Leonurus cardiaca L. (Motherwort): A Review of its Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

Abstract

Leonurus cardiaca is a perennial plant indigenous to central Europe and Scandinavia, but it is also found in the area spanning temperate Russia to central Asia. It has been introduced to North America and has become established locally in the wild. Motherwort (Leonuri cardiacae herba) consists of aerial parts of Leonurus cardiaca gathered during the flowering period, dried at 35 °C and, according to European Pharmacopoeia 7th edition, should contain a minimum of 0.2% flavonoids, expressed as hyperoside. Compounds belonging to the group of monoterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes, nitrogen- containing compounds, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids and phenolic acids, as well as volatile oils, sterols and tannins, have been identified in motherwort. Traditionally, extracts of the herb have been used internally, mainly for nervous heart conditions and digestive disorders. However, they have also been used for bronchial asthma, climacteric symptoms and amenorrhoea, as well as externally in wounds and skin inflammations. Mild negative chronotropic, hypotonic and sedative effects can be attributed to the herb and preparations thereof. Pharmacological studies have confirmed its antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity, as well as its effects on the heart and the circulatory system. Sedative and hypotensive activity has been demonstrated in clinical trials.

Isoproterenol‐induced cardiac ischemia and fibrosis: Plant‐based approaches for intervention

“…It is one of the main active ingredients of Leonurus heterophyllus , a plant that belongs to the Lamiaceae family. This novel alkaloid has pleiotropic pharmacological activities including cardioprotective action (Wojtyniak, Szymański, & Matławska, ). Zhang et al proved the in vitro efficacy of this novel alkaloid in isolated ventricular myocytes.…”

Prescription patterns of Chinese herbal products for patients with uterine fibroid in Taiwan: A nationwide population-based study

“…E-Zhu (Rhizoma Curcumae), the second commonly prescribed single herb, contains curcumol and furannodiene which have been shown to inhibit proliferation in several cancer cell lines Xu et al, 2014). The other single herbs, such as Xiang-Fu (Rhizoma Cyperi) and Yi-Mu-Cao (Herba Leonuri) (Lee et al, 2010;Wojtyniak et al, 2013), have antioxidative potency, which might abolish the development of uterine fibroid (Foksinski et al, 2000). Yan-Hu-Suo (Rhizoma Corydalis), which Levo-tetrahydropalmatine has been isolated from, was reported to have excellent analgesic effect in ancient literature 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 (Scheid et al, 2009).…”

Potential herb-drug interactions found in a community pharmacy patients

“…The Serenoa repens is known for its antiandrogenic, anti-inflammatory and diuretic activities, and is used in the relief of the prostate benign hyperplasia symptoms (2,12,14,15) . In Table 4 the detected cases of potential interactions between Serenoa repens and conventional medicines are shown, with the description of the mechanism of action that supports the interaction and the recommendations to avoid and minimize possible negative clinical outcomes.…”

“…A Serenoa repens é conhecida pelas suas propriedades antiandrogénicas, anti-inflamatórias e diuréticas, sendo utilizada no alívio dos sintomas da hiperplasia benigna da próstata (2,12,14,15) . Na tabela 4 apresentam-se os casos detetados de potenciais interações entre a Serenoa repens e medicamentos convencionais, com a descrição do mecanismo farmacocinético/farmacodinâmico que suporta a respetiva interação e as recomendações de monitorização a seguir de modo a minimizar o risco de ocorrência de resultados clínicos negativos.…”