Today is the last day of my summer break.  Tomorrow I start the home stretch for my Masters degree in Herbal Medicine. That feels really good to say.  My daughter is still asleep which is a good thing.  I slept like crap last night because my son insisted on sleeping with me.  I think I need a bigger bed...  I'll cook breakfast once she's awake. Hence I'm trying to get this done before she wakes so I can focus on her.  She will need extra cuddles because she is going to wake up in an empty bed. On the docket today is get laundry done and see if I can get both kids to nap at the same time.  I have a lot of things that need to go in the shed which will require me rearranging the shed.  This means I need the kids to be sleeping.  Wish me luck!  She just woke up so let me leave you here. Today's new herb is eleuthero. Otherwise known as Siberian ginseng. This is NOT to be confused with Chinese ginseng.  There is a third ginseng as well but I won't mention that name right now. Siberian ginseng is similar to Chinese ginseng but there are differences.

On to Eleuthero!

Constituents: Eleutherosides A-E, glycosides of aglycones (sterols, lignans, phenolics), polysaccharides.  (Hoffman, 2003, p. 545) Chevallier (2016) adds triterpenoid saponins (p. 94). I looked up eleutherosides in Ganora (2009) and they are the triterpenoid saponins (p. 69).  On page 142, she explains I, J, K, L, and M are different from this group.  These eleutherosides are what gives Siberian Ginseng the adaptogenic property as well as the improvement of stamina and resistance to stress due to the tonic action on the adrenal glands.  They are also neuroprotective and neuroregenerative. The Thorne research group (2006) further explains A-M are present in the plant but A-M are in the root, these others listed are from the leaf.  Other constituents they say are in the root are ciwujianosides (minor saponins), eleutherans (polysaccharides), beta sitosterol, isofraxidin (a coumarin derivative), syringin, chlorogenic acid, sesamin (lignans), and friedelin (triterpene).

Therapeutic Actions: Adaptogen (Hoffman, 2003, p. 545) Chevallier (2016) adds tonic and immune protection (p. 94). Mills and Bones (2010) say adaptogen, immune modulating, and tonic (p. 578).

Indications: Improves body’s resistance to environmental stressors and enhances mental and physical performance. (Hoffman, 2003, p. 545). Chevallier (2016) states this herb is greatly researched though I have not gotten to that part yet. He states it stimulates stamina and reduces stress and is a general tonic for the body. He states astronauts have been given this herb to help with the effects of weightlessness.

Safety: May interfere with cardiac drugs. May increase efficacy of other medications. (Hoffman, 2003, p. 545)  Mills and Bones (2010) says potential adverse reactions are insomnia, palpitations, headaches, tachycardia, pericardial pain, and hypertension in cases of people with heart conditions (p. 578). Some studies say don’t use if the client has hypertension but it has also been used to treat hypertension. Healthy people should take this for 6 weeks then take a 2-week break. (p. 578)

Have a Great Day!

Not as much to discuss in the constituents today but still great information!  Class starts back up in two days and I still have so much more to do around here.  I've gotten NOTHING done outside I wanted to accomplish and probably won't. My son is wanting a nap so I need to get off here soon. I've already gotten my errands done today so I can now focus on the house once I get him to sleep.  That is, if my daughter cooperates, I can focus on the house.  If she doesn't quit trying to take a bath in my kitchen sink, I'll be turning the water off to the sink when I'm not using it!  Time to induce sleep!

On to the rest of the constituents for European Elder!

Alkanes simply means it's a compound that has hydrocarbon molecules with only single bonds.  This suffix -ane, generally means it is one of these compounds (Ganora, 2009, p. 20, 93).

Hyperoside (Quercetin Glycosides, Flavonoids) is a cardioprotective antioxidant and is anti-inflammatory (Ganora, 2009, p. 120).

Sambunigrin accumulates in the leaves and bark of the elderberry plant. It can have toxic levels in the unripe berries. This includes the red-berry variety so cooking is needed.  CAN have toxic levels doesn't mean DOES (Ganora, 2009, p. 105).

