Greater Celandine
Botanical Description & Habitat
Cheliconium majus
Family
Papaveraceae
Common names
Chelidenium
Tetterwart
Habitat
Indigenous to Europe and naturalized in the United States. It grows in damp, rich soil, often along fences, roadsides, and waste places.
Description
Grows from one to two feet in height, and has a thick, red-brown rootstock that contains a milky fluid. The stem is hollow and smooth. The leaves are alternate, pinnate, one and a half to two and a half inches long, and have ovate, irregularly lobed leaflets. The leaves are pale green on the upper surface and gray-green on the underside. The flowers are bright yellow and grow in long-stemmed clusters from April to September.
Medicinal part
Rootstock
Aerial parts - dried, gathered during flowering.
Historical Properties & Uses
Greater celandine is one of the strongest cholagogues known; it also has proven anti-cancer and anti-influenza properties. In both allopathy and homeopathy, the herb is used to treat liver disorders, gastroenteritis, pneumonia, pleurisy, rheumatism, dysmenorrhea, and multiple sclerosis.
The presence of opiate-like alkaloids imparts a narcotic, yet apparently non-addicting, action to greater celandine; its therapeutic value must be analyzed with that in mind. These alkaloids may also possess analgesic, anodyne, and antispasmodic properties.
This herb has approval status by the German Commission E for spastic discomfort of the bile ducts and GI tract.
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Method of Action
Greater Celandine has anti-cancer and anti-influenza actions
The few pharmacological tests performed on this herb have shown it to possess good anticancer (due to the alkaloid coptisina, for example) and anti-influenza properties.
Greater Celandine is a good cholagogue
Greater celandine, a strong cholagogue through presence of its alkaloids, stimulates the stomach musculature and stimulates the gallbladder to empty its contents, but appears to have no choleretic effect. Used in conjunction with choleretics such as dandelion, the action of each is enhanced.
Drug Interactions & Precautions
Known Interactions
Insofar as greater celandine's diuretic action increases the renal excretion of sodium and chloride, the herb may potentiate the hyperglycemic and hyperuricemic effects of glucose-elevating agents.
Diuretics in general may potentiate the action of antihypertensive, ganglionic or peripheral adrenergic blocking drugs, tubocurarine and, to a lesser degree, norepinephrine.
Possible Interactions
When taken in conjunction with corticotropin (ACTH) or corticosteroids, this diuretic herb is more prone to produce hypokalemia. Using diuretics may require dosage adjustments of antidiabetic drugs. The diuretic action of greater celandine may reduce renal clearance of lithium.
Greater celandine should be used with caution in conjunction with CNS-depressants or stimulants. The herb's analgesic effects may be additive with other analgesics and anesthetics. However, it may be inhibited by barbiturates, despite any CNS-depressant effects which may occur. The analgesic property of greater celandine may be reversed or even eliminated by P-chlorophenylalaine, cyproheptadine HCl, and phenobarbital. The CNS-depressant tendency of this analgesic herb may be potentiated by chlorpoxthixene HCl, haloperidol, and tranquilizers.
Comments
Prolonged use of this diuretic herb may affect certain laboratory test results such as electrolytes, especially potassium and sodium, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid, glucose, and protein bound iodine (PBI).
To minimize central nervous system depression and possible synergism, it would be wise to avoid using greater celandine with procarbazine antineoplastic drugs.
Safety Factors & Toxicity
Greater Celandine is narcotic
Greater celandine contains at least 10 alkaloids with opiate properties, which could account for its analgesic and antispasmodic properties. The main alkaloid is chelidonine.
Many herbalists believe greater celandine is capable of congesting the lungs and liver, and of poisoning the skin when administered or handled as a fresh juice.
Celandine has approval status by the German Commission E.
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Preparation & Administration
Three times a day
Dried herb
2-4 grams
Tea
made from 1 tsp of dried herb
Fluid extract
1:1 in 25% alcohol, 1-2 ml
Tincture
1:10 in 45% alcohol, 2-4 ml
This herb has approval status by the German Commission E.
Recommended daily dosages in Germany are as follows:
2 - 5 g herb.
References:
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Note: This Herbal Preparation information is a summary of data from books and articles by various authors. It is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health care professionals.
References
Am Hospital Formulary Service. Am Soc of Hosp Pharm. Wash, D.C.
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
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