Potentilla alba / Witte ganzerik

Potentilla alba, also known as white cinquefoil, is a plant native to Central Europe where it has been used in folk medicine for centuries. But recent research shows it may hold particular promise in the treatment of thyroid issues.

Russian researchers found through their work within a lab setting and through documentation of traditional local herbalism that white cinquefoil can be successful in the treatment of hyper-and hypothyroidism, goiter, and thyrotoxicosis.

The thyroid gland, located at the front of the neck, produces numerous hormones responsible for things like cell metabolism and calcium production. If there is an imbalance between these hormones – calcitonin, triiodothyronine (T3), or tetraiodothyronine (thyroxine, also called T4) – then you could experience issues like weight gain, depleted energy levels, feelings of sadness, or increased sensitivity to cold.

For a very brief overview: hyperthyroidism refers to an overactive thyroid while hypothyroidism refers to an underactive thyroid. Thyrotoxicosis is when the gland is damaged by toxins or is infected. Goiter is similarly related to an unbalanced thyroid, and is characterized by an enlarged thyroid gland.

Treating Thyroid Issues with Potentilla Alba (White Cinquefoil)

For their research, the scientists used 92 patients who had been diagnosed with nodular or multinodular euthyroid goiter. There was also a group of 36 similarly-diagnosed patients used in a control group. The test group was given a Ukranian-approved herbal drug made from the plant.

Of those given the drug, goiter node size decreased one-half in 63% of test subjects. In 20% of the patients, goiter size decreased by 1.5 times. In 17%, goiter size remained the same. In the control group, 89% had no change while 11% saw an increase in goiter size.

“Investigation has shown, that phytodrug of Potentilla alba could be recommended for monotherapy and for combine conservative therapy of diffuse and mix benign euthyroid goiter, and also for complex treatment of toxic and hypothyroid goiters,” said the researchers.

In Russia and throughout Central Europe, Potentilla alba—and more specifically, the roots of the plant– has historically been used for digestive issues, abscesses, cysts, hemorrhoids, eczema, and gingivitis. No doubt it’s wealth of saponins, flavonoids, iridoids, and tannins have something to do with its effectiveness.

Pharm Biol. 2011 Oct;49(10):1023-8. doi: 10.3109/13880209.2011.560162. Epub 2011 Mar 23.Pharmacological evaluation of Potentilla alba L. in mice: adaptogenic and central nervous system effects. Shikov AN1, Lazukina MA, Pozharitskaya ON, Makarova MN, Golubeva OV, Makarov VG, Djachuk GI.

Potentilla alba L. (Rosaceae) rhizomes have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and adaptogenic effects and are used for the treatment of diarrhea and intestinal colic. However, the data concerning the adaptogenic and central nervous system activities of P. alba are fragmentary.

OBJECTIVES:

To determine the effect of oral administration of dried P. alba extract on the swimming endurance, light/dark exploration, and open-field tests for mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The mice were orally administered Rhodiola rosea extract (RR group); dry extract of P. alba at doses of 12, 36, or 72 mg/kg (groups: PA12, PA36, and PA72); or distilled water (control group) for 7 consecutive days.

RESULTS:

The swimming times of the RR, PA36, and PA72 groups were significantly longer than those of the control group. The administration of P. alba significantly increased the light time, latency time, and the number of rearings in a dose-dependent manner. In the open-field test, the P. alba extract at a dose of 12 mg/kg produced a significant increase in the frequency of head dipping and the number of squares crossed and a significant decrease in grooming compared with the control treatment.

CONCLUSION:

The current findings demonstrate that P. alba extracts significantly increased swimming endurance time and have anxiolytic-like action with a predominant locomotor component.

Chem Biodivers. 2011 Jul;8(7):1344-56. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.201100043. Antioxidant and pro-oxidant evaluation of a Potentilla alba L. rhizome extract. Damien Dorman HJ1, Shikov AN, Pozharitskaya ON, Hiltunen R.

Using spectrophotometric methods, a H(2) O-soluble Potentilla alba L. rhizome extract was evaluated phytochemically, i.e., the total phenol, flavonoid, flavonol, flavanone, and proanthocyanidin contents were determined, and its antioxidant and pro-oxidant properties, i.e., the Fe(III) reductive and the Fe(II) chelating properties, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH(*)), N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DMPD(*+)), and superoxide anion radical (O2*-)-scavenging activities, the capacity to inhibit hydroxyl radical (HO(*))-mediated deoxy-D-ribose and phospholipid degradation, and the interaction with the Cu-catalyzed HO(*) -mediated DNA degradation, were determined. The extract was found to contain a range of phenolic compounds recognized to possess strong antioxidant-like properties. Moreover, the extract demonstrated dose-dependent activities in all the antioxidant assays with the exception of the DNA-degradation assay, where the components within the extract interfered with the assay components at concentrations ≥1.00 mg/ml. Potentilla species are known for their curative properties, with aerial/subterranean parts being prescribed for numerous indications. The data presented here suggests, though does not conclude, that the rhizomes contain compounds possessing a range of antioxidant-related properties, which may underpin the therapeutic, viz., anti-inflammatory and adaptogenic effects, ascribed to species of this genus.

J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Mar 18;122(2):184-204. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.12.022. Epub 2008 Dec 27. Potentilla--a review of its phytochemical and pharmacological profile. Tomczyk M1, Latté KP.