Constituents: Triterpenes (A- and B-amyrin), quercetin glycosides, isoquercitrin

Have a Great Day!

Wow.  I can tell you I didn't think I'd ever get done with the constituent portion today.  Such great information!  It makes me wonder why elder is not more well-known.  My son has already had his nap and woken back up so we FINALLY had our lunch...  I was getting ready to make something when the door jiggled.  I guess he read my mind and got out of bed.  I forgot to get something out for dinner but I did when I made lunch.  The kids will be happy.  I'm going to make our favorite sausage, bacon cheddar brats. I chop it up and cook it in tomato sauce then put that over rice.  There are never leftovers.  In fact, little fingers tend to stray to other plates looking for more sausage...  I know this portion is short but I would like to get some house work done.  I learned so much in this post!

On to the constituents of European Elder!

Oleanic Acid (Triterpenoid saponin aglycones) is chemoprotective, anticarcinigenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and hepaprotective (Ganora, 2009, p. 46, 69, 141).

Anthocyanins are the red to blue dyes. They are produce the pinks, reds, violets, and blues and give the astringent flavor. Ganora adds these are water-soluble, protect the plant from UV rays, are antioxidant, carcinostatic, and anti-inflammatory and are induced by cooler weather.  She also mentions the constituent encourages apoptosis in cancer cells and growth of new cells. They are also venotonic and improve night vision  (Hoffman, 2003, p. 106; Ganora, 2009, p. 41, 45, 58, 66, 117, 120, 156, 168).

Lectins (glycoproteins) are proteins that bind sugar and precipitate some molecules. Hoffman's exact words are they cause "agglutination of cells". Agglutination means it causes clumping in red blood cells. Under a section on mistletoe, he mentions studies show this can actually damage the membrane of cancer cells and lead to apoptosis. They can also impair growth, cause diarrhea, and prevent absorption of nutrients.  There are many forms of lectin and not all are safe.  Ricin is a lectin (Hoffman. 2003, p. 153, 164, 206).

Linoleic acid is an unsaturated straight-chain acid with two unsaturated bonds. Ganora adds this is an essential fatty acid as it is a source for omega-6. Linoleic acid is often seen as LA. This is also a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA).  It is found in most dietary oils such as sunflower, hempseed, corn, soybean, cottonseed, peanut, and canola  (Hoffman, 2003, p. 56; Ganora, 2009, p. 64, 85, 86, 87, 88).
 
Linolenic acid is an unsaturated straight-chain acid with three unsaturated bonds (Hoffman, 2003, p. 56).

Palmitic acid is an unsaturated straight-chain acid with one unsaturated bond. Ganora adds this is a source of Omega-7. She lists this fat under saturated fats.  I didn't think this was possible, but she explains this constituent acts as both depending on the situation  (Hoffman, 2003, p. 56; Ganora, 2009, p. 64, 86, 87, 93, 94).

Constituents: Triterpenes (A- and B-amyrin), cyanogenetic glycosides (sambunigrin), quercetin glycosides – hyperoside, isoquercitrin, alkanes

Have a Great Day!

Before getting to my normal stuff, when I posted yesterday's post on Pocketnet yesterday, an interesting conversation started about making elderberry wine. The user that goes by the name Pedro420 posted a link on how to make it and I have shared that below this post.  I will also add it as a source in my herbarium when I can.  Thanks Pedro!  The kids are playing nicely right now. I will need to make breakfast pretty soon.  My son kept having bad dreams last night so I had crappy sleep. I did get all those clothes done yesterday.  Now I need to go get more laundry soap so I can wash diapers...  My son's entire 0-12 month wardrobe fits in one extra-large vacuum bag.  I'm also scrubbing down their old toys that they outgrew and putting them in bags so when they go to a new home, they are clean.  All the mom will have to do is just add batteries where applicable.  I did find the sink yesterday!  Now I need to find the floor in my closet to store things in there and put the new clothes he can't wear yet in bags as well.  Yes, I buy their clothes well in advance.  I can't see the future.  you never know when something bad is going to happen so I clearance shop.  His next size up is far from complete but it will be three by the time he's ready for it. Okay, time to go cook and get the chores done!

