Guest guest Posted January 19, 2002 Report Share Posted January 19, 2002 " gcwhite " wrote to " UK Herbal List " <ukherbal-list >: > I posted the following message back in November last year (and not one of > you tried a guess!!!): Well, no. Epilobium has fluffy seed, sure, but the flowers look nothing like dandelion seed-heads. > >A lady asked me if I could identify a plant for her that she got via a third > >party. It grows in Swiss alpine meadows, has flowers that look similar to > >dandelion seed heads, and is used to treat urinary tract infections/cystitis > >(apparently it's collected by nuns). > > >Any guesses? > > The lady's husband came by with a sample of the herb and the information > that it is called 'epilobi herba'. > > I would guess that it is either _Epilobium angustfolium_ (Rosebay willow > herb), or _Epilobium parviflorum_ (Small flowered willow herb). I don't > know anything about either of these plants - can anyone dispel my ignorance? They're identical for all practical purposes. As far as I know you can use _any_ Epilobium the same way, no need to go for the exotic one, or the tiny one. I use E. angustifolium (also called fireweed) for candida (2-3 months, 3 cups a day) (hasn't failed me yet), as a gentle astringent for other gut troubles, as a filler for teas which would be too strong otherwise, and as a prostata herb for BPHP (the early stages). The fermented leaf tea used to be sold in western Russia (Leningrad/St. sburg and thereabouts) as Chinese black tea, a few decades ago. > Also the only one I can find available is the _Epilobium parviflorum_ in the > Herbal Apothocary catalogue. Anyone know of any other sources for the dried > herb? Sorry, can't help. I pick my own. You could try Blessed Herbs (in the US), I think they carry it. Cheers Henriette -- hetta@... Henriette Kress Helsinki, Finland Over 30 MB herbal .html files (FAQs, classic texts, articles, links), plus pictures, zipped archives, the works, at: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2002 Report Share Posted January 20, 2002 Dear Graham, In the official Swiss Pharmacopoeia (Pharmacopoeia Helvetica VII), 'Epilobii herba' denotes dried aerial parts of Epilobium parviflorum Schreber [=Hoary Willowherb in English] and of other species belonging to the Epilobium genus. An entry for E. parviflorum in Prof. Dr Willi Schaffner's " Heilpflanzen Kompendium " published in Bern in 1996 gives the following information: (...) Main constituents: Flavonoids, tannins, triterpenic acids, phytosterols Actions and Application: Anti-inflammatory. To date, applied solely in popular (folk) medicine for benign prostatic hypertrophy. Dosage: 1.5-2g (2 to 2and1/2 teaspoons) per teacup; cover with boiling water and leave to steep. Drink one cupful several times a day. Side effects: Not known Contraindications: Not known Interactions: Not known Past applications: Apart from the young shoots being used as foodstuff and the whole plant in infusions, Hoary Willowherb has been used as an emollient, protective (coating) and astringent remedy. A Polish textbook, " Herbs - A Source of Health " , by Mikolajczyk & Wierzbicki, Warsaw 1999 (one day I will translate the whole of it into English), has more to say about the genus in a monograph referring specifically to Epilobium angustifolium L.: (...) Other species of the genus Epilobium also display therapeutic action. These are Epilobium parviflorum, Epilobium anagallidifolium, and other species characterised by small flowers. (...) The herbal material used therapeutically is the whole herb (Herba Epilobii). It is harvested by hand during dry weather. It may be dried in natural conditions, in a shady and well-ventilated place. If dried in an artificially heated drying plant, the temperature should not exceed 40 degrees Celsius. (...) Chemical composition - Actions - Applications: The herb contains numerous flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetine, myricetine and their glycoside derivatives), beta-sitosterol, triterpene acids and phenolic acids, tannins, mucilage and mineral salts. The chief active constituent of Herba Epilobii is believed to be the anti-inflammatory compound myricetine glucuronide. Herba Epilobii is used in folk medicine to treat headaches and benign prostatic hypertrophy, among other complaints. The anti-inflammatory action of myricetine glucuronide and the presence of beta sitosterol, both ascertained in research, justify the empirical application of Herba Epilobii in treating prostate diseases (BPH and prostatitis). In many countries, the Epilobium herb was traditionally used in the past as a substitute for black tea, since its flavour resembles the latter. For example, in Tsarist Russia, Epilobium angustifolium tea was mass- produced as so-called " Kaporskiyy chaii " in the village of Kaporyie in the sburg Province. * * * Interestingly, Treben swears by E. parviflorum (and