Delphinium staphisagria
Botanical Nomenclature | Delphinium staphisagria |
Common Name | Lice-Bane, Stavesacre |
Taxonomy- Family | Ranunculaceae |
Distinguishing Features of the Plant | Delphinium staphisagria is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant growing from 30 to 100cm, with upright stems with no branches, palmate, elliptic, lanceolate leaves and dark blue or pink, with five elliptic petals flowers in inflorescences. The plant has a lot of fruits, which consist of three ovaries enclosing a few seeds. The flowering lasts from May to August and the harvesting takes place from June to August. |
Region Found | Epirus |
Part of the Plant with Active Substances | Mature seeds |
Active Substances | Alkaloids (dazolin and delkozin), two natural dyes (blue-delphinine, yellow-kempferol), stearin, fatty substances, essential oil, gum, starch, vegetable albumin, salts. |
Pharmacological Effects - Therapeutic Applications | The seeds have emetic, laxative, fungicidal and helminthic properties. The tincture made from the seeds is applied externally for the treatment of lice, scabies, eczema, pruritus, neuralgia (glossopharyngeal, trigeminal) and toothache. Also, it is used against asthma, nervous or allergic dyspnoea and dropsy. The alkaloids contained in the seeds belong in the same category with aconitine alkaloids and they may cause slow heart rate, shortness of breath (breathlessness), spinal cord paralysis, seizures and asphyxia causing death. |
Method of Administration | The plant is applied externally to the skin against lice, scabies and eczema in the form of herbal tea (30g of dried seeds in a 1L of boiled water for 10min, 3 times a day). Warning: The use of herb preparations is not recommended without seeking advice from your physician or pharmacist. The substances they contain may interact with the subscribed drugs that the patient already takes, thus eliminating their therapeutic efficacy or inducing toxicity. They may also burden further weakened vital functions of the body thus exposing the patient to increased morbidity and life threatened conditions. |
Toxicity- Adverse Effects | The seeds are poisonous, having unpleasant odor and bitter taste. The contained delphinine may cause mouth burning and salivation, during plant's chewing. In high quantity its oral administration may cause stomach irritation. Plant's toxicity is similar to poisoning from aconitine. The typical symptoms are central nervous paralysis, bradycardia, respiratory muscles paralysis, dyspnoea and asphyxia causing death. |
References | 1) http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-424-delphinium.aspx?activeingredientid=424&activeingredientname=delphinium 2) http://www.henriettes-herb.com/eclectic/dmna/delphinium.html 3) https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/stavas90.html#med 4) http://www.haniotika-nea.gr/%CE%B4%CE%B5%CE%BB%CF%86%CE%AF%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BF-%CE%B7-%CE%B1%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%AF%CE%B4%CE%B1/ 5) http://www.liveandfeel.com/articles/delphinium-health-benefits-and-side-effects-3396 |