Herbal Highlight

Cordyceps is a genus of parasitic fungi that grows on the larvae of insects. A vast amount of literature exists about cordyceps mushrooms, some of which is scientific, and some popular myth and even hype. Also known as caterpillar fungus, the fact that cordyceps grown in the wild consumes insects’ bodies from the inside out inspired the hit HBO series The Last of Us and the video game from which it is adapted. The terrifying premise of this television drama, which made cordyceps infamous, is that a pandemic started by mutant cordyceps causes a zombie apocalypse where next door neighbours become mushroom monsters. However, we can rest assured that humans are not the natural host for cordyceps as it has not adapted to infect or colonise us. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that we will ever face the same fungal plague as seen in the award winning show, which caused the collapse of society and nearly decimated the entire human race. On the contrary, cordyceps is well known for its ability to stimulate the immune system and reduce fatigue in humans. 

The remains of the insect and the cordyceps fungi Ophiocordyceps sinensis (formerly referred to by its synonym Cordyceps sinensis) have been hand-collected, dried and used as a combination in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries to treat fatigue, sickness, kidney disease and low libido. The long-term process of symbiosis between the fungus and insect is time-consuming, the harvesting from its natural site makes it expensive and the growing demand for this species made it endangered so this led to the search for alternative sources. The solution to this issue is the related species Cordyceps militaris, which has a similar composition but does not present the same sustainability issues. This fungus is cultivated on a large scale in various substrates including rice, corn, soybean or barley, which are used in the culture medium instead of insects. 

Nowadays, cordyceps is known as a functional mushroom for energy and endurance because of its adaptogenic and tonic effects. Herbalists and naturopaths prescribe it to support energy levels and for convalescence after infection or illness, stress, improved vitality, general daily health prophylaxis regimes, including for healthy aging, lung and kidney support, cardiovascular health and arthritis. 

References

Tuli HS, Sandhu SS, Sharma AK. Pharmacological and therapeutic potential of Cordyceps with special reference to Cordycepin. 3 Biotech. 2014 Feb;4(1):1-12. doi: 10.1007/s13205-013-0121-9. Epub 2013 Feb 19. PMID: 28324458; PMCID: PMC3909570.

Sruthi M. Can Cordyceps Fungus Infect Humans? c1996-2024 MedicineNet, Inc. (updated 2 July 2023; accessed 22 Mar 2024). Available from https://www.medicinenet.com/can_cordyceps_fungus_infect_humans/article.htm

Wu P, Qin Q, Zhang J, Zhang H, Li X, Wang H, Meng Q. The invasion process of the entomopathogenic fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis into the larvae of ghost moths (Thitarodes xiaojinensis) using a GFP-labeled strain. Front Microbiol. 2022 Sep 2;13:974323. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.974323. PMID: 36118238; PMCID: PMC9479185.

Cordyceps. The Herbarium. The Herbal Academy. (accessed 5 Jun 2024). Available from https://herbarium.theherbalacademy.com/monograph/cordyceps/

Hsieh SA, Lin TH, Wang JS, Chen JJ, Hsu WK, Ying LC, Liang ZC. The effects of Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies in micturition and prostate size in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients: A pilot study, Pharmacological Research - Modern Chinese Medicine, 2022;Volume 4.

HEC Cordyceps monograph. https://ypi.bmw.mybluehost.me/sites/default/files/2024-05/extract_cordyceps_monograph.pdf

Also known as wild pansy or Johnny-jump-up, heartsease is a common little woodland herb native to Europe and Eurasia. Not to be confused with sweet violet (Viola odorata), which is a close relative with distinctively different purple flowers, heartsease is a valued remedy for skin diseases however it was also used traditionally for its expectorant and anti-inflammatory activities in bronchitis, whooping cough, asthma and rheumatism. It can be taken internally and topically for eczema, psoriasis, hives and itching, acne and topically in babies who have cradle cap. It is also used in the urinary system to treat frequent and painful urination associated with conditions such as cystitis. 

