PDR for Herbal Medicines

HERBAL MONOGRAPHS GRAY WALLFLOWER/ 365

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Gratiola officinalis

See Hedge-Hyssop

Gray Wallflower

Erysimum diffusum

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal part is the plant's radish.

Flower and Fruit: The flowers are in densely flowered
racemes. The 4 sepals are upright and gray-haired, the 4
petals yellow, long-petiolate, pubescent on the lower surface
and 8 to 14 mm long. There are 2 short and 4 long stamens;
the ovary is superior with 4 fused carpels. The fruit is a 3.5
to 8 cm long, approximately 1 mm wide, 4-sided, appressed
pubescent, dehiscent pod that opens on 2 sides. The seeds are
elongate with a diameter of approximately 1 to 1.5 mm.

Leaves, Stem and Root: Gray Wallflower is a herbaceous

biennial or perennial upright that grows up to 1.2 m high.

The leaves are alternate. The lower ones are petiolate, 1 to 8

mm wide, gray-haired, narrow, linear-lanceolate, entire or

dentate; the middle and upper ones are sessile. The stem is

edged, covered in jointed hairs and branched in larger plants.

The root is thin, spindle-shaped and branched.

Habitat: The plant is indigenous to the Commonwealth of

Independent States and Hungary.

Production: The gray-leaved wild radish is collected during

the flowering season of the two-year-old plants of Erysimum

diffusum and dried after harvesting at a maximum tempera-

ture of 40° C.

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Cardioactive steroid glycosides (cardenolids, 1 to 3%): chief

component erysimoside (primary glycoside, aglycone k-stro-

phanthidin, 0.6%)

Helveticoside {secondary glycoside)

Canescine

Cheirotoxin

Erycanoside

EFFECTS

The drug contains cardioactive glycosides of the cardenolide

type with k-strophantidin as the aglycone. It is accordingly

positively inotropic and negatively chronotropic in its effect.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Unproven Uses: The drug was used in the past for cardiac

insufficiency (NYHA I and II), but can no longer be

recommended.

PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

No health hazards are known in conjunction with the proper

administration of designated therapeutic dosages.

Although poisonings among humans are both unknown and

unlikely, due to the difficulties accompanying resorption of

the glycosides, the possibility of a poisoning resulting from

either high dosages of the drug or its glycosides through

peroral administration is not to be completely ruled out.

DOSAGE

How Supplied: capsules; tablets.

Storage: Drug should be stored in a tightly sealed, secure

container.

LITERATURE

Hansel R, Keller K, Rimpler H, Schneider G (Ed.), Hagers

Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 5. Aufl., Bde 4-6