Gum Plant
Botanical Description & Habitat
Grindelia robusta
Grindelia squarrosa
Family
Compositae (Asteraceae)
Common Names
August flower
Gumweed
Resin-weed
Rosinweed
Tar weed
Habitat
Native to but not plentiful in coastal California, the southwestern USA and Mexico.
Description
A bushy perennial. Yellow flower heads grow from August to September.
Medicinal Parts
Dried tops and leaves gathered during the flowering season.
Historical Properties & Uses
Gum plant was used by the Indians all over the Americas and was official in the U.S.P. from 1820-1882. The Indians used the herb consistently to treat asthma, cough and bronchitis, especially among the aged. It is still listed in the U.S. Dispensatory, and is currently used by modern Americans as an antispasmodic, demulcent, expectorant, in the treatment of colds, hayfever, nasal congestion, respiratory and bronchial ailments, whooping cough, asthma, and so forth.
Externally, a gum plant wash is applied to burns, rashes, poison ivy, blisters, etc.
Native Americans used the resin from the gumweed plant to treat poison ivy.
Secondary uses for gum plant are as a sedative, stimulant, anti-cancer, fever, gonorrhea, hepatitis, syphilis, tuberculosis, and nephritis.
Grindelia is rarely used by itself, but often compounded with other herbs,
such as pulmonarea, anise, primrose, thyme, ephedra and mint.
This herb now has approval status by the German Commission E for catarrh of the upper respiratory 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
The Pharmacology of Gum Plant
There have been no extensive pharmacological trials on gum plant, but a little is known. Active constituents of grindelia are an essential oil, resin with diterpenes such as grindelic acid, polyine, and flavonoids. These chemicals easily account for the expectorant and mild spasmolytic actions.
Grindelia has been found to have moderate anti-inflammatory activity, and fairly good antibiotic effects.
The British Pharmacopoeia lists the antispasmodic, expectorant and cardiac depressant properties of gum plant. It is used to treat asthma and bronchitis, upper respiratory catarrh, whooping cough, cystitis, and in lotions for poison ivy dermatitis. The English combine gum plant with lobelia and licorice root in asthma and bronchitis preparations. Gum plant is suggested as a primary treatment for bronchial asthma with tachycardia.
Gumweed contains an essential oil. It has demonstrated antibacterial effects in vitro.
Drug Interactions & Precautions
Possible Interactions
There are no known drug interactions.
The antacid nature of gum plant may decrease or delay the absorption of nalidixic acid and the sulfonamides.
Due to the spasmolytic nature of gum plant it may interact in unknown ways with CNS depressants or stimulants.
Gum plant and sparteine may have synergistic oxytocic activity.
Safety Factors & Toxicity
Although normal doses lack side effects and toxicity, gum plant is said to absorb selenium from the soil and store it. Therefore, in Wyoming and South Dakota or wherever the plant grows in soil from cretaceous and eocene shales, this factor may play a role in livestock poisoning. Large amounts of ingested gum plant may even produce selenium toxicity in humans, as in a slowing of the heart beat.
In rare cases there may be irritation of the gastric mucosa.
Preparation & Administration
Use three times daily
Infusion
Use 2-3g of dried aerial parts
Liquid Extract
Use 0.6-1.2ml of 1:1 in 22 1/2% alcohol
Lotion
Liquid Extract 1:10 in 10% alcohol
Tincture
Use 0.5-1ml of 1:10 in 60% alcohol
This herb has approval status by the German Commission E.
Recommended daily dosages in Germany are as follows:
4 - 6 g of the herb.
3 - 6 g fluid extract.
1.5 - 3 ml equivalent preparations.
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
Benoit, P.S., H.H.S.Fong, G.H. Svoboda & N.R. Farnswoth. Biological and phytochemical evaluation of plants. XIV. Antiinflammatory evaluation of 163 species of plants. Lloydia, 39, 160-171, 1976.
Blumenthal, M (Ed.): The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council. Austin, TX. 1998.
Braun, H. & D. Frohne. Heilplanzen-Lexikon Fuer Aerzte und Apotheker. Gustav Fisher Verlag, Stuttgart, New York, 1987.
British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, British Herbal Medicine Association, 1983.
Duke, J.A. CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, Florida, 1985.
D'amico, M.L. Richerche sulla presenza di sostanze ad azione antibiotica nelle piante sueriori. Fitoterapia, 26(1), 77-79, 1950.
Gruenwald, J, Brendler, T & Jaenicke, C (Eds.): PDR for Herbal Medicines. Medical Economics, NJ. 1998.
Lust, J: The Herb Book. Bantam, 1986.
Mascolo, N., G. Autore, F. Capasso, A. Menghini & M.P. Fasulo. Biological screening of italian medicinal plants for anti-inflammatory activity. Phytotherapy Research, 1(1), 28-31, 1987.
Mowrey, Daniel B., Ph.D. Exper. Psych., Brigham Young University. Director of Nebo Institute of Herbal Sciences. Director of Behavior Change Agent Training Institute. Director of Research, Nova Corp.
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