One of the most beloved herbalists of our time, the late Juliette de Bairacli Levy, says that, as its common name may suggest, heartsease is famed for its beneficial effects on the heart both as a tonic and a remedy, including to treat heart weakness and high blood pressure. She also says it is useful for skin ailments, breast swellings, boils and abscesses. A lesser know action is that it is “known to aid speed for athletes.” 

In older folk medicine heartsease was considered to be an alterative, or blood cleansing agent, that had a metabolism promoting action. It was also used to gently alter the functioning of nerves, and the immune system, and was seen as helpful in cases of nightmares, insomnia and distressed sleep with frequent night awakenings. The herb has been used after surgery to prevent reoccurring tumours. 

References

Hoffmann D. Medical Herbalism. Rochester: Healing Arts Press. 2003. p. 595

de Bairacli Levy J. Common Herbs for Natural Health. Ash Tree Publishing:New York. 1997. p.116

Rimkiene S, Ragazinskiene O, Savickiene N. The cumulation of Wild pansy (Viola tricolor L.) accessions: the possibility of species preservation and usage in medicine. Medicina (Kaunas). 2003;39(4):411-6. PMID: 12738912.

Saw palmetto is the most abundant native palm endemic to the southeastern coast of North America, growing from the coastal plains of Louisiana, across the Florida peninsula and up to South Carolina. It is characterised by evergreen, fan-shaped leaves, about one metre wide, lined with saw-like teeth along the margins of the petioles (the petiole is a stalk that attaches the leaf to the plant stem). These sharp spines give saw palmetto its common name. The gruelling harvest, therefore, is best done with heavy gloves to avoid getting cut. The fruit of this impressive palm is the premier herbal treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and has been lauded as ‘the old man’s friend’. BPH is one of the most common diseases in lower urinary tract symptoms, which can cause urinary dysfunction in middle-aged and elderly men and may affect the normal life of patients.

Saw palmetto is one of the most important North American medicinal plants of modern times. At first touted as a possible remedy for the treatment of coughs, colds and debility, it soon gained a reputation for treatment of various prostate conditions. It was an official drug, listed in two editions of the United States (US) Pharmacopoeia from 1906 to 1916. Multiple effects were reported, both digestive (stimulating appetite and providing nutrition) and reproductive (including increasing the size and secreting ability of the mammary glands, decreasing ovarian and uterine irritability, relieving dysmenorrhoea, improving ovarian dysfunction and decreasing prostate enlargement). In Europe, particularly in France, Germany and Italy, saw palmetto products were a mainstay of homeopathic practice from the 1930s to the 1960s, after which saw palmetto-based phytomedicine products emerged as standard treatments for BPH. As more scientific evidence of safety and efficacy of saw palmetto products was published, interest increased in the early 1990s, particularly in Germany. Demand is still on the rise to this day.

Regarding the growing interest in sustainability and our responsibility to protect our herbal medicines, the increased demand for saw palmetto prompted the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to officially put saw palmetto on the “Commercially Exploited Plant List” as of July 17, 2018. From this time a permit is required from the state of Florida to harvest, possess and transport saw palmetto fruit. Written permission from the landowner is required prior to harvest.  From the point of view of sustainability, overall, there is enough fruit grown and harvested in an average year that can supply the dietary supplement market. This herb is valuable not just because of its medicinal properties but also because of the labour and risks to human health involved in collecting it. Please see the Herbal Extract Company saw palmetto monograph for a detailed explanation on the harvesting of this plant. 

References

HEC Saw Palmetto monograph. Available from https://ypi.bmw.mybluehost.me/sites/default/files/2022-11/extract_sawpalmetto_monograph.pdf

Also known as bearberry (referring to its habitat in mountainous parts of the northern hemisphere), uva ursi is the prime remedy for urinary tract inflammation and infections (UTIs), particularly cystitis, urethritis and prostatitis. 

UTIs are the most frequent occurring infections in women and one of the major reasons for antibiotic prescriptions. Escherichia coli is the most frequent pathogen and first-line drugs include the antibiotic fosfomycin. Bacterial resistance is one of the major limiting factors of antibiotic use and despite fosfomycin’s activity against resistant strains (e.g. multidrug resistant E. coli), fosfomycin-resistance is an increasing problem. The antimicrobial activity of uva ursi extracts, and some of its individual constituents, has been observed in vitro however its efficacy compared with standard antimicrobial therapy has not been assessed yet. The first randomised controlled trial assessing the clinical efficacy and safety of uva ursi in comparison with fosfomycin is ongoing and the results have not yet been published. 

