Rosmarinus officinalis
Botanical Nomenclature | Rosmarinus officinalis |
Common Name | Rosemary |
Taxonomy- Family | Lamiaceae or Labiatae |
Distinguishing Features of the Plant | Rosmarinus officinalis is a perennial, evergreen plant growing from 20 to 80cm, with lanceolate, thick, green leaves and small, white flowers with violet hue. It blossoms almost all year round, mainly from May to October, while the harvesting takes place in summer. |
Region Found | Epirus |
Part of the Plant with Active Substances | Leaves, thin branches |
Active Substances | Essential oil (1-2%), which contains 0,8-6% esters (such as ethyl vornyl ester), 8-20% alcohols (mainly borneol), cineole (20%), terpene hydrocarbons (a- pinene, camphene), camphor, rosmarisine (alkaloid), diosmin (flavonoid), tannins, resins |
Pharmacological Effects - Therapeutic Applications | The whole plant has tonic, anticonvulsive, energizing and antiseptic properties and it is administered for the treatment of intestinal infections, diarrhea, colitis, flatulence, liver disorders and jaundice. The herbal extract stimulates the circulatory system as increases blood flow in the vessel. Also it is effective in healing the wounds in the oral cavity. Finally, it is administered in the form of herbal tea against influenza, colds, rheumatism and indigestion. |
Method of Administration | The plant is administered as tonic and antiseptic in the form of herbal tea (20-30g of dried herb in a 1L of boiled water, 3 times a day). It is also administered as stimulant of circulatory system in the form of tincture (10-40g of herbal extract in 90mL ethyl alcohol 70%, for 15 days, 1-2ml 3 times a day) and as tonic in the form of essential oil (30-40g of dried herb in a 1L of water and 20-25g of oil base, 8-10 drops in the bath) 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 | Overdosing may cause dizziness, hallucinations, convulsions, damage to the mucosa of kidneys and intestines, possible miscarriage in pregnant women, even fatal poisoning. |
References | 1) Bιβλίο: Τα φαρμακευτικά βότανα και οι θεραπευτικές τους ιδιότητες, Λάμπρου Π. Σπύρου, Αγροτικός εκδοτικός οίκος, Αθήνα 1981, Β' τόμος, σελίδες: 204-206 2) Βιβλίο: Οδηγός των φαρμακευτικών φυτών, Paul Schauenberg, Ferdinand Paris, Εκδότης Μ. Γκιούρδας, Αθήνα 1981, σελίδες 313-314, 3)https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/88317/Rosmarinus-officinalis-Prostratus-Group/Details 4)http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/rosemary 5)http://meli-tzoumerka.blogspot.com/2010/11/rosmarinus-officinalis-rosmarinus.html 6)http://aromaticplantkilkis.blogspot.com/2010/03/lamiaceae-rosmarinus-officinalis-15-20.html |