On to the actions of European Elder!

Purgatives: irritants and weaken the digestive system, tone the bowel system with prolonged use (Griffin, 1997, p. 11). Obviously, these are great for those rare occasions when vomiting is a needed action.

Mucilage is an action and a constituent.  I have this broken out under constituent.  I will copy-paste it to actions as well for when it shows up in this category.

Constituents: Flower: Triterpenes (ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, A- and B-amyrin, sterols), fixed oils (free fatty acids, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, palmitic acid), phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid), pectin, sugars. Leaf: Triterpenes (similar to flowers), cyanogenetic glycosides (sambunigrin), flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin, quercetin glycosides – hyperoside, isoquercitrin, rutin), fatty acids, alkanes, tannins. (Hoffman, 2003, p. 580)  Chevallier (2016) says the berries have flavonoids, anthocyanins, lectins and vitamins A and C. The flowers have flavonoids, anthocyanins, triterpenes, volatile oil, mucilage and tannins (p. 132).

Have a Great Day!

Today I'm going to talk about European Elder.  I need to specify this is the plant with the Latin name Sambucus nigra.  There are two other species that are called elder and they are American elder and dwarf elder. I'm working on an entry for American elder Sambucus canadensis and will talk about it separately once done. I feel it's a good time to talk about this one because the cold months are coming and if you don't know how to make elderberry syrup, you're going to want to meet someone who can or find a source to buy it from.  You'll see why below.  I need to get breakfast going here in a bit.  My son just got up so he'll be asking to eat very soon.  Then I'll get to work on those clothes.  I also need to see what I put in the shed before putting these out there to make sure I have everything together. With such tiny clothes, their whole wardrobes at those ages fit just fine in one bag.  It seems odd walking into the bathroom and seeing floor...  My husband will be pleased since he actually uses that bathroom when he's home.  I'm also hoping to make more room in my closet and put some of the stuff in there.  It will be nice to find the tub and be able to use it.  The struggle is real when you are raising two little ones and taking all these classes.  So much has to be dropped to take care of the kids and assignments.  I'm going to end this here and get the kids eating! 

On to European Elder!

Constituents: Flower: Triterpenes (ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, A- and B-amyrin, sterols), fixed oils (free fatty acids, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, palmitic acid), phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid), pectin, sugars. Leaf: Triterpenes (similar to flowers), cyanogenetic glycosides (sambunigrin), flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin, quercetin glycosides – hyperoside, isoquercitrin, rutin), fatty acids, alkanes, tannins. (Hoffman, 2003, p. 580)  Chevallier (2016) says the berries have flavonoids, anthocyanins, lectins and vitamins A and C. The flowers have flavonoids, anthocyanins, triterpenes, volatile oil, mucilage and tannins (p. 132).

Therapeutic Actions: Leaf: Purgative, expectorant, diuretic, diaphoretic (internal), emollient, vulnerary (External). Flower: Diaphoretic, anticatarrhal, antispasmodic. Berry: Diaphoretic, diuretic, laxative, antirheumatic. (Hoffman, 2003, p. 580) Chevallier (2016) doesn’t break these down by location but says antiviral, mucilage, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and increases sweating (p. 132).

Indications: Leaf: bruises, sprains, wounds, chilblains, and an ointment for tumors. Flower is antiviral, reduces the length of the flu. Anti-inflammatory – upper respiratory tract, sinuses, hay fever.  Elderberry syrup is great for colds. Strengthens cell membranes to prevent viral penetration. Infusion of elder flower, St. John’s wort, and soapwort was effective against influenza A and B and Herpes simplex 1. (Hoffman, 2003, p. 580) According to Chevallier (2016), the berries are proven to be antiviral (the number of studies on this are large) and the flowers were added to stimulate sweating and fever relief. The flower also help with mucous and congestion as well as ear aches and allergies. The flowers help with arthritis by eliminating waste (p.132).