To the late herbalist extraordinaire Dorothy Hall, uva ursi combines the rare blend of astringent and demulcent constituents making it both a tonic and a stimulant, but also soothing and calming. She says “most herbal writers mention its effectiveness against kidney-stone pain, its cleansing and toning of the bladder with swift return to comfortable urination, and its... soothing [of] irritable genito-urinary tract inflammation. I have, in common with many other herbalists, found it equally soothing and tonic when gallstones are the problem to be treated.” When using uva ursi Hall adds dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and buchu (Agathosma betulina) to mixtures where both liver and kidneys show impeded function due to gall or kidney blockage. 

References

Hoffman D. The New Holistic Herbal. Melbourne:Element. 1990.p. 179

Tóth B, Jávorházy A, Nyirády P, Csupor-Löffler B, Birinyi P, Zhanel G, Naber K, Länger R, Vörhendi N, Gede N, Váncsa S, Hegyi P, Csupor D. Bearberry in the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis (BRUMI): protocol of a multicentre, randomised double-blind clinical trial. BMJ Open. 2022 Jun 24;12(6):e057982. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-057982. PMID: 35750460; PMCID: PMC9234905.

Hall D. Dorothy Hall’s Herbal Medicine. Lothian Publishing Company:Sydney 1988. p291-3

Bupleurum is a traditional Chinese medicine used to protect the liver where it exerts anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective actions. This suggests it may be beneficial in diseases associated with poor liver function, acute and chronic liver disease including hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver cancer. The root was traditionally used as a tonic for influenza and the common cold, to treat the associated fever (because it is cooling), inflammation and pain, as well as prolapse of the uterus and rectum. 

The anti-inflammatory action extends to chronic inflammatory disorders and autoimmune diseases such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, dementia, pancreatitis, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Bupleurum also protects the stomach and kidneys from toxic damage making it helpful for people who get frequent urinary tract infections. 

Bupleurum can also improve liver enzyme activity in regard to oestrogen clearance making it effective in endometriosis, irregular menstruation and the symptoms of perimenopause such as hot flushes and depressive mood change. More recently it has been used in the management of miscarriage cases where it plays an important role in immune modulation, and inflammatory management, for autoimmune mediated recurrent miscarriage cases and as an adaptogen to assist in adrenal recovery to overcome debility associated with recurrent pregnancy loss. 

References

van Wyk B, Wink M. Medicinal Plants of the World. Pretoria: Briza Publications; 2004. p. 73

Ren M, McGowan E, Li Y, et al. Saikosaponin-d Suppresses COX2 Through p-STAT3/C/EBPβ Signaling Pathway in Liver Cancer: A Novel Mechanism of Action. Front Pharmacol. 2019;10:623. Published 2019 May 29. doi:10.3389/fphar.2019.00623

HEC condition guides

Hechtman L. Advanced Clinical Naturopathic Medicine. Elsevier Australia:Chatswood. 2020. p. 374.

Sarris J, Wardle J. Clinical Naturopathy, 2nd ed. Chatswood:Elsevier. 2014. p.443.

Yeom M, Kim EY, Kim JH, Jung HS, Sohn Y. High Doses of Bupleurum falcatum Partially Prevents Estrogen Deficiency-Induced Bone Loss With Anti-osteoclastogenic Activity Due to Enhanced iNOS/NO Signaling. Front Pharmacol. 2018;9:1314. Published 2018 Nov 16. doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.01314

Extracts of sweet wormwood have been used for more than 2000 years in traditional Chinese herbal medicine as a cooling herb for fevers, a typical symptom of viral infections. Also known in Chinese as huang hua hao (modern) or qing hao (ancient), communities around the world use the plant as a medicinal tea for infectious microbial and viral diseases, especially malaria. It is also used in the treatment of jaundice, bacterial dysentery and in the treatment of wounds and haemorrhoids. 

