Plantago lanceolata L. – Ribwort plantain
Plantaginaceae – Plantain family
The raw material is the ribwort plantain leaf, harvested during blooming and dried in room temperature, ventilated.
Ribwort plantain – appearance and origin:
Perennial from the plantain family, growing in the temperate zone; in Poland it is common in meadows, pastures, roadsides, water banks; sometimes cultivated. Chernozem, light soil, clay-limestone soil, airy soil provide the best conditions. The stem grows up to 40 cm, leafless. Basal leaves form a rosette, numerous, lanceolate, entire edges, parallel veins gradually narrow into a long channelled petiole. Small brown flowers with long white stamens, clustered in a spiky, round or ovate inflorescence on the tip.
Ribwort plantain – effects and use:
The active compounds in the raw material have a protective, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, astringent (mucous, iridoids, phenylethanoids, tannins) and spasmolytic effect on smooth muscles of the bronchi and also speed up wound healing and epidermis regeneration. Studies also suggest the plant has immunological activity.
The ribwort plantain leaf is used for catarrhs of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa with coughing, for issues with expectoration and elevated body temperature. for stomach flue, and externally for skin injuries, burns, conjunctivitis and blepharitis.
Fresh leaf juice has a bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity, thanks to aucubigenin, an aglycone created from aucubin by β-Glucosidase in the raw material. Such a transformation does not occur in infusions, as the β-Glucosidase is inactivated, and so the infusions do not exhibit antibacterial activity.
PL