E.roseum, E. montanum, E.obscurum, E.collinum, E.pallustre and E. anagallidifolium) as specific in the treatment of BPH as well as prostatic cancer, but discounts any therapeutic value of E. angustifolium and E.hirsutum. Perhaps the E. angustifolium that has never failed Henriette owes its remedial value to minerals in Finnish soil while the Austrian Alpine sub- species is less useful? I should not be surprised! I shall investigate the availability of the plant material when I next go to Poland (they have excellent quality control mechanisms there for any herbal remedies offered for sale in state-approved pharmacies - as a herbalist, I am always consumed by benign envy whenever I go back to visit...). By the way, I would guess that a person not formally trained in botany could easily say 'flowers' when referring to the matured fluffy fruit heads of the Epilobiums. (In Polish, you can refer to a plant with developing fruitheads by a word that can be translated as " post-blossom " ). In my experience, E. parviflorum is only too ready to colonise any untended patch in a garden very quickly indeed. I gather a sufficient quantity (for domestic prophylactic use on the resident male) from every corner of my sadly neglected garden every year. It even finds its way into plant pots where it grows, happily welcomed, alongside my other sadly neglected herbs. I hope this is of interest. Well, you asked! Love, Ania Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 25, 2002 Report Share Posted January 25, 2002 Hi With regards the Epilobium parviflorum. It became very popular in Austria following the use of this herb by the herbalist Treben. She recommended it for the treatment of prostate disorders and such was the popularity of its use, supply apparently often exceeded demand. Unfortunately Treben sadly died last year. A great loss but I personally think she has left a great legacy, her excellent book 'Health Through God's Pharmacy'. It may not be very scientifically oriented but her use of healing herbal tea is user- friendly and has helped many many people as shown by her other book ‘ Treben’s Cures’, which quotes the numerous letters from people all around the world stating how following suggested herbs had helped them. I recommend that anyone who has heard bad things about the God’s Pharmacy book should read it themselves without being driven by the need for scientific reasoning as the book is aimed at the general public. Worth a read as some gems of info are there. I have a particular interest Epilobium parviflorum myself as I used it for a relative of mine for the treatment of a prostate disorder and it appeared to produce great results, although it is difficult to say that it was due purely to the Epilobium as other herbs were also used. So impressed was I by the results, it was the incentive that drove me to study herbal medicine and I qualified last year. Research is beginning to be done on this herb such as that conducted by Lesuisse et al (1996). They hypothesised that its biological activity might be due to inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase (enzyme that converts testosterone to its 5 times more potent version: dihydrotestosterone). Investigation found that this activity was found but only in the aqueous extract. This would appear to support this herb's use as an infusion rather than a tincture, which was the form used by Treben. This aqueous extract was analysed and the purified fraction that displayed the enzyme inhibition was identified as a macrocyclic tannin: oenothein B. A similar study by Ducrey et al (1997) measured the activity of different species of Epilobium (of the small flowered variety)with regards inhibition of both 5-alpha-reductase and aromatase. I can supply the web sites for these two research pieces if anyone is interested. It certainly seems to be a fascinating herb worthy of further research as is seems to be rarely used outside Germany and Austria as far as I understand. The herbal clinic attacked to the university of Westminster has it in stock but I am not sure who the supplier was but I see it growing all over the place here in London. Regards Niki > >Reply-To: ukherbal-list >To: " UK Herbal List " <ukherbal-list > >Subject: Epilobi herba >Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 19:43:18 -0000 > >Hi All > >I posted the following message back in November last year (and not one of >you tried a guess!!!): > > >A question for the botanists - > > >A lady asked me if I could identify a plant for her that she got via a >third > >party. It grows in Swiss alpine meadows, has flowers that look similar >to > >dandelion seed heads, and is used to treat urinary tract >infections/cystitis > >(apparently it's collected by nuns). > > >Any guesses? > >The lady's husband came by with a sample of the herb and the information >that it is called 'epilobi herba'. > >I would guess that it is either _Epilobium