The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Professor Youyou Tu for her key contributions to the discovery of the sesquiterpene lactone artemisinin, a constituent of sweet wormwood. Artemisinin, and various semisynthetic derivatives of it, are among the most widely used malaria drugs in the world. It is a potent antimalarial that has significantly reduced the mortality rates for patients suffering from malaria. Tu searched ancient literature on herbal medicine in her quest to develop novel malaria therapies. The plant sweet wormwood turned out to be an interesting candidate and Tu developed a purification procedure which rendered the active agent, artemisinin, a drug that is remarkably effective against malaria. A clinical trial showed that a decoction of sweet wormwood effectively eliminated symptoms, and dramatically lowered parasite burden, in adults with chronic malaria with cure rates on average of 74% despite providing far lower levels of artemisinin than are used as an isolated drug. This suggests there is more to sweet wormwood than just artemisinin. The issue with isolating artemisinin is that the drug created is financially beyond the reach of most people suffering from malaria and the drug also raises the probability of generating drug resistance. Ongoing work is needed to identify all the synergistic compounds in sweet wormwood. 

In relation to this a 2021 in vitro study found that sweet wormwood extracts inhibited SARS-CoV-2 (the infectious substance of COVID-19) infection, and the active component(s) in the extracts is likely something besides artemisinin, or a combination of components that block virus infection at a step downstream of virus entry. In a 2023 in vitro study by some of the same researchers, sweet wormwood tea infusions continued to show efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and its rapidly evolving variants including omicron. They urged testing of sweet wormwood to treat COVID-19 in clinical trials sooner rather than later. 

References

Kim WS, Choi WJ, Lee S, Kim WJ, Lee DC, Sohn UD, Shin HS, Kim W. Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Effects of Artemisinin Extracts from Artemisia annua L. Korean J Physiol Pharmacol. 2015 Jan;19(1):21-7. doi: 10.4196/kjpp.2015.19.1.21. Epub 2014 Dec 31. PMID: 25605993; PMCID: PMC4297758.

Nair MS, Huang Y, Fidock DA, Polyak SJ, Wagoner J, Towler MJ, Weathers PJ. Artemisia annua L. extracts inhibit the in vitro replication of SARS-CoV-2 and two of its variants. J Ethnopharmacol. 2021 Jun 28;274:114016. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114016. Epub 2021 Mar 12. PMID: 33716085; PMCID: PMC7952131.

Ekiert H, Świątkowska J, Klin P, Rzepiela A, Szopa A. Artemisia annua - Importance in Traditional Medicine and Current State of Knowledge on the Chemistry, Biological Activity and Possible Applications. Planta Med. 2021 Jul;87(8):584-599. doi: 10.1055/a-1345-9528. Epub 2021 Jan 22. PMID: 33482666.

Mueller MS, Runyambo N, Wagner I, Borrmann S, Dietz K, Heide L. Randomized controlled trial of a traditional preparation of Artemisia annua L. (Annual Wormwood) in the treatment of malaria. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2004 May;98(5):318-21.

Yarnell E. Synergy in Herbal Medicines: Part 1. Journal of Restorative Medicine.2015 Dec 1;4(1):60-73

Nair MS, Huang Y, Fidock DA, Polyak SJ, Wagoner J, Towler MJ, Weathers PJ. Artemisia annua L. extracts inhibit the in vitro replication of SARS-CoV-2 and two of its variants. J Ethnopharmacol. 2021 Jun 28;274:114016. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114016. Epub 2021 Mar 12. PMID: 33716085; PMCID: PMC7952131.

Nair MS, Huang Y, Wang M, Weathers PJ. SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants are susceptible in vitro to Artemisia annua hot water extracts. J Ethnopharmacol. 2023 May 23;308:116291. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116291. Epub 2023 Feb 18. PMID: 36804200; PMCID: PMC9937997.

