HerbalGram 83 • August – October 2009 83 • August HerbalGram Kew’s 250th Anniversary • Reviving Graeco-Arabic Medicine • St. John’s Wort and Birth Control The Journal of the American Botanical Council Number 83 | August – October 2009 Kew’s 250th Anniversary • Reviving Graeco-Arabic Medicine • Lemongrass for Oral Thrush • Hibiscus for Blood Pressure • St. John’s Wort and BirthWort Control • St. John’s Blood Pressure • HibiscusThrush for Oral for 250th Anniversary Medicine • Reviving Graeco-Arabic • Lemongrass Kew’s US/CAN $6.95 Cordyceps Medicinal Fungus: www.herbalgram.org Harvest and Use in Tibet www.herbalgram.org www.herbalgram.org 2009 HerbalGram 83 | 1 STILL HERBAL AFTER ALL THESE YEARS Celebrating 30 Years of Supporting America’s Health The year 2009 marks Herb Pharm’s 30th anniversary as a leading producer and distributor of therapeutic herbal extracts. During this time we have continually emphasized the importance of using the best quality certified organically cultivated and sustainably-wildcrafted herbs to produce our herbal healthcare products. This is why we created the “Pharm Farm” – our certified organic herb farm, and the “Plant Plant” – our modern, FDA-audited production facility. It is here that we integrate the centuries-old, time-proven knowledge and wisdom of traditional herbal medicine with the herbal sciences and technology of the 21st Century. Equally important, Herb Pharm has taken a leadership role in social and environmental responsibility through projects like our use of the Blue Sky renewable energy program, our farm’s streams and Supporting America’s Health creeks conservation program, and the Botanical Sanctuary program Since 1979 whereby we research and develop practical methods for the conser- vation and organic cultivation of endangered wild medicinal herbs. Thirty years and millions of bottles later, Herb Pharm remains America’s best-selling brand of liquid herbal extracts.We thank all our loyal customers for making our many years of work such a success. 2 | HerbalGramYou 83’l l find Herb Pharm at fine natural produ2009cts stores or online at www.herb-phawww.herbalgram.orgrm.com Herb Profile Skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora Family: Lamiaceae INTRODUCTION rabies in both humans and animals, claiming to have prevented Skullcap, sometimes spelled scullcap, is a perennial in the mint 4,000 people and 1,000 cattle from being infected after having 3 family that grows to 3 feet and is native to the eastern United been bitten by rabid dogs. A number of scientists and doctors States.1 It can be found in moist woodland areas throughout North of the era questioned the validity of this treatment, and by 1852, America and its blue flowers appear from July through Septem- the Eclectic physicans Drs. John King and Robert Newton had 3 ber.1,2 The aerial (above-ground) parts of the plant are harvested dismissed skullcap as a treatment for rabies. th th during the flowering period and are used in herbal preparations During the late 19 and early 20 centuries, the Eclectic in western herbal medicine. The root of an Asian species (S. physicians prescribed skullcap for nervousness caused by illness, baicalensis) is frequently employed in Traditional Chinese Medi- teething, and mental or physical exhaustion; nervousness with cine (TCM).1 muscular spasms; heart disorders of the nervous type with inter- mittent pulse; hysteria accompanied by uncontrollable muscu- lar action; tremors; and subsultus tendinum (twitching of the HISTORY AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE tendons, notably the wrist, during low fevers).7,8 King’s American Skullcap’s genus name, Scutellaria, comes from the Latin scutella, Dispensatory also recommended skullcap for convulsions, delir- a small dish or tray, which refers to the appearance of the sepals ium tremens, intermittent fever, neuralgia, tremors, and chorea during the fruiting period.3 The (involuntary, rapid, jerky, force- species name, lateriflora, means ful movements).8 The Ameri- “flowering on the side,” which can Materia Medica, Therapeu- is how the flowers appear on the tics and Pharmacognosy includes one-sided racemes. Skullcap’s the following additional uses common name comes from the for skullcap: twitching, nervous helmet-like shape of the flow- tics, epilepsy, paralysis agitans (a ers.3 progressive, degenerative neuro- Traditionally, the leaves logic disease), and irritability of this herb were steeped to and restlessness with nervous produce a tea or tonic.1 Utilized excitability and sleeplessness.9 by the Cherokee and other Throughout the 20th century tribes of North America to and into the 21st, American and promote menstruation, skullcap Canadian herbalists and natu- was employed in the ceremo- ropaths continue to use skullcap nial transition of young girls as an effective antispasmodic, to womanhood.1,2 The Cher- nervine tonic and sedative.3 okee also used infusions and Skullcap fluid extract was decoctions of skullcap roots for listed in the United States Phar- treating diarrhea, kidney prob- macopoeias from 1860 until lems and breast pains, and to 1900 and was included in the help expel the afterbirth.4 The National Formulary from 1916- Iroquois