Safety: No side effects or interactions known (Hoffman, 2003, p. 580). Petersen (2018) said safety while pregnant has not been established. When raw/unripe fruit, seeds, bark, and leaves, can cause vomiting and severe diarrhea. May lower blood sugar levels. Use caution with other diuretics and laxatives as urination and bowel movements may increase (p. 98).

Have a Great Day!

It has been a busy day!  We got our breakfast, took the trash to the dump, went to Party City to see what Tinkerbell stuff they had, I need to go back and buy her the outfit when I can, and then I went to order her birthday cake.  I will have to order more plates and napkins on Monday when my husband's check hits the bank.  When we got back home, I fed the kids lunch then began working on the things stored in my.  I have my daughters 18-month and 3T clothes vacuum sealed so my sister can get them some day for her daughter.  I'm washing the last of the old clothes now so I can get the rest bagged and sealed.   Tomorrow I'll get my son's old clothes done and find the sink...  Who knows. I may be able to find the bathroom before school starts back up!  I didn't get very good sleep last night so I didn't make my son take a nap when we got back home.  We can go to bed early tonight!  New herb tomorrow!

On to the constituents of dandelion!

Violaxanthin is yellow and common.  This constituent inhibits the virus that activates Epstein-Barr and promotes an anti-tumor effect and is also an antioxidant. It accumulates in ovarian tissue.  This and other xanthophylls have been found to reverse drug resistance in breast cancer and enhance chemotherapy drugs  (Ganora, 2009, p. 25, 69, 149).

Constituents: Sesquiterpene lactones (taraxacoside), diterpenes (taraxacin), triterpenes (Taraxasterol, arnidiol, faradiol, B-amyrin),  carotenoids (lutin), polysaccharides (mannans)

Have a Great Day!

The day is racing away from me!  Tomorrow my husband will be driving toward a hurricane.  He will be out of the state before it hits, though.  He's bringing in a load of hurricane relief then getting out of dodge. The kids have been really good today even though my son is WAY past his nap time.  I also just realized I didn't get anything out for dinner.  I'll have to concoct something!  I haven't even had lunch yet.  Been too busy getting things done around here.  I let my daughter scramble the eggs this morning and she did a great job. I do wonder if my son will be interested in helping or just watching like he does now.  I want them BOTH to know how to cook.  I got sidetracked taking my daughter's night gown to her room to hang it up and my son bumped his head trying to put it on.  She got upset and took off her dress and put it on herself.  i thought about snapping a picture because it was funny.  She knows how to put them on but she decided she needed to wear it by having the neck around her waist.  I'm going to leave this here and help my son get to dreamland then figure out what dinner is going to be...

On to the constituents of Dandelion!

Diterpenes: Hoffman describes a specific diterpene so I'll just talk about Ganora. She says there are several categories and what they do depends on that category. Diterpenes, structurally, have 20 carbons. She says these are relatively stable because of their size but a rare few may be volatile. They are usually constituents of oleoresins or resins. This means they are either water soluble or high-percentage alcohol soluble. it appears there are too many to specify any activity they may possess. She does say there are about 2,500 of them (Hoffman, 2003, p. 174; Ganora, 2003, p. 46, 68, 134, 139, 140).

B-sitosterol is in a lot of higher plants. It is essential in cell membranes.  It seems to have antihyperlipoproteinemic activity. Ganora adds this constituent accounts for around 70% of phytosterols, which of course means sterols that are found in plants.  This passage mainly talks about phytosterols in general. There is an entry for them on the Herbal List page. The activity here is listed for phytosterols, not this constituent specifically  (Hoffman, 2003, p. 84, 143; Ganora, 2009, p. 145).

Stigmasterol, found in higher plants, is vital in the structure of cell membranes (Hoffman, 2003, p. 84, 143; Ganora, 2009, p. 69, 145).

Sterols is often used to imply phytosterols in these books. They need to be careful, though because sterols are found in animals while the same molecule can be called a phytosterol because it is found in a plant. calling it a sterol when it's in a plant can cause confusion (Ganora, 2009, p. 92, 93).  I broke this one out today to prevent confusion between today's post and yesterday's post. 

