Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

in hot flush frequency or any significant
improvement in quality-of-life scores.^32
A larger year-long study of the same design
using the same extract and dosage also failed
to find significant effects on menopausal
symptoms and frequency of hot flushes. The
study also found that in contrast to standard
hormone replacement therapies, the red clover
extract did not increase mammographic breast
density.^33 In postmenopausal women and men
with normal blood pressure, a RDPC trial of
an isoflavone-rich extract of red clover was
found to significantly improve total vascular
resistance and arterial stiffness.^34 In postmen-
opausal women with type 2 diabetics, a ran-
domized double-blind crossover trial of a red
clover extract significantly lowered diastolic
and systolic blood pressure and improved
endothelial function.^35

TOXICOLOGY

Mice fed diets containing 20% and 40% red
clover showed no significant changes in sper-
matocytes or the diameter of seminiferous
tubules. The LD 50 was 4237 mg/kg i.p.^36

USES

Food. The solid extract is reportedly used as
a flavor ingredient in many food products,
including nonalcoholic beverages, frozen
dairy desserts, candy, baked goods, gravies,
and jams and jellies. Average maximum use
levels reported are usually below 0.002%,

except in jams and jellies, where it is about

0.053% (525 ppm).

Dietary Supplements/Health Foods. Whole

or ground flowering tops used as an herb tea

ingredient; also in capsules, tablets, tinctures,

and so on, primarily as an ‘‘alterative’’ (blood

purifier) used for skin ailments, such as psori-

asis, eczema; ingredient in unconventional

anticancer formulas including the Hoxsey for-

mula (FOSTER AND DUKE).

Traditional Medicine. Dried inflorescence

and whole herb are used in both Eastern and

Western cultures as diuretic, sedative, and

antitussive and in treating whooping cough,

asthma, bronchitis, eczema, psoriasis, and

burns, among others, usually in the form of

a tea, infusion, or salve (BARNES;DUKE 1 );

flowers used in the form of a cold tea by

Iroquois women for ‘‘the change of life’’

(MOERMAN). The whole plant or its various

parts (leaves, flowers, roots, etc.) have also

been extensively used in treating cancers.^37

COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONS

Crude and extracts (solid, fluid, etc.); crude

and fluid extract were formerly official in N.F.

Strengths (see glossary) of extracts are ex-

pressed in weight-to-weight ratios.

Regulatory Status. Trifolium species are

GRAS as natural flavorings and seasonings

(§182.10). Essential oils, solvent-free oleor-

esins and natural extractives of Trifolium

species are also GRAS (§182.20).

REFERENCES

See the General References forAPPLEQUIST;BARNES;BARRETT;DER MARDEROSIAN AND BEUTLER;DUKE1;
FEMA;FOSTER AND DUKE;GRIEVE;HORTUS3rd;HUANG;JIANGSU;KROCHMAL AND KROCHMAL;LUST;MCGUFFIN
1&2;ROSE;UPHOF;WREN;YOUNGKEN.

1. Q. Wu et al.,J. Chromatogr. A, 1016 , 195
   (2003).


2. Z. Rolinski,Ann. Univ. Mariae Curie
   Sklodowska, Sect. DD, 24 , 165 (1970).
   3. G.Schultz,Deut. Tieraerztl.Wochenschr.,
   74 , 118 (1967).
   4. N. S. Kattaev et al.,Khim. Prir. Soedin., 6 ,
   806 (1972).

208 Clover tops, red