The genus Potentilla is a member of the family Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, which is mainly distributed in temperate, arctic and Alpine zones of the Northern hemisphere. This genus has been known since ancient times for its curative properties. Extracts of the aerial and/or underground parts have been applied in traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammations, wounds, certain forms of cancer, infections due to bacteria, fungi and viruses, diarrhoea, diabetes mellitus and other ailments. This comprehensive review provides a botanical description of Potentilla species and their phytochemical constituents in the aerial and underground parts. In vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies are reviewed and discussed, focussing on antidiarrhoic, anti-ulcerogenic, anti-neoplastic, antiviral and antimicrobial, antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, hepatoprotective and antioxidative activities of Potentilla species. Most of the pharmacological effects can be explained by the high amount of tannins and to a lesser extent by triterpenes, present in all plant parts. However, future efforts should concentrate more on in vitro and in vivo studies and also on clinical trials in order to confirm traditional wisdom in the light of a rational phytotherapy. Especially the efficacy of Potentilla erecta rhizome extracts in the treatment of colitis ulcerosa and of viral infections should be further substantiated in clinical studies.

Antimicrobial assays of three native British plants used in Anglo-Saxon medicine for wound healing formulations in 10th century England Frances Watkinsa, Barbara Pendrya, Alberto Sanchez-Medinaa,b and Olivia / Medicines Research Group, School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, University ofEast London, Romford Road, London, E15 4LZ, UK.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Three important Anglo-Saxon medical texts from the 10th century contain herbal formulations for over 250 plant species, many of which have yet to be evaluated for their phytochemical and/or pharmacological properties. In this study, three native British plants were selected to determine antimicrobial activity relevant to treating bacterial infections and wounds.

Materials and methods: Several preparations of Agrimonia eupatoria L., Arctium minus (Hill) Bernh. and Potentilla reptans L. were screened for antimicrobial activity against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria of relevance in wounds using a 96 well plate microdilution method (200, 40 and 8 µg/mL). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined for the most potent extracts from 2-

0.004 mg/mL and HPLC chromatograms examined by multivariate analysis. Principle components analysis (PCA) was used to identify chemical differences between antimicrobial activity of the crude extracts.

Results: The HPLC-PCA score plots attributed HPLC peaks to the antimicrobial activity with all three plants inhibiting growth of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus by >50% in four or more extracts. The first two principal components (PC) represented 87% of the dataset variance. The P. reptans 75% ethanol root extract exhibited the greatest range of activity with MIC50 at 31.25 µg/mL to a total MIC that was also the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) at 1 mg/mL. Additionally, the root of P. reptans inhibited growth of Gram-negative bacteria with the 75% ethanol

extract having a MIC50 at 1 mg/mL against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the decoction a MIC50 at 3.9 µg/mL against Escherichia coli.

Conclusions: The results indicate a moderate antimicrobial activity against common wound pathogens for P.reptans suggesting it may well have been effective for treating wound and bacterial infections. Anglo-Saxon literary heritage may provide a credible basis for researching new antimicrobial formulations. Our approach encompassing advanced analytical technologies and chemometric models paves the way for systematic investigation of Anglo-Saxon medical literature for further therapeutic indications to uncover knowledge of native British plants, some of which

are currently lost to modern Western herbal medicine. http://roar.uel.ac.uk/1715/3/2012_Watkins_etal_Antimicrobial.pdf

Dodonaeus over andere soorten Potentilla: Potentilla repens, Potentilla recta....

Vijfvinghercruyden wassen in dorre donckere oft neere plaetsen somtijts oock ontrent den watere/ en sonderlinghe dat root dat alleen in dwater oft ontrent den grachten en staenden wateren ghevonden wordt.

Tijt

Vijfvinghercruyden bloeyen in Maye ende aldermeest in Braeckmaent.

Naem

Vijfvinghercruyt heet in Griecx Pentaphyllon. In Latijn ende in die Apoteke Quinquefolium. In Hoochduytsch Funff fingherkraut/ en Funffblat. In Franchois Quinte fuellie.

Natuere

Vijfvinghercruyt es drooch tot in den derden graet.

Cracht en werckinghe

A Die wortel van tgeel Vijfvinghercruyt in water tot dat het derdendeel verteert es ghesoden/ versuet den tantsweer/ ende gheneest die sweringhen des monts alsmen ghesoden water in den mont hout/ ende daer mede hem spoelt.

B Tselve water daer die wortel van Vijfvinghercruyt in ghesoden es/ gedronken gheneest dat roode melizoen en alderhande loop des buycx/ ende stelpt alle overvloedighe bloetganck/ ende es goet tseghens fledercijn en pyne der hopen.

C Die wortel met edick ghesoden bedwinght die voorts etende sweeringhen/ ende verteert ende doet verdwijnen coude ghezwillen en herdicheden/ zy gheneest die quade naghelen/ swillingen ontrent den eersderm/ ende alle scorftheyt daer zy op gheleyt oft ghestreken wordt.

D Tsap van der iongher wortele ghedroncken es goet tseghen die ghebreken van der lever ende der longhene/ ende tseghen alderhande fenijn.

E Die bladeren met huenich water oft ghewaterden wijn ende een luttel pepers ghedroncken sijn goet tseghen die derdaechse en vierdedaechse cortsen/ ende in der selver manieren dertich daghen ghedroncken ghenesen sy die vallende sieckte.

F Die bladeren ghestooten ghenesen die geschuertheyt daer op gheleyt/ ende met sout ende huenich vermenght/ heylen sy die wonden/ fistulen en die voorts etende sweeringhen.

G Tsap van den bladeren ghedroncken gheneest die geelsucht en versterckt die lever.