Constituents: Sesquiterpene lactones (taraxacoside), diterpenes (taraxacin), triterpenes (Taraxasterol, arnidiol, faradiol, B-amyrin),  carotenoids (lutin, violaxanthin), polysaccharides (mannans)

Have a Great Day!

This children have had their breakfast and are happily playing. My daughter has already taken off her dress, having drenched it in her water.  After all, the purpose of water is to dump over your head, right?  LOL Yes, I have towels staged all over the house because I expect it.  They are both exploring what water can do so I spend a lot of time drying the floor and tables. The also only get water for the most part because of the stains they have put on my carpet.  Yes, I need a carpet cleaner.  My positivity is getting better, I think.  There is so much to learn in this attempt to grow and become a better person.  It's funny how much we fear change when it's change that expands our possibilities and teaches us things far beyond our wildest dreams and imaginations. I have learned that fear is there to keep us down and prevent that growth.  If there is something you don't understand or you fear it because of something someone said to you, perhaps you should research it on your own and make a decision based on that instead. The future is so bright, guys.  The more I grow, the more I can't wait to experience what's coming. Time to go get my daughter a different dress so she can have it soaked in the next 10 minutes.  I also have to put away her clothes now that the drier has stopped...  Then on to working on herbariums.  I have not actually started those 10 that are posted here.  What I'm doing is filling out the herbariums with the text book from second semester to get those started and updating those posted here from that text book.  Once that's done, I'll update the 10 with the other sources.  I'll probably share my discussion posts like I did before before I start those 10 herbs to give myself more time.  There is so much information out there and I'm loving what I do!

I have already discussed every action that is attributed to Dandelion. Tomorrow I will start discussing the constituents.

Constituents: Sesquiterpene lactones (taraxacoside, others), diterpenes (taraxacin), triterpenes (Taraxasterol, arnidiol, faradiol, B-amyrin), sterols (stigmasterol, B-sitosterol), carotenoids (lutin, violaxanthin), xanthophylls, flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin), polysaccharides (glucans, mannans, inulin), potassium (up to 4.5% in aerial parts) (Hoffman, 2003, p. 587).  Chevallier (2016) breaks these down.  The lactones, triterpenes, and polysaccharides are in both the leaves and the root. He says under leaf only: Coumarins, carotenoids, and minerals, especially potassium. Under Root only: Taraxacoside, phenolic acids, and minerals (potassium and calcium) (p. 141).

Have a Great Day!

Breakfast is done.  My son woke me at 6:30 again...  On the bright side WE HAVE RAIN!  LOL  My husband has been out for over 2 weeks now and the grass has not grown an inch.  I opened the file for dandelion for today's post and realized I keep changing the format for my herbariums.  I think I have them the way I like now but all the new ones are in the correct format and I'm changing the format in the old ones as I open them.  I noticed even though I already updated first semester that the data was confusing in that format because I can't tel which source was used for what in the formulary section.  If I can't tell, how can my readers? Sorry if anything is confusing.  Fell free to ask questions if anything isn't clear.  My husband is finally going to get trained to be a trainer which is awesome, though I know he'll complain a bit about sharing his living space when he has a trainee.  It will be a big adjustment to sharing such a tiny space and they will have to learn to be respectful of one another but I view it as a growing experience and I think he and his trainees will be the better for it.  I'm going to go ahead and get off here.  The trash really smells and I want to get it taken out.  I usually put up with it until the bag is full but NOT today.  I cleaned out the refrigerator....  I can tell...  LOL

On to Dandelion!

