PDR for Herbal Medicines

HERBAL MONOGRAPHS

Overton KH, Wier NG, Wylie'A, J Chem Soc 1482-1490.

1966.

Steinegger E, Hansel R, Pharmakognosie, 5. Aufl., Springer

Verlag Heidelberg 1992.

Colt's Foot

Tussilago farfara

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the dried inflores-

cences, the dried leaves and the fresh leaves.

Flower and Fruit: The yellow compound flowers are in
small, solitary capitula at the end of the scapes. The lateral
florets are lingual, narrow and female. The disc florets are
tubular-campanulate, 5-petalled and male. The involucral
bracts are almost as long, linear-lanceolate and have a
scarious margin. The fruit is 3 to 11 mm long, cylindrical,
brown, glabrous and stemmed. The pappus is in a number of
rows and consists of long, glossy white hairs, which are
much lonser than the fruit.

• Leaves, Stem and Root: The plant is a perennial, 10 to 30 cm
  high. It has a broadly branched, underground shoot and root
  system with a thin round, scaly base. There is also an up to
  1.8 m long, far-reaching, creeping shoot. The flower stern is
  a scaly, round, tomentose scape covered with lanceolate,
  reddish scales, which is 30 cm long when the fruit ripens.
  The leaves, which appear after flowering, are basal, coria-
  ceous, cordate-round, angular, irregularly dentate, long-pe-
  tioled and tomentose beneath. The leaves can reach a
  diameter of up to 30 cm.
  Characteristics: The taste and texture is slimy-sweet and the
  leaves have a honey-like smell when they are rubbed.

Habitat: The plant grows wild in most of Europe, central,

western and northern Asia. It has spread to the mountains of

northern Africa and has been introduced into North America.

Production: Colt's Foot flower consists of the fresh or dried
flowers of Tussilago farfara. Colt's Foot herb consists of the
fresh or dried, above-ground parts of Tussilago farfara.

• Colt's Foot root consists of the fresh or dried, below-ground
  parts of Tussilago farfara.

Not to be Confused With: The leaves of various Petasites

species, but petasine and flavonoids can be identified using

thin layer chromatography.

Other Names: British Tobacco, Bullsfoot, Butterbur, Cough-

wort, Rower Velure, Foal's-Foot, Horse-Foot, Horsehoof,

Hallfoot, Ass's Foot, Foalswort, Fieldhove, Donnhove

COLTS FOOT 209

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS: COLT'S FOOT FLOWER

Mucilages (7%): acidic polysaccharides

Tannins

Triterpenes: including beta-amyrin, arnidiol. faradiol

Steroids: including beta-sitosterol

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (traces, not in plants from all places

of origin): tussilagine, isotussilagine, senkirkine. senecionine

Flavonoids

COMPOUNDS: COLT'S FOOT HERB

Mucilages (8%): acidic polysaccharides

Tannins (5%)

Triterpenes: including alpha-amyrin, beta-amyrin

Steroids: including beta-sitosterol, campesterol

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (not in plants from all places of

origin): senkirkine (0.01%), senecionine. tussilagine,

isotussilagine

Flavonoids

COMPOUNDS: COLTS FOOT ROOT

The roots have not been fully investigated. Only the presence

of triterpenes and sterols has been established.

EFFECTS: COLT'S FOOT FLOWER, HERB, AND ROOT

The mucin contained in the drug has a sequestering effect

and envelopes the mucous membrane with a layer that

protects the throat from chemical and physical irritation and

thereby reduces cough irritation. The pyrrolizidine alkaloids

are antibacterial, carcinogenic, and hepatotoxic.

COMPOUNDS: COLT'S FOOT LEAF

Mucilages (8%): acidic polysaccharides

Tannins (5%)

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (traces, not from all sources):

tussilagine, isotussilagine, senkirkine 0.01%), senecionin

Steroids: including beta-sitosterol, campesterol

Triterpenes: including alpha- and beta-amyrin

Flavonoids

EFFECTS: COLT'S FOOT LEAF

The pyrrolizidine alkaloids are antibacterial, carcinogenic,

and hepatotoxic. The mucin polysaccharides cause a demul-

cent, sequestering, and anti-inflammatory effect. In animal

experiments there was evidence of a stimulating effect on the

ciliated epithelium.