QUEEN OF THE GRASSLANDS
FILIPENDULA ULMARIA (L.) MAXIM. (=SPIRAEA ULMARIA L.)
QUEEN OF THE GRASSLANDS
Meadowsweet; al.: Echtes Mädesüb; English.: Meadowsweet.
Flower, the flowering tops
No woody perennial herbaceous plant with upright stems (1-2m) and furrowed red veining of the leaves are alternate, with imparipinnadas foliole terminal with three lobes. The yellow flowers, are grouped into curds irregular.
Source
The meadowsweet is a plant common throughout Europe except the Mediterranean coast. It grows in damp places: edges of rivers, ravines, meadows and flood, one of three recognized subspecies [812], grows in dry meadows of central Europe.
Chemical composition
Have been described some compounds not specific enough: Vitamin C, fatty acids, coumarin, heterósidos of flavonols (espireósido, St. John aviculare ...) [813]. As in the rest of the pinkish, rich in tannins gálicos: di-1, 2 and tri-1, 2,3 galoil hexahidroxidifenoil glucose [814], rugosina-D [815]. Have studied other groups of metabolites such as essential oil, phenolic glycosides.
• Essential oil. When it is produced by hidrodestilación, the essential oil of leaves contains mainly derived Arenas: fenilacetaldehido salicylic and salicylic aldehyde, alcohol and Phenethyl Hexenal [816]. In the essential oil of flowers the salicylic aldehyde, a majority (75%) is accompanied by some thirty other compounds [817]. A study by gas chromatography (GC / MS) confirmed the dominance of salicilaldehyde and methyl salicylate and notes the presence of several oxygenated monoterpenes (alcohols and ketones) [818].
• Glycosides of phenols. Have confirmed the presence of monotropitósido (xiloglucósido of methyl salicylate) and espireósido (xiloglucósido of salicylic aldehyde) [819]; isosalicósido as well as in flowers.
Pharmacological data
Apart from some jobs, very old, on the diuretic activity in dog, it seems that the many properties that the folk tradition confer on drugs (astringent, "diaphoretic," febrífugo, anti ...), have not been verified. However, it can be noted that derivatives Salicylic present in the drug can justify their anti-inflammatory activity and medicines. It is known that compounds such as salicylic alcohol are absorbed in bowel and are oxidized in salicylic acid whose activity on the phenomena of early inflammation is demonstrated [823]. The presence of flavonoids may contribute to this activity [820]. Some authors have noted an antiulcer effect in rats and have studied the action of the extract on smooth muscle [821].
Employment
The acute toxicity tests (3g/kg) and subacute (300 and 600 mg / kg / day, 4 weeks) have shown no toxicity, the drug criomolida, rat [822]. The indications are accepted: symptomatic treatment of painful joint diseases minors, action on the elimination of water and renal functions of the digestive and renal elimination.
In Spain authorizing the use of this plant for the cases of oliguria, edema, urolithiasis, rheumatism, flu-like illnesses, fever.
The drug
The stem tops of florida is angular, hollow and striped with rows straight. The leaves with reddish-brown angular stipules are imparipinnadas, some with 3-9 pairs of leaflets with teeth reduced to small sheets overlapping. The upper surface is dark green and glabra, with the white underside. The flowers, grouped in irregular curds, have 5 sepals vellosos soldiers at the base of 20 to 40 stamens beyond the edge of the 5 petals spread that constitute the Corolla. The ovary is composed of 4 to 5 carpels arranged in propeller and crowned by a short style finished in a stigma globose. The fruit has a helical twist. The physical-chemical testing includes the identification of substances washed away by water vapor in an acidic medium (flower> 0.2%, tops> 0.1%) and CCF displaying products in the hidrodestilación, the salicylic aldehyde and methyl salicylate.
Bibliography
[812] subsp. ulmaria, subsp. picbaueri (Podp.) Smejkal et subsp. denudata (et J. C. Presl.) Hayek
P.W. BALL, Filipendula. In: Flora Europaea, T.G. Tutin, V.H. Heywood, N.A. BURGOS, D.M. MOORE, D.H. VALENTINE, S.M. WALTERS and D.A. WEBB, eds., Cambridge University Press, vol. 2, p. 6-7, 1968.
[813] T. SCHEER and M. WICHTL
Zum Vorkommen von Kämpferol-4'-OBD-glucopyranoside in Filipendula ulmaria und Allium cepa
Planta Med., 53, 573-574, 1987.
[814] R.K. Gupta, S.M.K. Al-Shafi, K. LAYDEN and E. Haslam
The metabolism of gallica hexahydroxydiphenic acid in acid plants. Part 2. Esters of (S)-hexahydroxy-diphenic acid with D-glucopyranose (4C1). J. Chem. Soc. Beijing. 1, 2525-2534, 1982.
[815] E. Haslam, T.H. Lilley, Y. CAI, R. MARTIN and D. MAGNOLATO
Traditional herbal medicines. The role of polyphenols.
Planta Med., 55, 1-8, 1989
[816] R.K. JULKUNEN-Tiit, M.J. Kirsi and T.K. RIMPILÄINEN
Methods of analysis and the aroma composition of some species of Herbal Teas
Lebens-Wiss. u. Technol., 21, 36-40, 1988
[817] M.G. VALLE, G.M. NANO & S. STRIP
Das ätherische Öl aus Filipendula ulmaria
Planta Med., 54, 181-182, 1988
[818] A. Lindeman, P. JOUNELA-ERIKSSON & M. LOUNASMAA
The composition of the flower scent of Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim.)
Lebens.-Wiss. u. Technol., 15, 286-289, 1982.
[819] B. MEIER, D. LEHMANN, O. Stich and A. BETTSCHART
SALICYLATE in Arzneipflanzen. Screening Method (HPLC, DC) zum Nachweis
Dtsch. Apoth.-Ztg., 127, 2401-2407, 1987.
[820] M.J. ALCARAZ and M.J. JIMENEZ
Flavonoids as anti-inflammatory agents
Phytotherapy, 59, 25-38, 1988.
[821] O.D. BARNAULOV et al. cited in:
R.C. WREN, Potter's new Cyclopaedia of botanical drugs and preparations 15 ed., Revised by EM WILLIAMSON and F.J. EVANS, Saffron Walden, C.W. Daniel Cy. Ltd., P. 188, 1988.
[822] Meadowsweet. Dosier toxicological Laboratories Arkopharma.
[823] B. MEIER
SALICYLATE in einheimischen Arzneipflanzen
Schweiz Apoth.-Ztg., 126, 725-733, 1987.
Diseases whose treatment is appropriate in this plant
Inflammation
Osteoarthritis
Muscle cramps