Sunday, January 15, 2012

Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria) Health Benefits and Side Effects


Wild indigo, a perennial plant, In the gensu Baptisia, belonging to the family Fabaceae, native to Eastern United States. The herb has been used in traditional medicine as immune stimulant antiseptic, laxative, emmenagogue and anti-parasitic agent and to treat colds and flu, liver diseases, infections of the ear, nose and throat, heal ulcers in the mouth, gingivitis etc.

Health Benefits
1. Immunobalancing
In the investigation of an allopathic herbal combined preparation containing Echinacea root, wild indigo root, and white cedar leaf tips (Echinaceae radix + Baptisiae tinctoriae radix + Thujae occidentalis herba = Esberitox N) effects, indicated that in a recent study compliant to GCP, the therapeutic superiority of the herbal immunomodulator over placebo was confirmed as statistically significant and clinically relevant. The present overview describes a model of the antigen-independent mode of action of phytoimmunomodulation ("immunobalancing"), according to "Efficacy and mode of action of an immunomodulator herbal preparation containing Echinacea, wild indigo, and white cedar" by Wüstenberg P, Henneicke-von Zepelin HH, Köhler G, Stammwitz U.(1)

2. Viral respiratory tract infections
In the comfirmation of the effect of the single active ingredients Echinaceae (purpureae et pallidae) radix, Baptisiae tinctoriae radix and Thujae occidentalis herba as well as of the combination Esberitox N has been verified in vitro, found that the efficacy for viral respiratory tract infections has been proven yet again in recent GCP-compliant, clinical studies (15, 17). Under the influence of the phytotherapeutic the duration of the illness decreased with a responder rate that was significantly higher than under placebo. The therapeutic benefit was even more pronounced, if the pharmaceutical was applied as early as possible. It has a high drug safety, according to "[Pharmacodynamic effects and clinical effectiveness of a combination of herbal substances comprised of Cone Flower, Wild Indigo and White Cedar].[Article in German]" by Köhler G, Bodinet C, Freudenstein J.(2)

3. Common cold
In the verification of the efficacy and safety of an herbal medication containing an extract of a mixture of Baptisiae tinctoriae radix, Echinaceae pallidae/purpureae radix and Thujae, occidentalis herba (SB-TOX) in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections (URIs), found that A total of 91 adults (mean age 42.1 +/- 13.0 years) were randomised to receive 19.2 mg of SB-TOX (n=31), 9.6 mg SB-TOX (n=29) or placebo (n=31) three times daily for 3-12 days. Since a "running nose" is the main symptom of a common cold, the total number of facial tissues used throughout the clinical duration of their cold was the primary efficacy parameter. In the intention-to-treat analysis, this total number of tissues decreased with increasing extract dose. The slope across groups according to the Jonckheere test was significant (p = 0.0259). In the high-dose group, the standardised effect size delta/SD was 0.46 compared with placebo. Time to relevant improvement in cold symptoms (measured as the time until less than 30 tissues per day were used) was 1.1 days (95% CI 0.52; 1.67), 0.76 days (95% CI 0.28; 1.24) and 0.52 days (95% CI 0.22; 0.82) in the placebo, according to "A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical dose-response trial of an extract of Baptisia, Echinacea and Thuja for the treatment of patients with common cold" by Naser B, Lund B, Henneicke-von Zepelin HH, Köhler G, Lehmacher W, Scaglione F.(3)

4. Immunostimulating activities
In the identification of the effects of he water or alcaline-water extracts of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench and -angustifolia DC., Eupatorium cannabinum L. and -perfoliatum L., Chamomilla recutita (L.) (Rauscher), Calendula officinalis L., Baptisia tinctoria (L.) R.B., Achyrocline satureoides DC., Arnica montana L., Sabal serrulata Roem et Schult. and Eleutherococcus senticosus Maxim. polysaccharide fractions with molecular weights in the range of 25 000 to 500 000, found that according to the granulocytes- and carbon clearance tests, showed significant immunostimulating activities. The isolated compounds belong to the group of water-soluble, acidic heteroglycanes. The linkages in the different polysaccharides do not represent a uniform structure type, according to "[Immunostimulant action of polysaccharides (heteroglycans) from higher plants. Preliminary communication].[Article in German]" by Wagner H, Proksch A, Riess-Maurer I, Vollmar A, Odenthal S, Stuppner H, Jurcic K, Le Turdu M, Heur YH.(4)

5. Anti cancers and diseases
In the determination of the relation between immunomodulatory and anti-tumour activities in many Chinese medicinal plants, found that the purification, characterization and structural elucidation of immunomodulatory polysaccharides from medicinal plants may have important implications in the immunotherapy of cancer and in the treatment of various other diseases, according to "Immunomodulatory and anti-tumour polysaccharides from medicinal plants" by Wong CK, Leung KN, Fung KP, Choy YM.(5)

6. Etc.

Side effects
1. Do not use the herb in new born, children, or if you are pregnant or breast feeding with out approval from the related field specialist.
2. Overdoses can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory paralysis, etc.
3. Etc.

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For the world most popular herbs list, visit http://theworldmostpopularherbs.blogspot.com/2011/10/world-most-popular-herbs-health.html
other health articles, please visit http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com

Sources
(a) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1382301
(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10539093
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12244885
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16323289
(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6541484
(5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7895893

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