweight accompanied by fluid retention.

Contraindications.

Pregnancy, infancy, children.

Do not prescribe dosage forms with alcohol content to children under two years or consultants in the process of alcohol addiction.

Caution / Poisoning.

Excessive doses can cause gastrointestinal irritation of mucous membranes, with violent vomiting and diarrhea. These effects can occur even at doses of 100 to 300 mg (Mulet, 1997) Because of its toxicity, is no longer in use as antipyretic.

Take into account the alcohol content of the fluid extract and tincture.

When prescribing a diabetic, will be monitoring the blood glucose to adjust, if necessary, the dose of insulin or oral agents.

Galenica forms / Dosage.

Decoction: 10 g / l. Infuse 10 minutes, 1 cup before meals as an aperitif, or after, as eupéptico.

Macerate (20 g / l. one to three cups a day.

Fluid extract (1: 1) 30 drops, one to three times a day.

Tincture (1: 10) 50 drops, one to three times a day.

USES.

INFUSION.

30 - 50 g of fresh leaves / liter of water. 3 cups per day with meals.

EXTERNAL USE.

Performing a decoction with 30 - 50 grams of a mixture of leaves, flowers and stems. Use this decoction to prepare for towels or bath seat.

The plant receives various applications against corporal fever, diabetes, flank pain and as a laxative. The treatment is to prepare the infusion of flowers or leaves and take it warm. Its use is very old and in documents of the sixteenth century and its use is reported edible, which has now disappeared. It was subsequently used as a diuretic, to undo kidney stones, heal aches lung; as contraveneno and body aches and restore memory loss, eating raw or cooked was recommended to relieve headaches, ears, teeth, mouth ailments and comfort gum. At present, among various indigenous groups from the center of the country as mixes, Zapotec and Totonacos is used against the scare.

Herbaceous 1 to 2 meters tall, thin and hollow stem, leaf and elongated with abundant thorns. Its flowers have the appearance of plumes and fruit are thin and small. It takes place in warm climates, temperate and semi. It grows on arable land and is linked to the tropical deciduous forest, sudcaducifolia, subperennifolia, and evergreen forests of oak and pine.

Bibliography.

Benigni, R; Capra, C; Cattorini, P. Piante Medicinali. Chimica, Pharmacology and Therapy. Milano: Inverni & Della Beffa, 1962, pp. 253 - 4.

Bézanger - Beauquesne, L; Pinkas, M; Torck, M. Dans la Plantes Les Thérapeutiques Moderne. 2. Paris: Maloine, 1986, p. 158.

Bézanger - Beauquesne, L; Pinkas, M; Torck, M; Trotin, F. Medicinal plants of temperate Regions. Paris: Maloine, 1980, pp. 393 - 4.

British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. Vol. I. Bournemouth, Dorset: British Herbal Medical Association, 1990, pp. 57 - 8.

Bruneton, J. Elements of Phytochemistry and Pharmacognosy. Zaragoza: Acribia, 1991, p. 287.

Fernandez, M; Nieto, A. Medicinal Plants. Pamplona: Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, 1982, p. 63.

Mulet, L. Toxic Plants of Valencia. Castellon: Provincial, 1997, p. 139.

Paris, RR; Moyse, M. Summary of Matter Médicale. Take III. Paris: Masson, 1971, p. 428.

Samuelsson, G. Drugs of Natural Origin. A Textbook of Pharmacognosy. Stockholm: Swedish Pharmaceutical Press, 1992, p. 160.

Van Hellemont, J. Compendium of Phytothérapie. Bruxelles: Association Pharmaceutique Belge, 1986, pp. 107 - 8.

WICHTL, M. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceutical. A Handbook for Practice on a scientific basis. Stuttgart: Medpharm Scientific Publishers, 1994, pp. 153 - 4.

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