Plants have been used as medicinal herbs since prehistoric period. Evidences exist for the use of herbs in old indigenous Rome, Iran, India, Africa and the Mediterranean cultures. The use of plant materials as medicinal sources has gained emphasis due to side effects of the synthetic drugs, prohibited costs of advanced treatment facilities, inadequate medication supply and increased resistance to drugs (Pearson, 1807). Plants that are used as respiratory expectorants help in increasing bronchial secretions, thereby facilitating easy cough of mucus from the lungs and airways. This report will compare and contrast the effectiveness of three herbs that are used as respiratory expectorants.
The three respiratory expectorants that will be compared are Inula helenium, Thymus vulgaris, and Grindelia camporum.
The plant part of Inula helenium (Elecampane) used for treating cough and cold is the root. The root is a yellow, thick and cylindrically branched rhizome. It has a warm bitter taste and is used to prepare cough drops, candy and asthma lozenges (Seca, Grigore, Pinto & Silva, 2014).
The leaves and the flowering tops of Thymus vulgaris are used to treat bronchitis. Additionally, they are also beneficial for sore throat and coughs owing to the presence of active constituents of thyme that loosen and expel mucous (Thomas & Roberts, 1902).
Grindelia camporum is mainly used as a medicinal herb for its dried aerial parts. These parts are plucked before the buds open and are dried, to be used later on for asthma, whooping cough, bronchitis and emphysema.
The major constituents of Elecampane are inulin, volatile oil such as camphor, alantol, and helenin, mucilage, alantoic acid, and sterols (Herman, Herman, Domagalska & M?ynarczyk, 2013). The active constituents encompass a thymol derivative, triterpenoid saponin, sesquiterpene lactones that include isoalantolactone and alantolactone, and bitter principles such as, stigmasterol and friedlin.
Thymol is the most active ingredient of Thymus vulgaris. It has strong anti-bacterial properties. In addition,it exerts an expectorant effect. Furthermore, thyme also contains the flavonoids apigenin, luteolin, naringenin, and thymonin that have antioxidant properties (Thomas & Roberts, 1902).
Active compounds present in Grindelia sp. that contribute to its expectorant properties are flavonoids such as acacetin and kumatakenin and acacetin, and diterpenes of grindelane type. Evidences suggest the presence of 21% amorphous resins, tannins and laevoglucose.
The secondary actions of Inula helenium include its use as a sedative, diaphoretic, stomachic, relaxant, anthelmintic, and diuretic. It has been used by ancient Romans and Greeks for treating digestive upsets. It also acts as the main ingredient in potio Paulina, the digestive wine (Spiridon et al., 2013).
Secondary action of thyme includes its role in treatment of fungal infections such as, athlete’s foot and as a remedy for oral and other yeast infections. It is also utilized in killing parasites like head lice, crabs and intestinal worms. It helps in preventing blood clots and the vapour is also used to treat depression, scalp irritations and headache (Roby, Sarhan, Selim & Khalel, 2013).
On the other hand, Grindelia camporum acts as a good urinary tract disinfectant and as an antispasmodic. It has also proved effective in treating dermatitis caused due to poison ivy. Topical preparations also help to cute skin rashes, insect bites, and burns.
Therapeutic indications of Elecampane include its use for emphysema, cough, asthma, chronic cough, congestive complaints, bacterial infections, tracheal catarrh, and convalescence (Pearson, 1807).
Indications of thyme involve its administration for diarrhoea, indigestion, skin disinfection, dyspepsia, bronchitis and throat inflammation (Petrovska, 2012).
On the other hand, therapeutic indications for Grindelia sp. are related to its use for respiratory spasm, dry or tickly cpugh, asthma, pertussis, and bronchitis.
Although Elecampane acts as a valuable herbal remedy, it may lead to hypersensitivity. It should be avoided during pregnancy. In addition, it is necessary to inform the physician about the use of other medications or vitamins before using this herb. The quality of the herb should also be ensured.
Thyme should be administered after conducted patch tests on the concerned person. It should not be administered to children unless prescribed by a doctor. High doses should be avoided during pregnancy since it works as uterine stimulant. Caution should be taken while administering it to people suffering from gastritis, congestive heart failure and enterocolitis. It should be diluted to prevent mucous membrane irritations (Pirbalouti, Hashemi & Ghahfarokhi, 2013).
If taken in large doses, Grindelia sp. produces stomach or renal irritations. Furthermore, it can result in allergies and while being administered for internal usage, it should always be consumed under the supervision of a healthcare provider (Petrovska, 2012).
The fresh roots of Inula sp. are preserved with sugar or are made into syrup to relieve shortness of breath, cough, spleen, and wheezing of the lungs. Decoction of the roots is taken in the form of gargles or in wine for asthma, bronchitis, and as liver and stomach stimulants (Pearson, 1807).