In the Ayurvedic tradition hemidesmus is a popular, refreshing, naturally sweet fragrant tea commonly used daily as a healthy drink to promote vitality. Traditionally it is used for cooling (good for menopausal hot flushing), blood cleansing (acne), detoxing (diaphoretic (for fever) and diuretic (for urinary disease) via sweat and urine), diarrhoea (it has been suggested the water (not ethanolic) extract could be used as a supplement for oral rehydration therapy), infections, wounds and rashes, diabetes, gout, bad breath and to promote relaxation before bed. It is said to be rich in antioxidants potentiating immunity. Women in rural Sri Lanka use hemidesmus root (where it is known as iramusu) to reduce the possibility of a miscarriage, to promote a healthy pregnancy and for post-partum recovery, and it is used in arthritis which is very common due to all the hard work in the rice fields. Hemidesmus has a traditional reputation for use in treating snake bites and the plant can neutralise venom in vitro. Constituents isolated from the root have also been shown to neutralise viper and cobra venom in vitro however there are no human trials, and the plant is not recommended as an alternative to antivenom.

In stark contrast, in Western herbal medicine the root of hemidesmus, commonly known as Indian sarsaparilla, is regarded as immunosuppressive and it is advised that this plant be avoided in acute conditions because it could dampen the immune response. It is indicated in instances where the immune system is overactive and thus it is prescribed for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and asthma where it is said to work well with low dose echinacea. Perhaps misguided, this Western understanding of hemidesmus appears to be based on preclinical evidence from a 1986 preliminary screening of immunomodulating agents of plant origin, as most modern texts reference this almost 40-year-old study. In the in vivo study the effect of an ethanolic extract of hemidesmus was tested for immune responses after being fed to mice injected with sheep red blood cells (used as an antigen to study immune competence). Hemidesmus was found to suppress cell mediated and humoral components of the immune system in the mice. However, it should be noted that, while promising, animal studies cannot be extrapolated to human use and human clinical trials are needed. Converse to this, in a more recent study (2018), hemidesmus exhibited direct immunostimulatory activity on immune system cells indicating that it could induce immunogenic cell death in human tumour cells, thus suggesting its potential relevance in cancer immunotherapy protocols. No human clinical trials, immune or otherwise, could be located by the author. Perhaps this herb is another case where disregard for the traditional use of a plant has possibly hindered modern scientific attempts to understand it? It is worth noting that the traditional Ayurvedic uses of hemidesmus are reflective of its extraction process and may not directly correspond with ethanol-based extracts used in Western herbal medicine.

In her 2020 book, Advanced Clinical Medicine, experienced naturopathic clinician Leah Hechtman (via naturopathic clinician Angela Hywood who wrote the miscarriage chapter) echoes the rural Sri Lankan women’s traditional use suggesting hemidesmus may be of benefit in autoimmune mediated miscarriage cases. According to the references this is based on the 1986 study above. “In a series of tests, oral administration of ethanol extract of hemidesmus decreased both the cell-mediated and the humoral components of the immune system in mice. In the context of miscarriage cases, this activity would be of benefit in autoimmune-mediated miscarriage cases.” 

References

Compendium of Medicinal Plants A Sri Lankan study. Volume 1. Department of Ayurveda, 2004. p. 104.

Priyantha KM. Know your herbs Iramusu (Hemidesmus Indicus). [Internet]. [Updated 13 Jan 2020]. Available from http://www.dailymirror.lk/medicine/Know-your-herbs-Iramusu-Hemidesmus-Indicus/308-181162

Nandy S, Mukherjee A, Pandey DK, Ray P, Dey A. Indian Sarsaparilla (Hemidesmus indicus): Recent progress in research on ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020 May 23;254:112609. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.112609. Epub 2020 Jan 30. PMID: 3200763

Das S, Bisht SS. The bioactive and therapeutic potential of Hemidesmus indicus R. Br. (Indian Sarsaparilla) root. Phytother Res. 2013 Jun;27(6):791-801. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4788. Epub 2012 Aug 8. PMID: 22887725.

Turrini E, Catanzaro E, Muraro MG, Governa V, Trella E, Mele V, Calcabrini C, Morroni F, Sita G, Hrelia P, Tacchini M, Fimognari C. Hemidesmus indicus induces immunogenic death in human colorectal cancer cells. Oncotarget. 2018 May 11;9(36):24443-24456. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.25325. PMID: 29849952; PMCID: PMC5966270.

