Fumaria officinalis
| Fumaria officinalis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Papaveraceae |
| Genus: | Fumaria |
| Species: | F. officinalis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Fumaria officinalis | |
Fumaria officinalis,thecommon fumitory,drug fumitoryorearth smoke,is a herbaceous annualflowering plantin the poppy familyPapaveraceae.It is the most common species of the genusFumariainWesternandCentral Europe.
Description[edit]
It is anherbaceousannual plantthat grows weakly erect and scrambling, with stalks about 10–50 cm (3.9–19.7 in) long. It has slender green leaves.[1]Its pink 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) flowers appear from April to October in the northern hemisphere,[2]or May to September in the UK.[1]They are two lipped and spurred, withsepalsrunning a quarter the length of the petals.[2]The plant commonly has more than 20 and up to 60 flowers per spike.[3]The fruit is anachenecontaining one seed. It is approximately globular, slightly wider than high and with an apical notch.[3]It containsalkaloids,potassium salts,andtanninsand is also a source offumaric acid.[4]
Taxonomy[edit]
It was first formally described by the Swedish botanistCarl Linnaeusin his seminal publication 'Species Plantarum' on page 700, in 1753.[5][6]
There are 2 known subspecies:
- Fumaria officinalissubsp.cilicica(Hausskn.) Lidén
- Fumaria officinalissubsp.wirtgenii(Koch) Arcang.[5]
Etymology[edit]
The "smoky" or "fumy" origin of its name comes from the translucent color of its flowers, giving them the appearance of smoke or of hanging in smoke, and the slightly gray-blue haze color of its foliage, also resembling smoke coming from the ground, especially after morning dew.[citation needed]
The plant was already calledfūmus terrae(smoke of the earth) in the early 13th century, and two thousand years ago,Dioscorideswrote inDe Materia Medica(Περὶ ὕλης ἰατρικῆς) andPliny the ElderinNaturalis Historiathat rubbing the eyes with the sap or latex of the plant causes tears, like acrid smoke (fūmus) does to the eyes. Its Greek name iskapnos(καπνός,forsmoke) and the namefumewortnow applies mostly to the genusCorydalis,especially the similar lookingCorydalis solida(formerlyFumaria bulbosa), which was thought to belong to the same genus as fumitory.[7]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
It isnativeto temperate regions of North Africa, Europe and parts of Western Asia.[8]
Range[edit]
It is found in North Africa, withinMacaronesia,Canary Islands,Algeria,Egypt,Libya,MoroccoandTunisia.Within Western Asia it is found in theCaucasus,Cyprus,Iraq,Israel,Lebanon,Siberia,SyriaandTurkey.In eastern Europe, it is found withinBelarus,Estonia,Latvia,LithuaniaandUkraine.In middle Europe, it is inAustria,Belgium,Germany,Hungary,Netherlands,Poland,SlovakiaandSwitzerland.In northern Europe, inDenmark,Ireland,Norway,SwedenandUnited Kingdom.In southeastern Europe, withinAlbania,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria,Croatia,Greece,Italy,Montenegro,North Macedonia,Romania,SerbiaandSlovenia.Also in southwestern Europe, it is found inFrance,PortugalandSpain.[8]It is common in Australia where it was introduced.[9]
Herbalism[edit]
Usage of this plant as medicine began in Europe in the late Middle Ages, although it was known since antiquity.[4]In 17th century Europe it was publicised as good for the eyes (due to remarks byPlinyand laterOlivier de Serresthat rubbing its juice in one's eyes caused excessive tearing).[4][10]The most common traditional uses were as a digestive aid and adiuretic,but various folk traditions throughout Europe ascribed to it a multitude of uses: constipation,cystitis,arteriosclerosis,rheumatism,arthritis,as a blood purifier, forhypoglycaemia,infections,[4]and possibly to cleanse the kidneys.[10]InSicilyand perhaps elsewhere it was used to treatskin blemishes,and inBritaininto the modern era as an eyewash to treatconjunctivitis.[4][10][11]