used an infusion of 1942.3 The Health Canada the powdered roots to prevent Natural Health Products Direc- smallpox and to keep the throat torate approved the oral tradi- clean.4 In North American folk tional medicinal use of skull- medicine, skullcap was used as cap preparations equivalent to a sedative and nerve tonic, or 0.25-12 g dried aerial parts per “nervine,” and skullcap tea was day to help relieve nervous- drunk for anxiety.5 ness, as a sleep aid, and to help Due to its gentle relaxing relieve the pain associated with effects, skullcap became a popu- menstruation.10 While not offi- lar treatment in the 1700s for cial, monographs published in hydrophobia or rabies, resulting both the British Herbal Phar- in one of its common names, macopoeia (BHP) and the Brit- mad-dog weed.1,2,6 A Dr. Van ish Herbal Compendium (BHC) Derveer (or Vandesveer) used address S. lateriflora. The BHP skullcap to prevent and treat lists skullcap as a mild sedative Skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora ©2009 Stevenfoster.com www.herbalgram.org 2009 HerbalGram 83 | 3 and the BHC recognizes the use of skullcap for nervous disorders flora been adulterated with Teucrium species over the past decades, due to anxiety, tension or stress; headaches; migraine; neurasthenia but more recent reports suggest that some seed stock sold as S. (a mental disorder characterized by chronic fatigue and concomi- lateriflora may be another species entirely.3 tant physiologic symptoms); neuralgia; panic attacks; restlessness; Other than reports of the susceptibility of skullcap to 2 virus sleep disorders; premenstrual tension and period pain; and to assist pathogens—tomato spotted wilt virus and another necrotic spot withdrawal from benzodiazepines.11,12 virus—major problems with diseases or insects have not been Several cases of hepatotoxicity were attributed to skullcap in reported.2,17 Ever-present threats to natural growth areas include the late 1980s.13 Unfortunately, none of the multi-herb products urban growth and development. However, it is unclear what impact implicated were tested to see if they actually contained skull- this population pressure may have on the production of skullcap. cap.3 The herb germander (Teucrium canadense, Lamiaceae), also known as wood sage or wild basil, and the species in the whole- —Gayle Engels sale herb trade known as pink skullcap (T. chamaedrys) are known hepatotoxins. They have been common skullcap adulterants for decades.3,14 The toxicity in the case reports is associated with REFERENCES diterpenes that are contained in germander but not skullcap.3 This 1. DerMarderosian A, Beutler JA, eds. The Review of Natural Products. adulteration persists today and is addressed in the recent American 3rd ed. St. Louis, MO: Facts and Comparisons; 2002. Herbal Pharmacopoeia standards monograph on skullcap, along 2. Joshee N, Patrick TS, Mentreddy RS, Yadav AK. Skullcap: Potential with questionable published research supposedly on S. lateriflora Medicinal Crop. Trends in New Crops and New Uses. Alexandria, VA: 3 ASHS Press; 2002. but actually done on inaccurately named species. 3. Upton R, ed. American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Therapeutic Compendium: Skullcap Aerial Parts. Scotts Valley, CA: American MODERN RESEARCH Herbal Pharmacopoeia; 2009. 4. Moerman DE. Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, OR: Timber While Western herbalists remain convinced that skullcap is Press Inc.; 1998. an effective sedative, antispasmodic and nervine tonic, very little 5. Foster S, Duke JA. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: East- scientific research has been done on this species. One small single- ern and Central North America. 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin dose study was performed in 2003 on 19 healthy subjects. The Co; 2000. effects were subjectively evaluated at 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes 6. Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler’s Honest Herbal. 4th ed. Binghamton, NY: after oral administration of one of 4 preparations: 1 capsule Haworth Herbal Press; 1999. The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Thera- containing 350 mg of freeze-dried aerial parts of skullcap (Eclec- 7. Felter HW. peutics. Cincinnati, OH: John K. Scudder; 1922. Available at: http:// tic Institute, Sandy, OR); 1 capsule containing 100 mg of freeze- www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/felter/intro.html. Accessed June 1, dried skullcap extract; 2 capsules containing 100 mg of freeze- 2009. dried skullcap extract; or 2 capsules of placebo. While there was 8. Felter HW, Lloyd JU. King’s American Dispensatory. Cincinnati, OH: little effect on cognition or overall energy, participants reported a Ohio Valley Co.; 1898. Available at: http://www.henriettesherbal. noticeable decrease in anxiety.15 The value of this study is limited com/eclectic/kings/scutellaria.html. Accessed June 1, 2009. due to size, duration, subjective assessment scale used for measure- 9. Ellingwood F. The American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and ment, and the fact that the participants were not suffering from Pharmacognosy.