Sarris J, Wardle J. Clinical Naturopathy. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier:Sydney. 2010. p472.

Hechtman L. Clinical Naturopathic Medicine. Sydney:Churchill Livingstone Elsevier. 2012. p.349,600,610

Atal CK, Sharma ML, Kaul A, Khajuria A. Immunomodulating agents of plant origin. I: Preliminary screening. J Ethnopharmacol. 1986;18(2):133-141. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(86)90025-5

Johnson TL, Fahey JW. Black cohosh: coming full circle?. J Ethnopharmacol. 2012;141(3):775-779. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2012.03.050

Hechtman L. Advanced Clinical Naturopathic Medicine. Elsevier Australia:Chatswood. 2020. p. 375

With a lemony fragrant scent, agrimony has relaxing and calming qualities along with a gentle bitterness and astringency that makes it helpful for toning tissues that have become too relaxed or inflamed. UK herbalist Lucy Jones describes the energetics of agrimony as encouraging “us to reset the balance between tension and relaxation in our bodies.” She says it is for patients who ‘put on a brave face’, ‘hide their worries behind a happy countenance’ and who drive their tension deep inside their body, so that the surface seems relaxed and calm. “This is the classic British ‘stiff-upper-lip’ syndrome. We do not want to bother someone else with our troubles and prefer to keep up a pretence of all being well. This dual reality sets up a lot of tension in the body, so much so that a release valve can be needed. Often this is achieved by the person falling prey to addictive behaviours, such as excessive drug taking or alcohol consumption, or thrill-seeking behaviour patterns such as driving too fast…" Agrimony people “like partying hard” and are addicted to activities that “get their adrenaline flowing”, she says.  

However, agrimony is most often prescribed as a hepatic herb recommended for chronic liver disease, inflammation of the gallbladder and to increase the secretion of the bile in general. Its astringency has led to its use traditionally as an anti-inflammatory and wound healing herb. It is a good choice for a mouthwash for inflamed gums and a gargle for a sore throat. Adding an antispasmodic action to this means it can be helpful in cases of diarrhoea and irritable bowel syndrome. Another attribute is its use as a relaxing diuretic to support the urinary system in cases of cystitis, urinary stones and incontinence. Jones says “agrimony is one of those herbs that is a medicine chest in itself…It surprises me that it is not prescribed more widely by herbalists…” 

 The late matriarch of Australian herbal medicine, Dorothy Hall, concurs saying of agrimony: “all the great herbalists mention this plant: all agree on its major uses. This in itself is rare, but the plant was mostly prescribed then on its own as a ‘simple’ [the use of one herb at a time].” In his eponymous book, Weiss’s Herbal Medicine, the author points out in the chapter on Diseases of the Liver and Biliary Tract that “real success will only be achieved if [agrimony] is used consistently for some time.” Weiss ranks agrimony as a tonic bitter that is a “gentle antidiarrhoeic drug.” It is said to be especially useful in children with irritations and infections in the intestinal tract.

References

Jones L. A Working Herbal Dispensary. Aeon Books:Glasgow. 2023. p40-3

Jones L. A Working Herbal Dispensary. Aeon Books:Glasgow. 2023. p40-3

Hall D. Dorothy Hall’s Herbal Medicine. Sydney:Lothian. 1988. p. 78, 314.

Weiss R. Herbal Medicine.Stuttgart: Thieme, 2001. p. 93

Aloes is a tall, single stemmed plant with a rosette crown of thick and fleshy succulent leaves and striking orange-red flowers that make it a standout specimen along the south-central regions of southern Africa, where it originated. It is widely distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics where it is grown as an ornamental and medicinal plant valued for its colourless leaf 'gel' and bitter brown leaf exudate. 

Aloes leaf exudate was first exported from South Africa in 1761. The centuries-old local tradition of sustainably gathering leaves for this purpose continues in South Africa today. Around 200 to 300 mature leaves are removed from the plants, without harming or destroying them, and stacked around a central well. This usually happens during the rainy season because the exudate is more abundant. The pungent brown exudate drips from the cut surface of the leaves into the well. The leaves are usually cut in the morning and extraction takes about six hours. The exudate is then dried to yield a dark, glossy crystalline mass. Full time aloe harvesters tap and drain the leaves and are commonly referred to as ‘tappers’. Age-old, indigenous, responsible harvesting knowledge, practices and skills have been passed down over generations as a family custom that has changed little over time. 

