Herbal Constituents

Herbal Constituents
Herbal Constituents refer to the active ingredients of the plants that are many times isolated and used in modern medicine. Many herbal books that you will read will tell you the "constituents" of a plant. To a new herbalist, that may be a hard concept to understand. There are whole courses just on understanding what herbal constituents are. This chapter, I am hoping, will give you a basic understanding so that you may use this information when doing your own research on a plant. My goal is to give you the tools to not feel overwhelmed when looking into something new. This chapter is by no means the end all and be all of constituents research. It is also important to note that although each constituent of a plant is important, many times when isolated from the whole plant, they may become very dangerous and even toxic.
Constituents can be broken down into the following 14 categories.
Alkaloids
These plants have nitrogen-containing bases. Many are poisonous in nature. Some are used medicinally as pain relievers. Examples of alkaloids are morphine alkaloids from Opium Poppy. Deadly Nightshade also contains alkaloids

Opium Poppy

Anthraquinones
This constituent commonly contains glycosides that work with the natural flora of the colon to act as a laxative. Examples of Anthraquinone containing plants are Senna (cassia), Aloe, Rhubarb and Yellow Dock.

Yellow Dock

Bitters
I can (and probably will) do an entire lesson on bitters. Bitter herbs are just that. Herbs that taste bitter. They work to stimulate the flow of saliva and gastric juices which, in turn, aids in digestion and helps with acid reflux. Examples of Bitters are Barberry, Orange Peel and Dandelion leaf.

Dandelion

Cardiac Glycosides
Glycosides contain carbohydrates and non-carbohydrates in the same molecule. Cardiac Glycosides modify the speed of the muscle contractions in the muscle tissue of the heart. It is mostly used in treatment of heart failure and cardiac arrythmia. Many of these plants can be toxic. The plant genus Digitalis provides a majority of herbal cardiac glycosides.

Digitalis Purpea (foxglove)

Coumarins
Coumarins contain an unsaturated aromatic lactones. Plants that contain coumarins have a wide spectrum of activity making it difficult to generalize theie actions. However most have blood thinning (anti-blood clotting) and anti-spasmodic properties. While Coumarins are found in almost every plant family to some degree, the bean family, citrus family and parsley-fennel families contain higher amounts.

Fennel

Cyanogenic Glycosides
These are compounds that contain Cyanide, a known toxin. Cyanide at a low dose can be a valuable sedative and relaxant. However, although Cyanide in Cyanogenic Glycosides can be toxic, it becomes a valuable medicinal tool through a process called cyanogenesis. This process takes free hydrogen cyanide (the toxin) and associates it with cyanohydrins that have been stabilised through glycosylation (attachment to sugars) forming cyanogenic glycoside. The most commonly used talked about in this family are Wild Cherry Bark and Elderberry.

Elderberry

Flavonoids
Plants containing flavanoids tend to be antioxidant and anti bacterial. Some are estrogenic. Flavanoids are important to the plant in the coloration of the flower petals. For this reason most plants that contain flavanoids will have a yellow or red/blue flower. Examples of these plants are Ginkgo Biloba, blueberries, and citrus fruits (especially lemons).

lemon tree

Glucosilinates
Glucosilinate is a sulphuric compound that blocks many types of unhealthy cell growth. It is a strong antioxidant and when many plants containing glucosilinates are made into a poultice and applied to sore and painful joints, they can increase the blood flow to the area. Examples of these plants include, horseradish root and watercress.

Horseradish

Minerals
A mineral rich diet is important for the proper functioning of of your nervous and immune systems as well as your muscles. While a proper balanced diet should afford you the minerals your body needs, a wonderful way to get your minerals is to drink herbal infusions with herbs such as Oatstraw, Nettles, Dandelion, and Red Clover.

Nettles

Mucilage
Mucilage is a naturally occuring glutinous substance comprised mostly of polysaccharides. It acts by lining the mucous membranes of the digestive tract. It also soothes inflammation and is used as an emollient and demulcent in cough syrups. Herbs that are used for their mucilage constituent include Slippery Elm, Blue Mallow (and Marshmallow) and Burdock Root.

Slippery Elm Tree

Phenols
Phenols are antioxidant in nature which means that the reach with and capture free radicals. It is important to note that not all phenol compounds are good for us. In fact Phenol itself is toxic. Plants that are high in phenols include Willow Bark, Parsley and Ferns.

Fiddlehead Ferns

Saponins
The name Saponin comes from the latin word "sapo" meaning soap. It gets this name because it forms a soap-like foam when combined with water. Like soap, saponins also bind to water, fats and oils. They particularly like to bind to bile acids which then allows the body to carry it out of the system. Saponins are a type of steroid and work well win balancing hormones. Examples of Saponin rich plants are Wild Yam Root, Ginseng and Tackweed

Tackweed

Tannins
Tannins work to bind proteins. Plants high in tannins can work to tighten up tissues including skin and varicose veins. They can also bind by drying which treats diarrhea and helps treat heavy menstrual flow. Herbs most used for their Tannin constituents include Oak Bark, Witch Hazel, Grape Vine and Rose

Red Oak Tree

Volatile oils
Also known as essential oils, volatile oils are the oils of the plant extracted. They are referred to as "volatile" due to their ability to evaporate when exposed to air. They are responsible for the distinctive odor of the plant and are therefor used in aromatherapy. Numerous plants can be found as essential oils.