PDR for Herbal Medicines

HERBAL MONOGRAPHS

Wagner H, Wiesenauer M, Phytotherapie. Phytopharmaka und

pflanzliche Homoopathika, Fischer-Verlag, Stuttgart, Jena, New

York 1995.

* Lungwort

Pulmonaria officinalis

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the dried herb and

the fresh, aerial parts of the flowering plant.

Flower and Fruit: The blue, later blue-violet flowers are in

terminal curled cyme-like inflorescences on flowering

branches. The calyx is fused and has 5 tips. The corolla is

fused to a tube and the 5 tips are rotate. There are 5 stamens

and a 4-valved ovary with 1 style. There are both long and

short-styled flowers. There are 5 tufts of hair at the entrance

to the corolla tube. The fruit consists of 4 nuts 3.5 to 4 mm in

length, glabrous when ripe, glossy brown to black, mildly

keeled with a distinct displaced ring.

Leaves, Stem and Root: The plant grows from 15 to 30 cm

high. The rhizome is quite thin and branched. First it

1& produces flowering shoots and then the leaf rosettes. The

shoots are fresh green and covered in glandular hairs. The

stems are erect or ascending, slightly angular and pubescent.

The rosette-like basal leaves that form after flowering are

long petioled, cordate-ovate, acute, more long than wide with

whitish spots. The cauline leaves are alternate, taper to a

winged stem and are sharply pointed; only the lower ones

have some pinnatifid ribs.

Characit^stics^ The taste is slightly bitter and slimy.

Habitat: The plant is common in many parts of Europe.

Production: Lungwort consists of the dried plant section of

Pulmonaria officinalis and its effective pharmaceutical

preparations. Lungwort is collected in uncultivated regions

and air-dried.

Not to be Confused With: Lungwort is occasionally adulter-

ated with other Pulmonaria species, particularly Pulmonaria

mollis.

m Other Names: Dage of Jerusalem, Common Lungwort

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Allantoin

Caffeic acid derivatives: chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid

Flavonoids (0.3 to 0.5%): especially O-glycosides of the

kaempferol and quercetin

LUNGWORT/485

Mucilages: polygalacturonane, arabinogalactans, rhamno-

galacturonane

Silicic acid: more than 2.5% water-soluble silicic acid

Tannins

EFFECTS

The drug has an expectorant, soothing effect due to the

mucilaginous polysaccharide and tannin content.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Unproven Uses: In folk medicine Lungwort is used internal-

ly for illnesses and conditions of the respiratory tract,

gastrointestinal tract, kidney and efferent urinary tract; and

externally in the treatment of wounds.

PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction

with the proper administration of designated therapeutic

dosages.

DOSAGE

Mode of Administration: Lungwort is available as whole, cut

and powdered drug for internal and external use. It is also

available in commercial forms as syrup, juice, drops and in

compounded preparations.

Preparation: To prepare a tea, 1.5 gm finely cut drug is put

in cold water which is brought quickly to a boil or it is

scalded with boiling water and strained after 5 to 10 minutes

(1 teaspoon corresponds to approximately 0.7 gm drug).

Liquid extract: 1:1 with 25% ethanol. (V/V)

Daily Dosage: As bronchial tea it is drunk in sips throughout

the day. It may be sweetened with honey.

Storage: Should be protected from light

LITERATURE

Brantner A, Kartnig Th, Flavonoid glycosides from aerial parts

of Pulmonaria officinalis. In: PM 61(6):582. 1995.

Luthy J et al., (1984) Pharm Acta Helv 59(9/10):242.

Miiller BM, Franz G, Polysaccharide aus Pulmonaria officinalis

• Wertgebende Bestandteile der Droge? In: PZW 135(6):243-

251. 
     
     
     
     1990. Further information in: c.
           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-
     
     
     
     


252. 
     

     Madaus G, Lehrbuch der Biologischen Arzneimittel, Bde 1-3,
     Nachdruck, Georg Olms Verlag Hildesheim 1979.
     Roth L, Daunderer M, Kormann K, Giftpflanzen, Pflanzengifte,

     
     


253. Aufl., Ecomed Fachverlag Landsberg Lech 1993.
     Steinegger E, Hansel R, Pharmakognosie, 5. Aufl., Springer
     Verlag Heidelberg 1992.