Aloes is made from the yellow sap or latex found in specialised cells in the margins of the leaves beneath the thick leaf epidermis and the gel of the leaf, which is extracted and dried to make a dark crystalline substance. The word “Aloes” in pharmacopoeias and formularies refers to this herbal substance derived from the dried leaf juice. This has always created confusion due to the fact that the leaves are the source of two products “aloe dried juice” and “aloe gel”, which are quite different in their chemical composition and their therapeutic properties. Aloes is mainly used for its anthraquinone laxative effect. It should be administered for constipation in small doses, for limited periods, due to its side effects and habituating potential. The purgative effects of the dark sap are attributed to the action of reducing water reabsorption into the intestine and by directly stimulating the smooth muscle of the gut. It is recommended to consume it with carminative herbs, such as fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), angelica (Angelica archangelica) or ginger (Zingiber officinale), to prevent intestinal cramping and griping pain. Results can take 12 to 18 hours following consumption. Therefore, it should be consumed early in the evening to obtain results the following morning. 

References

Bhaludra CSS, Bethapudi RR, Murugulla AC, Pullagummi C, Latha T, Venkatesh K, et al. Cultivation, Phytochemical Studies, Biological Activities and Medicinal Uses of Aloe ferox, Grandfather of Aloes an Important Amazing Medicinal Plant. International Journal of Pharmacology. 2013;9: 405-415.

Aloe ferox Mill. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Plants of the World Online. (accessed Feb 23 2024). Available from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:529449-1/general-information

Steenkamp V, Stewart MJ. Medicinal Applications and Toxicological Activities of Aloe. Products, Pharmaceutical Biology. 2007;45:5, 411-420, DOI: 10.1080/13880200701215307

Assessment report on Aloe barbadensis Mill. and on Aloe (various species, mainly Aloe
ferox Mill. and its hybrids), folii succus siccatus. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Europaean Medicines Agency Science Medicines Health (updated 22 Nov 2016; accessed 25 Jan 2024). Available from https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-assessment-report-aloe-barbadensis-mill-and-aloe-various-species-mainly-aloe-ferox-mill-and-its-hybrids-folii-succus-siccatus_en.pdf

Juniper is a small evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family, with a strong aromatic scent, which makes an attractive ornamental for landscaping. Its “berries” aren’t technically berries at all but are actually seed cones whose fleshy scales merge to create the impression of a smooth, unified surface. The term juniper berry however has become widely accepted. Martini lovers will know juniper berries as being the main flavouring component of gin and they must be lightly crushed and distilled to release the “piney, citrusy, turpentiney flavour” so central to the spirit’s taste. They are also used as a seasoning to enliven game, marinades, poultry and sauerkraut. 

Juniper berries stimulate the functions of the kidney and bladder, making an excellent antiseptic and diuretic for urinary conditions such as cystitis. This diuretic action explains juniper’s traditional use in high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and premenstrual fluid retention. Its bitter action aids digestion and flatulence and stimulates the appetite. Juniper can also assist with rheumatism and arthritis as well as easing the pain in joints and muscles when applied externally. 

Likening the juniper person picture to Santa Claus, herbalist extraordinaire, the late Dorothy Hall, said juniper people are defined by fluid retention: “’Fat and jolly’ may be the personality-summation; a hearty, jovial, fun-loving person who is not only expansive by nature but also by the waistline! Falstaff, Shakespeare’s wine-bibbing, red-faced rotund declaimer of stories and fun, was a classic ‘Juniper’. In later life, dropsy [oedema] would follow.” 

References

O’Connell J. The Book of Spice. Profile Books:London. 2015 p.130

Hoffman D. The New Holistic Herbal. Melbourne:Element. 1990.p. 209

Hall D. Dorothy Hall’s Herbal Medicine. Sydney:Lothian. 1988. p. 207