Plantago - Plantain

Plantago officinalis-Plantago major

The plant is native to Europe and northern and central Asia but is widely cultivated in several other parts of the world. It contains a very interesting pool of substances among which are noteworthy mucilages, tannins responsible for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, flavonoids, terpenoids, allantoin, Calcium, Vit-C, A, K, and a glycoside the aucubin with anti-inflammatory characteristics.

In particular, aucubin, an iridoid glycoside found in the leaves is hepatoprotective, antispasmodic, antimicrobial and promotes increased excretion of uric acid from the kidneys and may be useful in the treatment of gout. All these components together determine the soothing, astringent, inflammatory, antitussive, and expectorant properties, together with antibacterial action characteristic of the plant.   

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Yin J, Lin H, Li J, Wang Y, Cui SW, Nie S, et al. Carbohydrate polymers. 2012;87(4):2416-24

Zubair M, Ekholm A, Nybom H, Renvert S, Widen C, Rumpunen K.J Ethnopharmacol. 2012;141(3):825-30

Chiang L-C, Chiang W, Chang M-Y, Lin C-C. Am J Chin Med.2003;31(02):225-34.

1. A. Aziz, T. L. See, L. Y. Khuay, K. Osman, and M. A. A. Bakar, "In vitro effects of Plantago major on urolithiasis," Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 22-26, 2005
2. Nazaizadeh, P. Mikaili, M. Moloudizargari, S. Aghajanshakeri, and S. Javaherypour, "Therapeutic uses and pharmacological properties of Plantago major L. and its active constituents," Journal of Basic and Applied Scientific Research, vol. 3, no. 9, pp. 212-221, 2013.
3. Zubair, H. Nybom, C. Lindholm, and K. Rumpunen, "Major polyphenols in aerial organs of greater plantain (Plantago major L.), and effects of drying temperature on polyphenol contents in the leaves," Scientia Horticulturae, vol. 128, no. 4, pp. 523-529, 2011.
4. Govindappa, T. S. Sadananda, R. Channabasava, and V. B. Raghavendra, "In vitro anti-inflammatory, lipoxygenase, xanthine oxidase and acetycholinesterase inhibitory activity of Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. Ex kunth," International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 275-285, 2011.

Chang IM: Liver-protective activities of aucubin derived from traditional oriental medicine. Res Common Mol Pathol Pharmacol 102: 189-204, 1998

Ishiguro K, Yamaki M and Takagi S: Studies on the iridoid-related compound. I. On the antimicrobial activity of aucubigenin and certain iridoid aglycones. Yakugaku Zasshi 102: 755-759, 1982 (in Japanese).