Osha
Botanical Description & Habitat
Ligusticum porteri
Family
Umbelliferae
Common Names
Colorado cough root
Porter's lovage
Chuchupate
Habitat
Rocky Mountain region, north to Idaho, south to mid Arizona.
Medicinal Parts
Root
Historical Properties & Uses
Osha is a popular remedy of the Indians and Spanish-speaking peoples of the Rocky Mountain region. It is also reportedly an important part of Chinese herbal medicine.
Osha is used for colds, colic and upset stomach, infections, and general respiratory problems. Osha reportedly has diuretic, diaphoretic, bronchio-dilatory, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and carminative action.
In China, ligusticum species are used as hypotensives, emmenagogues, and styptics.
Method of Action
Osha has Good Antibiotic and Other Actions
Osha has come to the attention of the scientists through the effects of ethnobotanists working directly with folk healers. What we know about the pharmacology of Osha is mostly inferred by what we know about similar species.
Therefore, furanocoumarins, such as psoralen and bergapten have been isolated from other ligusticum species. These two chemicals exhibit photosensitivity upon topical application and subsequent exposure to ultraviolet rays. They may be effective in the repigmentation of vitiliginous skin areas, in the treatment of supradermal viral infections, and as topical antitumor agents. Psoralen, activated by ultraviolet rays, may intercalate with DNA and RNA molecules to prevent progression of cellular development. These agents also have antifungal and antibacterial activity.
Extracts of l. elatum contain pyranocoumarins such as anomalin, pteryxin and khellactone, some of which show strong vasodilatory actions on isolated rabbit heart. Phthalides have been isolated from ligusticum species, such as l. wallichi, which inhibit various types of smooth muscle activity (e.g., rat uterine contractions). Which, in any of these properties, are shared by Osha remains to be determined.
Drug Interactions & Precautions
Known Interactions
Osha, insofar as its diuretic action increases the renal excretion of sodium and chloride, may potentiate the hyperglycemic and hyperuremic effects of glucose elevating agents.
Possible Interactions
The use of diuretics may require dosage adjustments of antidiabetic drugs.
The anti-inflammatory activity of this herb can be seriously inhibited by phenobarbital and certain other sedatives and hypnotics (chloral hydrate, meprobamate, etc.), as well as beta-adrenergic blocking agents (propranolol).
Colchicine may increase sensitivity or enhance the response to osha.
Veratrum alkaloids may potentiate the activity of osha (up to 50%). Additive effects may occur between the hypotensive property of osha and of dopamine receptor agonists such as bromocriptine mesylate.
Osha should be used with caution in conjunction with CNS depressants or stimulants.
The hypotensive effect of this herb may be potentiated by anoretic drugs such as fenfluramine whose effects are mediated by brainstem serotonin, and may be additive with the analgesics nalbuphine HCl and propoxyphene HCl.
The antacid nature of this herb may decrease or delay the absorption of nalidixic acid and the sulfonamides.
Due to the spasmolytic nature of this herb it may interact in unknown ways with CNS depressants or stimulants.
Comments
The hypotensive property of this herb may be additive with the CNS depressant activity of the analgesic nalbuphine HCl. The same is true of the analgesic propoxyphene HCl.
Due to hypotensive principles, it would be wise to avoid using osha with procarbazine antineoplastic agents, to eliminate the chance of CNS depression.
Although the coumarin content of this herb is not high at normal usage levels, it is important to note coumarins can affect the action of almost any drug.
There is evidence combining bactericidal and bacteriostatic agents will lower the effectiveness of the '-static' variety. How this finding applies to herbal antibiotics is not known.
Safety Factors & Toxicity
Osha has no know toxicity.
Preparation & Administration
Exact dosage information for Osha is not available. Recommend following manufacturers' directions for tinctures. Decoction made be made from root by boiling 2-4g of root per cup.
References
Appelt, G.D. & J.M. Appelt. Perspectives of herb use in hispanic folk medicine in the San Luis valley of Colorado, USA. Social Pharmacology, 1(1), 41-56, 1987.
Appelt, G.D. Pharmacological aspects of selected herbs employed in hispanic folk medicine in the San Luis valley of Colorado, USA: I. ligusticum porteri (Osha) and matricaria chamomila (Manzanilla). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 13, 51-55, 1985.
Brown, S.A. Biochemistry of the Coumarins. Recent Advances Phytochemistry. 12, 249-286, 1977.
Gijebels, et.al. Analysis of phthalides from umbelliferae by combined liquid-solid and gas liquid chromatography. Chromatographia, 14, 452-454,
Kapoor, S.K., et.al. Extractives of ligusticum elatum. Phytochemistry, 11,477,1972.
Ko, W.C. A newly discovered antispasmodic: butylidenephthalide. Japanese Journal of Pharmacology, 30, 85-91, 1980.
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.
Soine, T.O. Naturally occurring coumarins and related physiological activities. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 53, 23-264, 1964.
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