Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) Health Bnenefits and Side Effects

Mullein is hairy biennial plant, genus Verbascum, belonging to Scrophulariaceae, native to Europe, northern Africa and Asia. The herb has been used in traditional medicine over thousands of year as analgesic, antihistaminic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant, antiviral, bacteristat, cardio-depressant, estrogenic, sedative medicine and to treat cough, whooping cough, tuberculosis, bronchitis, hoarseness, pneumonia, earaches, colds, chills, flu, etc.

Health benefits 1. Antiviral and mode effects
In the investigation of the methanolic extract of Verbascum thapsus and its antiviral activity against the pseudorabies virus strain RC/79 (PrV) found that When cells were pre-treated with the extract prior to virus infection, the inhibition in plaque formation was 70%. PrV was highly inhibited when it was incubated with plant extract or when the extract was added during the adsorption phase (99%), according to "Antiviral effect and mode of action of methanolic extract of Verbascum thapsus L. on pseudorabies virus (strain RC/79)" by Escobar FM, Sabini MC, Zanon SM, Tonn CE, Sabini LI.(1)

2. Genotoxic and cytotoxic activities
In the evaluation of the methanolic extract of V. thapsus at doses of 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg and theirs genotoxic and cytotoxic activities effects found that the extracts did not produce a significant increase in the frequency of MNPCE in bone marrow and neither altered the relationship PCE/NCE respect to negative control. These cytogenotoxic findings contribute the preclinical knowledge of methanolic extract of V. thapsus and provide security in its use as herbal medicine, according to "Genotoxic evaluation of a methanolic extract of Verbascum thapsus using micronucleus test in mouse bone marrow" by Escobar FM, Sabini MC, Zanon SM, Cariddi LN, Tonn CE, Sabini LI.(2)

3. Antiangiogenic and antiproliferative activities
In the evaluation of the activity of one new iridoid compound named verbathasin A, along with ten known compounds in Verbascum thapsus, and theirs Antiangiogenic and antiproliferative activities, found that All the isolates except 10-deoxyeucommiol and ajugol were tested for antiangiogenic and antiproliferative activities, and compounds luteolin and 3-O-fucopyranosylsaikogenin F showed promising antiproliferative activities, with an obvious effect of inducing apoptosis of A549 lung cancer cells, according to "Isolation of chemical constituents from the aerial parts of Verbascum thapsus and their antiangiogenic and antiproliferative activities" by Zhao YL, Wang SF, Li Y, He QX, Liu KC, Yang YP, Li XL.(3)

4. Antiinflammatory effects
In the evaluation of Verbascum thapsus commonly known as 'mullein' is part of a large family of Scrophulariaceae consisting of more than 360 species and theirs anti inflammatory effects
found that a significant decrease of the expression and activity of iNOS, extracellular O(2) (-) production, SOD, CAT and GPx activity when the cells were treated with verbascoside. Based on these results it is hypothesized that verbascoside has antiinflammatory properties since it reduces the production of superoxide radicals and consequently reduces the activity of iNOS, according to "Antiinflammatory effects in THP-1 cells treated with verbascoside" by

Speranza L, Franceschelli S, Pesce M, Reale M, Menghini L, Vinciguerra I, De Lutiis MA, Felaco M, Grilli A.(4)

5. Anti-hepatoma activity
In the evaluation of Fifteen crude extracts from fifteen natural medicines from Canada, including Verbascum thapsus L. (Scrophulariaceae) found that The samples were examined by in vitro evaluation for their cytotoxicity. The results showed that the effects of crude drugs on hepatitis B virus genome-containing cell lines were different from those against non hepatitis B virus genome-containing cell lines. C. groenlandica was observed to be the most effective against the growth of all five cell lines and its chemotherapeutic values will be of interest for further studies, according to "In vitro anti-hepatoma activity of fifteen natural medicines from Canada" by Lin LT, Liu LT, Chiang LC, Lin CC (5)

6. Anaesthetic ear drops
In the comparison of the efficacy and tolerance of Otikon Otic Solution (Healthy-On Ltd, Petach-Tikva, Israel), a naturopathic herbal extract (containing Allium sativum, Verbascum thapsus, Calendula flores, and Hypericum perforatum in olive oil) and Anaesthetic (Vitamed Pharmaceutical Ltd, Benyamina, Israel) ear drops (containing ametocaine and phenazone in glycerin) in the management of ear pain associated with acute otitis media (AOM) found that Otikon, an ear drop formulation of naturopathic origin, is as effective as Anaesthetic ear drops and was proven appropriate for the management of AOM-associated ear pain, according to "Efficacy of naturopathic extracts in the management of ear pain associated with acute otitis media" by Sarrell EM, Mandelberg A, Cohen HA.(6)

7. Mycobacteria
In the investigation of Common mullein weed (Verbascum thapsus) and its effect on Mycobacteria, the notoriously tough micro-organisms found that this common weed could harbour the answer to beating one of the world's biggest infectious killers, according to"What's in a Name? Can Mullein Weed Beat TB Where Modern Drugs Are Failing" by

McCarthy E, O'Mahony JM.(7)

8. Etc.

Side effects
1. Mullein may cause allergic effect to some people such as tightness in your chest, skin hives. rash, itchy, etc.
2. Do not use the herb in children or if you are pregnant or breast feeding without approval from the related field specialist.
3. Etc.

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Sources
(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21999656
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21834240
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21656353
(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20812283
(5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12203264
(6) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11434846
(7) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20953419