Infusions of thyme are used for chest infections and stomach chills. It is also used in the form of tincture to treat diarrehoea, as gargle and syrup. The essential oils are also used as chest rubs (Hosseinzadeh, Jafarikukhdan, Hosseini & Armand, 2015).
The fluid extract of Grindelia sp. is used in proportion to liquorice. It is generally used as an infusion by soaking a teaspoon of the dried herb into a boiling cup of water for 10-15 minutes. It is also taken in the form of tincture.
Liquid extracts of Elecampane dosage are 1-2 ml, 1:1 in 25% alcohols, thrice daily. The dried roots are given thrice daily in the form of 1.5-3 g or by decoction. 3-5 ml, 1:5 in 25% alcohol tinctures is also administered 3 times each day (Herbal-supplement-resource.com, 2017).
6-9g of dried aerial parts of Grindelia sp. is used as infusions thrice a day. 1-2 ml of tincture should also be taken three times a day (Herbal-supplement-resource.com, 2017).
Thyme should be given at a dose of 1-3 fluid ounces as infusion, 2-10 drops with sugar or in the form of emulsion. In capsule form it is generally taken as recommended by the manufacturer (Herbal-supplement-resource.com, 2017).
Conclusion
To conclude, it can be stated that expectorants work by reducing the thickness or the mucus and loosening lung congestion. They help in clearing the lungs and preventing coughs. The three medicinal herbs compared above are effective in treating congestion, coughs and bronchitis. The three herbs work as effective expectorants owing to the presence of inulin, volatile oil and flavonoids in them. Thus, their potential side effects and contraindications should be considered and caution should be maintained before prescribing these herbs.
References
Herbal-supplement-resource.com. (2017). Elecampane Herb – Benefits and Side Effects. The Herbal Resource. Retrieved 25 November 2017, from https://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/elecampane-herb.html
Herbal-supplement-resource.com. (2017). Grindelia Uses, Side Effects and Benefits as a Medicinal Herb. The Herbal Resource. Retrieved 25 November 2017, from https://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/grindelia-herb.html
Herbal-supplement-resource.com. (2017). Thyme Herb Uses, Side Effects and Health Benefits. The Herbal Resource. Retrieved 25 November 2017, from https://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/thyme-herb.html
Herman, A., Herman, A. P., Domagalska, B. W., & M?ynarczyk, A. (2013). Essential oils and herbal extracts as antimicrobial agents in cosmetic emulsion. Indian journal of microbiology, 53(2), 232-237. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-012-0329-0
Hosseinzadeh, S., Jafarikukhdan, A., Hosseini, A., & Armand, R. (2015). The application of medicinal plants in traditional and modern medicine: a review of Thymus vulgaris. International Journal of Clinical Medicine, 6(09), 635. Published Online September 2015 in SciRes. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ijcm.2015.69084
Pearson, R. (1807). A Practical Synopsis of the Materia Alimentaria: And Materia Medica. By the Author of the Thesaurus Medicaminum……. R. Baldwin, and LB Seeley. Retrieved from: https://www.christopherhobbs.com/webdocs/rare-books/A-Practical-Synopsis-of-the-Materia-Alimentaria-and-Materia-Medica.pdf
Petrovska, B. B. (2012). Historical review of medicinal plants’ usage. Pharmacognosy reviews, 6(11), 1. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.95849
Pirbalouti, A. G., Hashemi, M., & Ghahfarokhi, F. T. (2013). Essential oil and chemical compositions of wild and cultivated Thymus daenensis Celak and Thymus vulgaris L. Industrial Crops and Products, 48, 43-48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2013.04.004
Roby, M. H. H., Sarhan, M. A., Selim, K. A. H., & Khalel, K. I. (2013). Evaluation of antioxidant activity, total phenols and phenolic compounds in thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.), and marjoram (Origanum majorana L.) extracts. Industrial Crops and Products, 43, 827-831. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2012.08.029
Seca, A. M., Grigore, A., Pinto, D. C., & Silva, A. M. (2014). The genus Inula and their metabolites: From ethnopharmacological to medicinal uses. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 154(2), 286-310. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2014.04.010
Spiridon, I., Nechita, C., Niculaua, M., Silion, M., Armatu, A., Teac?, C. A., & Bodîrl?u, R. (2013). Antioxidant and chemical properties of Inula helenium root extracts. Open Chemistry, 11(10), 1699-1709. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11532-013-0295-3
Thomas, H. H., & Roberts, H. (1902). Handbooks of practical gardening. VI. Retrieved from: https://www.survivorlibrary.com/library/the_book_of_herbs_1903.pdf
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