PDR for Herbal Medicines

812/W1LD INDIGO

Wild Indigo

Baptisia tinctoria

TRADE NAMES:

Health From The Sun Wild Indigo Fresh Root Liquid.

Nature's Answer Alcohol Free Wild Indigo Root Liquid

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal part of the plant is the root.

Flower and Fruit: The flowers are terminal and axillary in 7

to 10 cm long, lightly flowered racemes. The pedicles are 3

to 5 cm long. The calyx is 4 to 5 mm long and glabrous but

has a slight fringe. The corolla is yellow. The standard is

circular with convoluted sides and is slightly shorter than the

oblong wings. The 10 stamens are freestanding. The ovary is

stemmed, elliptoid, drawn together at the style and stigma.

and is glabrous. The fruit is a blue-black, ovoid, slightly

swollen pod, 7 to 15 mm long, with a sharp tip. The seeds

are yellowish-brown, kidney-shaped and 2 mm long.

Leaves, Stem and Root: The shrug is many-branched and

grows to 1 m high with woody rootstock and knotty

branches. The stem is 1 to 3 mm thick, round, slightly

grooved and glabrous. The alternating leaves are trifoliate

and have a 1 to 3 mm long petiole. The stipules are small and

arrow-shaped, and drop early. The leaflets are 1 to 4 cm

long, and 0.6 to 1 cm wide, ovate, almost sessile and entire-

margined. They are wedge-shaped at the base and rounded at

the tip. The distinct midrib on the lower surface is pubescent.

The leaves are brittle. The roots vary in diameter from 0.2 to

1.5 cm. The outer surface is brownish, vertically wrinkled

and grooved. It is also warty due to root fibers sticking to the

surface. The tissue is solid and fibrous. The transverse

fracture shows a thick bark and whitish wood with concen-

tric rings.

Characteristics: The taste is bitter and acrid; the odor is

faint. The leaves yield an indigo dye; the wood a red dye.

Habitat: Wild Indigo is indigenous to southern Canada and

the eastern and northeastern U.S.

Production: Wild indigo root is the underground part of

Baptisia tinctoria, which is collected and dried in autumn

from plants growing in the wild.

Not to be Confused With: Wild Indigo can be confused or

adulterated with the root of Baptisia australis (false blue

indigo) and Baptisia alba.

Other Names: Horse-Fly Weed, Indigo Broom, Rattlebush

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY
COMPOUNDS
Water-soluble polysaccharide: in particular arabinogalactans

PDR FOR HERBAL MEDICINES

Glycoproteins

Quinolizidine alkaloids: including cytisine, N-methyl cyti-

sine, anagyrine, sparteine

Isoflavonoids: formononetin baptigenin, pseudobaptigenin,

(-)-maackiain, formononetin and their glycosides baptisin,

pseudobaptisin, trifolirhizin

Hydroxycumarins: including scopoletine

EFFECTS

The ethanol extract has had a significantly positive effect on

the phagocytosis of human erythrocytes. It has also been

found to raise the leukocyte count and to improve the

endogenous defense reaction. Wild Indigo has a mild

estrogenic effect. In animal experimentation, the polysaccha-

ride and glycoprotein fraction contained in the drug demon-

strated an immune-stimulating effect. Changes in mice

included an increase of phagocytosis activity of Kupffer's

cells; a significant, dose-dependent stimulation of lympho-

cytes; and release of interleukin-1 macrophages.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Unproven Uses: Wild Indigo root is used for septic and

typhoid cases with prostration and fever, such as diphtheria,

influenza, malaria, septic angina and typhus. It is used

internally for infections of the uppe. respiratory tract, the

common head cold, tonsillitis, stomatitis, throat and mouth

inflammation of the mucous membranes (catarrh), fever,

lymphadenitis and furunculosis. It is used externally as an

ointment for painless ulcers, inflamed nipples, and as a

douche for leucorrhea. The efficacy of the drug has not been

proven. Native America Indians traditionally have used the

root to make a tea to treat fever, scarlet fever, typhoid and

pharyngitis and externally as an ointment for sores. Water in

which the root has been soaked is used to clean open and

inflamed wounds. Canadian Indians used the plant for

treating gonorrhea and disease of the kidneys and as an

expectorant.

Homeopathic Uses: Uses in homeopathy include severe

febrile infections, states of confusion and blood poisoning.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Use of the drug is contraindicated during pregnancy.

PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction

with the proper administration of designated therapeutic

dosages.

OVERDOSAGE

Only very high dosages (for example, 30 g of the drug) lead

to signs of poisoning (vomiting, diarrhea, gastrointestinal

complaints, spasms), due to the quinolizidine alkaloid

content.