angustfolium_ (Rosebay willow >herb), or _Epilobium parviflorum_ (Small flowered willow herb). I don't >know anything about either of these plants - can anyone dispel my >ignorance? > >Also the only one I can find available is the _Epilobium parviflorum_ in >the >Herbal Apothocary catalogue. Anyone know of any other sources for the >dried >herb? > >Thanks > >Graham White B.Sc. (Herb. Med.), MNIMH. >Medical Herbalist >Bishop's Stortford & Buntingford >-------------------------------------------------------------------- > >gcwhite@... > > > > >List Owner > > > >Graham White, MNIMH > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 27, 2002 Report Share Posted January 27, 2002 Hi All Many thanks for all the very useful, and detailed, responses to this. So my question is now 'Does anyone have 100 or 200g of the dried herb that they can sell me?' Re: Epilobi herba <snip> > Research is beginning to be done on this herb such as that conducted by > Lesuisse et al (1996). They hypothesised that its biological activity might > be due to inhibition of 5-alpha-reductase (enzyme that converts testosterone > to its 5 times more potent version: dihydrotestosterone). Investigation > found that this activity was found but only in the aqueous extract. This > would appear to support this herb's use as an infusion rather than a > tincture, which was the form used by Treben. This aqueous extract was > analysed and the purified fraction that displayed the enzyme inhibition was > identified as a macrocyclic tannin: oenothein B. A similar study by Ducrey > et al (1997) measured the activity of different species of Epilobium (of the > small flowered variety)with regards inhibition of both 5-alpha-reductase and > aromatase. I can supply the web sites for these two research pieces if > anyone is interested. Yes please if you could post the full references or the web sites. Given the possible enzyme inhibition activity is there any history of the use of Epilobium in the treatment of PCOS? > Regards Niki Cheers Graham White B.Sc. (Herb. Med.), MNIMH. Medical Herbalist Bishop's Stortford & Buntingford -------------------------------------------------------------------- gcwhite@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 27, 2002 Report Share Posted March 27, 2002 Hi Niki Back in January you posted an interesting piece on Epilobium. <snip> > Research is beginning to be done on this herb such as that conducted by > Lesuisse et al (1996). They hypothesised that its biological activity might <snip> Could you please send me the full references that you mention, and also the URL for the website? Given that it (possibly) inhibits the conversion of testosterone, I am interested in using it in PCOS where the main symptoms are acne and hirstutism. Has anyone else tried this? Epilobium angustifolium no longer seems to be available from Herbal Apothecary, but Epilobium parviflorum is available from ProLine. Cheers Graham White B.Sc. (Herb. Med.), MNIMH. Medical Herbalist Bishop's Stortford & Buntingford -------------------------------------------------------------------- gcwhite@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 27, 2002 Report Share Posted March 27, 2002 > > Given that it (possibly) inhibits the conversion of testosterone, I am > interested in using it in PCOS where the main symptoms are acne and > hirstutism. Has anyone else tried this? > Hi Graham, I have just recently decided to try Serenoa in the same way for a px of mine with PCOS for whom there has been a lot of improvement on everything except her hair loss in particular and hirsuitism to a lessre extent. As I am unaware of this having been tried before, and given that there are ambiguities as to whether Serenoa is oestrogenic or antioestrogenic as well as the testosterone conversion factors, I explainedto her that this was unchartered territory, and she was willing to give it a try. I will let you know how we get on. BTW she has been very happy with a course of laser tx for her hirsuitism. She was warned that it may recur, but no problems so far in the areas treated. It does cost though. Do you have your px on Vitex? I know Ruth Tricky warns against it for PCOS due to prolactin stimulation, but I have found it helpful, and where acne is a problem... I would be interested to know people's views on the comparative efficacy of Serenoa, Urtica rad. and Epilobium ssp; and views on combining or not - are they synergistic/cummulative.... Also a) Any ideas on how to make a more lipohilic Rx of Serenoa...traditional use of oil macerated berries??? and An easy way to tell apart the various Epilobium species, so as I know whats best to harvest...although I understand they are mostly all good stuff. I remember Mrs. Z. raving about them for skincare once upon a summer in deepest Sussex!!! All the best, Noreen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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