Constituents: Sesquiterpene lactones (taraxacoside, others), diterpenes (taraxacin), triterpenes (Taraxasterol, arnidiol, faradiol, B-amyrin), sterols (stigmasterol, B-sitosterol), carotenoids (lutin, violaxanthin), xanthophylls, flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin), polysaccharides (glucans, mannans, inulin), potassium (up to 4.5% in aerial parts) (Hoffman, 2003, p. 587).  Chevallier (2016) breaks these down.  The lactones, triterpenes, and polysaccharides are in both the leaves and the root. He says under leaf only: Coumarins, carotenoids, and minerals, especially potassium. Under Root only: Taraxacoside, phenolic acids, and minerals (potassium and calcium) (p. 141).

Therapeutic Actions: Diuretic, hepatic, cholagogue, antirheumatic, laxative, tonic, bitter (Hoffman, 2003, p. 587). Petersen 2018, adds alterative, anti-inflammatory, depurative, laxative, nutritive and stomachic (p. 191).

Indications: effective diuretic (leaf) because of the potassium, one of the best natural sources, even for water retention – especially when diuretic issues aggravate the cardiovascular system.  Most valuable tonic especially for the liver. Great for inflammation and congestion of the liver and gallbladder, including jaundice (Hoffman, 2003, p. 587). Other things include autointoxication, rheumatism, blood disorders, chronic skin eruptions, chronic gastritis and aphthius ulcers (Hoffman says these came from Ellingwood). Petersen says acne, anemia, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, breast problems (cancer, lack of milk, congestion), bronchitis, bruises, cellulite. Circulatory problems, cirrhosis (early stages), constipation, diabetes, dropsy, eczema, eye trouble, fevers, gallbladder tonic, gallstones, gout, heartburn, hepatitis (infectious), hypoglycemia, indigestion, jaundice, joint stiffness, kidney complaints, liver troubles, muscular rheumatism, edema, premenstrual fluid retention, psoriasis, sluggish digestion, and skin problems. Use the white milk topically for warts, pimples, sores, and blisters. (p. 191-2)

Safety: (Hoffman, 2003, p. 587) The Asteraceae family may have allergic reactions though rare for this plant, in the form of contact dermatitis. Petersen, 2018, says there are no contraindications reported for the leaf but don’t use the root if the bile ducts are blocked, there is gallbladder inflammation or there is intestinal blockage (p. 195).

Have a great day!

I had a post already written but the power flashed and everything was lost.  I have my friend;s son again today and am supposed to take him over to the sitter once his sister gets off the bus but I question that at the moment.  He has a cough, dry, and I don't know if I want to take him to a sitter or keep him here and make him some syrup.  Most things for cough are expectorant, though and there is nothing yet to expectorate. I just got all the kids to sleep as well and she gets off the bus in an hour.  We'll see when the time gets closer.  I probably won't be done with this before it's time to go.  I'll hit the save button this time, though.  I decided to let the little guy sleep and take him over after he wakes and he coughed himself awake!  Yes, I made him some cough syrup.  His cough is sounding a bit worse and I really don't want the little guy to get sick.  His moma doesn't need that on top of the rest of her stress and he would be happier as well.  He woke my son crying because he misses his mama but he also doesn't want to be awake.  He stayed laying on the couch, trying to go back to sleep until I sat him up and gave him a drink spiked with medicine.  I'm going to feed him before taking him over as well.  I feel bad for the little guy!  Okay, I've already got the section below done.  I'm going to check on the chicken then make the sides to go with it if it's almost done.

On to Cayenne!   

Capsaicin is a very low-polar compound even though it contains a highly polar amide group.  It is soluble in high-percentage alcohol and fixed oils. The anodyne function of this constituent works by interrupting the pain signals in the nerves. Overuse of this herb for this purpose has negative consequences  (Ganora, 2009, p. 21, 45, 114, 154, 155).

Capsaicinoids are only found in the plants of the Capsicum genus. These are oil-soluble and pungent (Ganora, 2009, p. 46, 113, 114).

Capsorubin: Ganora says all xanthophilis are oil-soluble. Ganora says this is a red pigment that occurs in fatty acids. This constituent is an antioxidant (Ganora, 2009, p. 69, 148).

Dihyrocapsaicin is oil-soluble (Ganora, 2009, p. 114).

Constituents:  capsicidins

Have a great day!