Since 1963, it has been marketed as a herbal medicine inFrance.[4]As of 2011, herbal products made from this plant are legally sold in various forms inAustria,Germany,France andSpain.Products may be legally sold in the British market (it is on the BritishGeneral Sales List), although no products were sold there as of 2011. In the European Union as a whole, marketing of the plant is not necessarily legal: it has been rejected from the Community List by theCommittee on Herbal Medicinal Productsdue to the lack of toxicology studies. Products in France and Spain are marketed as a digestive (said to work by increasing bile flow), in Austria it is sold for treatment ofdyskinesiaof thebiliary duct,in Germany it is simply sold as an herbal tea.[4]
There is some evidence from animal models that it modifies abnormal bile flow, although it has no effect on normalcholeresis.Anantispasmodiceffect on the upper digestive tractin vitroand in animal studies is considered sufficiently documented. The efficacy of the herbal products in humans is considered plausible but yet unproven in clinical studies. Numerous clinical studies in its amphocholeretic uses in humans have demonstrated the tolerability and safety of dosages used, but there has only been one small double-blind trial with placebos which was inconclusive regarding efficacy. A larger double-blind trial withplacebosinvestigating and comparing its use in the treatment of pain and distension due toirritable bowel syndromewithCurcumademonstrated no statistically significant differences between treatment groups (although use of either herb appeared to slightly worsen either distension or pain respectively, compared to placebo use). A number of other potential effects or uses for the plant and its major alkaloidprotopinehave been researched in vitro or in animal models.[4]
Howard (1987) warns that fumitory ispoisonousand should only be used "under the direction of a medical herbalist",[10]but in Europe, no safety problems with its use have been recorded as of 2011.[4]Large doses of protopine in animal models causes excitation and convulsions. Thorough toxicological research on this plant has not been conducted as of 2011. There have been no studies on its safety or effect on pregnant woman, children or elderly.[4]
Chemical constituents[edit]
The plant containsisoquinolinealkaloidsprotopineandallocryptopine.Both protopine and allocryptopine increasedCYP1A1andCYP1A2mRNAlevels in humanhepatocytecells. The use of products containing protopine and/or allocryptopine may be considered safe in terms of possible induction ofCYP1Aenzymes.[12]
References[edit]
- ^abReader's Digest Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain.Reader's Digest.1981. p. 37.ISBN9780276002175.
- ^abFitter, Richard; Fitter, Alastair; Blamey, Marjorie (1974).The Wild Flowers of Britain and Northern Europe.London: Collins. p. 78.ISBN0-00-219057-5.
- ^abMurphy, R.J. (2009).Fumitories of Britain and Ireland. BSBI Handbbok No. 12.London: Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland.ISBN9780901158406.
- ^abcdefghijIoanna Chinou (13 September 2011).Assessment report on Fumaria officinalis L., herba(PDF)(Report). European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). EMA/HMPC/576232/2010.Retrieved5 May2019.
- ^ab"Fumaria officinalis L. is an accepted name".theplantlist.org. 23 March 2012.Retrieved5 November2017.
- ^"Papaveraceae Fumaria officinalis L."ipni.org.Retrieved5 November2017.
- ^The Names of Plants, Fourth Edition,Gledhill, D. (1985–2008).The Names of Plants.United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. p. 443.ISBN978-0-521-86645-3.
- ^ab"Taxon: Fumaria officinalis L."ars-grin.gov.Retrieved5 November2017.
- ^"Fumaria officinalis L. /Common Fumitory".Atlas Of Living Australia.Retrieved2024-07-09.
- ^abcdHoward, Michael.Traditional Folk Remedies(century, 1987). pp142-3.ISBN9780712617314
- ^Amenta R, Camarda L, Di Stefano V, Lentini F, Venza F (2000). "Traditional medicine as a source of new therapeutic agents against psoriasis".Fitoterapia.71 Suppl 1: S13–20.doi:10.1016/s0367-326x(00)00172-6.PMID10930708.
- ^Vrba, J.; Vrublova, E.; Modriansky, M.; Ulrichova, J. (2011). "Protopine and allocryptopine increase mRNA levels of cytochromes P450 1A in human hepatocytes and HepG2 cells independently of AhR".Toxicology Letters.203(2): 135–141.doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2011.03.015.PMID21419197.
(Fumaria officinalis).