HERBAL MONOGRAPHS RAGWORT/ 629Radish-honey juice — spoonfuls taken over the course of the
day for whooping cough.Homeopathic Dosage: 5 drops, 1 tablet or 10 globules every
30 to 60 minutes (acute) or 1 to 3 times daily (chronic);
parenterally: 1 to 2 ml sc acute: 3 times daily; chronic: once
a day (HAB1)LITERATURE
Hansel R. Keller K, Rimpler H. Schneider G (Hrsg.). Hagers
Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 5. Aufl.. Bde 4-6
(Drogen): Springer Verlag Berlin. Heidelberg, New York, 1992-
1994.Teuscher E, Lindequist U, Biogene Gifte - Biologie. Chemie,
Pharmakologie, 2. Aufl., Fischer Verlag Stuttgart 1994.Ragwort
Senecio jacoboea
DESCRIPTION
Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the dried aerial
parts of the flowering plant and the entire fresh plant
gathered during the flowering season.Flower and Fruit: The golden yellow composite flowers
grow in dense, terminal, erect, branched cymes. The
linguiform ray florets are female. The disc florets are tubular
and androgynous. The capitula has a diameter of 15 to 20
mm. The involucre is cylindrical. The bracts are in 1 row and
are oblong-lanceolate, acuminate and black at the tip, with a
short 1- to 4-leafed epicalyx. The lateral fruit is glabrous and
has drooping tufts of hair. The other fruit is covered in thick
tufts of loosely attached hair.Leaves, Stem and Root: The plant is biennial to perennial and
grows 30 to 90 cm high. The stem is erect, branched above
and cobweb-pubescent. The basal leaves are lyrate-pinnati-
fid. The cauline leaves are pinnatifid with indented pinna.
The lateral tips are almost at right angles and have small, 4-
sectioned, slit ears that clasp the stem.Habitat: The plant is indigenous to all of Europe, Asia Minor
and northern Africa, and is naturalized in North America.Production: Ragwort is the flowering plant of Senecio
jacoboea. The plant is gathered in the wild, usually during
the flowering season. The cut drug is dried away from direct
sunlight.
Other Names: Ragweed, St. James Wort, Stinking Nanny,
Staggerwort, Dog Standard, Cankerwort, Stammerwort
ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY
COMPOUNDS
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (0.1-0.9%): the alkaloid spectrum
depends upon the chemotype. Jacobine chemorype: chief
alkaloid jacobine; erucifoline chemotype: chief alkaloids
erucifoline and O-acetylerucifolineVolatile oil (traces)EFFECTS
The toxic principles of the drug are the pyrrolizidine
alkaloids, which should be assumed to be hepatotoxic and
carcinogenic. Countless experiments have shown the plant to
be acutely and chronically poisonous in animals.
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
Because of its potential carcinogenic effect. Ragwort should
not be used. Traditional folk medicine uses have included
painful menstruation, urinary tract inflammation. chronic
cough, rheumatism, anemia and anemic headaches.PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS
Ragwort should not be taken internally since hepatotoxicity
and carcinogenicity are possible due to die pyrrolizidine
.alkaloids with 1,2-unsaturated necic parent substances in its -
makeup.DOSAGE
Mode of Administration: The drug is used externally as a
component of lotions, but should not be taken internally.Preparation: The lotion is made using 1 pan of the drug and
5 parts of 10% ethanol.Daily Dosage: The lotion is applied topically for the
treatment of rheumatic arthritis.LITERATURE
Bradbury RB, Culvenor CO, (1954) Austr J Cbem 7. 378.
Deinzer ML et al., Science 195:497. 1977.
Schoental R, (1968) Cancer Res 28:2237.
Van Dooren, Bos R et al., (1981) Planta Med -^2:385.
Van Dorren B et al., PM 42:385. 1981.
Witte L et al., PH 31:559. 1985.
Further information in:
Frohne D, Pfander HJ: Giftpflanzen - Ein Handbuch fur
Apotheker, Toxikologen und Biologen, 4. Aufl.. Wiss. Verlags-
Ges. Stuttgart 1997.
Hansel R, Keller K, Rimpler H, Schneider G (Hrsg.), Hagers
Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 5. AutL Bde 4-6
(Drogen): Springer Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg. New York, 1992-
1994.
Madaus G: Lehrbuch der Biologischen ArzneimineL Bde 1-3,
Nachdruck, Georg Olms Verlag Hildesheim 1979.