botanical name(s): Tussilago farfara
synonyms: coltsfoot, British tobacco, bulisfoot, coughwort, flower velure, foal's-foot, horsefoot, horsehoof, huflattich, brandlattich, pferdefut, pas d'ane, tussilage, una de caballo
part(s) used: dried leaves; occasionally flowers and roots
qualities:
affinities: lungs, skin, mucus membranes
actions: demulcent, expectorant, lung tonic, antitussive, anticatarrhal, diuretic, vulnerary, anti-inflammatory and immunostimulating
dosage:
» infusion: 1 - 2 tsp. herb to 1 cup water; drink 2 - 3 cups per day
» tincture: 2 - 4 ml.
» dosage can be more frequent in short-term acute cases
therapy: pulmonary complaints, emphysema, irritating or spasmodic coughs, whooping cough, bronchitis, laryngitis and asthma; boils, abscesses, skin ulcers, cystitis
AHPA Botanical Safety Rating: 2b, 2c, 2d
toxicity: 1; see pyrrolizidine alkaloid toxidrome
» contraindicated during pregnancy (Brinker, p. 102) due to its abortifacient effect and content of hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Brinker, Wichtl, De Smet, Farnsworth)
» contraindicated for nursing mothers due to content of hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Wichtl, De Smet)
» avoid prolonged use (longer than six weeks per year) due to content of hepatotoxic alkaloids (Wichtl)
» possibility of liver cancer due to pyrrolizidine alkaloids; concentrations are found highest in the flowers and only studies using rats have been performed; there is no positive proof that this is a problem in humans
constituents: flavonoids, mucilage, inulin; pyrrolizidine alkaloids, tannin
footnotes
Brinker F. 1996. The Toxicology of Botanical Medicines, rev. 2nd ed., Sandy, Oregon: Eclectic Medical Publications.
De Smet PAGM et al. (eds.). 1993. Adverse Effects of Herbal Drugs 2, Berlin: Springer-Verlag
Farnsworth NR, Bingel AS, Cordell GA, Crane FA, Fong HHS. 1975. Potential Value of Plants as Sources of New Antifertility Agents I. J. Pharm. Sci., 64:535-98.
Wichtl M (ed.). 1994. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.