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Althaea officinalis L.


Botanical Name	:	Althaea officinalis L.
English Name	:	Marshmallow, Althaea
Synonym(s)	:	Althaea rosea L.
Family	:	Malvaceae

General Info

Description

A perennial herb with numerous stems springing from a large, thick, elongated, tough, fleshy yellowish-white tapering root-stock, reaching a foot in length. Leaves alternate on rather long stalks, the lower ones roundish-ovate, the upper triangular-oval. Flowers in small axillary clusters of 2 to 4 solitary, shortly stalked, forming at the end of the stem narrow leafy panicles. Seed kidney shaped, smooth, brown; embryo curved, with thin cotyledons, endosperm almost absent.

Herb Effects

Demulcent, emmolient, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, mucilaginous.

Links

Plants for a Future
Marshmallow
Botanical.com
Althaea officinalis

Chemistry

Active Ingredients

Mucilage and flavonoids, arabinogalactan, ascorbic acid, beta carotene, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, choline, erucic acid, ferulic acid, kaempferol, lecithin, quercetin, salycilic acid, scopoletin.

Chemistry of Active Ingredients

Name

CAS#

IUPAC Name

Formula

Structure

Ascorbic acid

Not Available

2-(1,2-dihydroxyethy
l)-4,5-dihydroxy-fur
an-3-one

C₆H₈O₆

Beta carotene

7235-40-7

3,7,12,16-tetramethy
l-1,18-bis(2,6,6-tri
methyl-1-cyclohexeny
l)-octadec a-1,3,5,
7,9,11,13,15,17-nona
ene

C₄₀H₅₆

Caffeic acid

Not Available

3-(3,4-dihydroxyphen
yl)prop-2-enoic acid

C₉H₈O₄

Chlorogenic acid

327-97-9

3-[3-(3,4-dihydroxyp
henyl)prop-2-enoylox
y]-1,4,5-trihydroxy-
cyclohexan e-1-carb
oxylic acid

C₁₆H₁₈O₉

Choline

67-48-1

2-hydroxyethyl-trime
thyl-ammonium

C₅H₁₄NO+

Erucic acid

1072-39-5

docos-13-enoic acid

C₂₂H₄₂O₂

Ferulic acid

24276-84-4

3-(4-hydroxy-3-metho
xy-phenyl)prop-2-eno
ic acid

C₁₀H₁₀O₄

Kaempferol

80714-53-0

3-[3-[4,5-dihydroxy-
6-(hydroxymethyl)-3-
[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-
(hydroxyme thyl)oxa
n-2-yl]oxy-oxan-2-yl
]oxy-4,5-dihydroxy-6
-(hydroxymethyl)oxan
-2 -yl]oxy-4,5-dihy
droxy-2-(4-hydroxyph
enyl)-chromen-7-one

C₃₃H₄₀O₂₁

Lecithin

8057-53-2

Not Available

Scopoletin

92-61-5

2-hydroxy-6-methoxy-
chromen-7-one

C₁₀H₈O₄

Pharmacology

Medicinal Use

Inflammations of the upper respiratory tract and mouth, coughs and as a poutice for edema; less popularly used in asthma (infusion), gastrointestinal problems and in colic (with diarrhea).

Contraindication

The mucilagin in marshmallow may absorb and hence reduce the action of drugs taken at the same time.

Reference

Stary, Medicinal Herbs and Plants.

Johnson T. CRC Ethnobotany Desk Reference (www.herbweb.com/herbage).

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