414/HYDRANGEA" PDR FOR HERBAL MEDICINES
LITERATURE
Bate-Smith EC, (1978) Phytochemistry 17:267.
Der Mardirossian A et al., (1976) J Toxicol Environ Health 1:
939.
Frohne D, Pfander HJ, Giftpflanzen - Ein Handbuch fur
Apotheker, Toxikologen und Biologen, 4. Aufl., Wiss. Verlags-
Ges. Stuttgart 1997.
Hausen B, Allergiepflanzen. Pflanzenallergene, ecomed
Verlagsgesellsch. mbH, Landsberg 1988.
Kern W, List PH, horhammer L (Hrsg.), Hagers Handbuch der
Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 4. Aufl., Bde 1-8, Springer Verlag
Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1969.
Leung AY, Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used
in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics, John Wiley & Sons Inc., New
York 1980.
Lewin L, Gifte und Vergiftungen, 6. Aufl., Nachdruck, Haug
Verlag, Heidelberg 1992.
Madaus G, Lehrbuch der Biologischen Arzneimittel, Bde 1-3,
Nachdruck, Georg Olms Verlag Hildesheim 1979.
Roth L, Daunderer M, Kormann K. Giftpflanzen, Pflanzengifte,
- Aufl., Ecomed Fachverlag Landsberg Lech 1993.
Hydrangea arborescens
See Hydrangea
Hydrastis canadensis
See Goldenseal
Hyoscyamus niger
See Henbane
Hypericum perforatum
See St. John's Wort
Hypoxis rooperi
See African Potato
Hyssop
Hyssopus officinalis
TRADE NAMES
Hyssop (available from numerous manufacturers and as
combination product), Hyssop Herb
DESCRIPTION
Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the leaves, the
flower tips and the essential oil.
Flower and Fruit: The dark-blue bilabiate flowers are
medium-sized false whorls in one-sided, terminal, leafy
racemes. The calyx is downy, 5-tipped and glabrous inside.
There are 4 stamens, which are turned away from each other
and extend far above the perianth. The style is very long.
Leaves, Stem and Root: The plant is an evergreen subshrub
about 60 cm high. The stem is erect, quadrangular, shrubby
and branched. The leaves are sessile, lanceolate, acute,
entire-margined, punctate, glabrous, dark green and paler
beneath.
Characteristics: The plant has a weak sweetish smell. The
taste is bitter.
Habitat: The plant is indigenous to southern Europe and
grows wild in the Mediterranean region. It is cultivated
elsewhere.
Production: Hyssop herb consists of the fresh or dried
aboveground parts of Hyssopus officinalis. Hyssop oil
consists of the essential oil of Hyssopus officinalis, obtained
by steam distillation.
ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY
COMPOUNDS
In the foliage:
Volatile oil
Tannins
Bitter principles: including, among others, marubiin
Flavonoids: glycosides of hesperidin and diosmetin
In the volatile oil:
Chief components: 1-pinocamphone, isocamphone, pinocar-
vone, alpha- and beta-pinene
EFFECTS
1-pinocamphone and isopinocamphone are the toxically
active constituents of the drug. The oil has an antimicrobial
and anthelmintic effect. Extracts of the leaves are antimicro-
bial, antiviral (herpes simplex) and mildly spasmolytic.