Botanical Medicine

Choosing your herbs

•Consider the environmental, sociological and ethnobotanical impact this may have (to be covered in class 4)

•Time of year to harvest certain plant parts

•Quality - the quality of your medicine depends on the quality of the plants you use

•How to dry and process the herb

•How to store the herb

Herbal preparations: Internal

Herbal preparations: External

•Herbal Baths

•Compresses and Poultices

•Oils and Salves

•Creams and Lotions

•Washes

•Liniments

•Clays & Pastes

Infusions

For delicate parts (leaves/flowers). Steep 10–20 mins.

Decoctions

For hard parts (roots/bark). Simmer 10–15+ mins.

Fomentation (Compress)

Cloth soaked in tea applied to skin.

poultice

Cloth soaked in tea applied to skin. Can be hot or cold.

Tinctures

Alcohol-based. Long shelf life (2–10 years).

Tinctures Methods - Folk Method

Fill jar 1/2 with herb, cover with 40% alcohol, wait 4–6 weeks.

Powders, capsules & tablets

Powdered herbs can be stirred into food/drink, encapsulated or pressed into tablets

Professional-line capsules are often standardized to contain a certain percentage an active constituent

Vinegars, Oxymels & honey

Alcohol-free alternatives (shorter shelf life). ; A combination of vinegar and honey.

syrups

•Herbal syrups are saturated solutions of sugar (or honey) in water, where sugar acts as the preservative component. The water used is a strong infusion or decoction of desired herb.

•When used responsibly (and in moderation) it can actually help the absorption and therapeutic effect of some of our medicines, and as a carbohydrate can act as a form of quick energy for the body.

Lozenges & Pastilles

•Are used to treat the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, and upper respiratory tract.

•Are usually a small flattened disc that can be sucked on slowly, often imparting the medicinal actions of a demulcent, soothing expectorant, or antimicrobial effect.

•They will often contain finely powdered herbs rich in mucilage, an emulsifier, water, volatile oils, and a sweetener of some kind such as honey.

Steam inhalations

Delivers herbal constituents right into the respiratory tract - can be useful for sinusitis, congestion, hay fever and URTI

1.Half fill a fairly wide bowl with boiling water

2.Add 5 ggt EO (or can stir in fresh herb)

3.Immediately place a towel over head and bowl

4.Breathe in through nose and out through mouth for 10-15 minutes

Make sure towel is large enough to fall below sides of the bowl so steam is trapped

EO evaporate readily so use quickly.

Infused Oils

Herbs can be added to infused into oils to be used topically (added to lotions/salves) or internally (in cooking!)

Oil infusion can be done with or without heat (adding heat speeds up infusion time)

There are many carrier oil options including:

•Olive oil

•Almond oil

•Coconut oil and Shea butter

•Sunflower oil

•Castor oil

•Grapeseed oil

Salves & Lip Balms

Are semi-solid preparation containing the plants medicinal properties using oil & beeswax

Act mainly on the surface of skin being also occlusive and protective.

Suitable herbs would be vulnerary & emollients

Are healing to chapped lips, and used on bites, stings, cuts, diaper rash, skin conditions or other wounds as needed.

Creams & Lotions

Are emulsions of oil & water, with the medicinal phases being in either or both bases.

They are absorbed by the body as well as working on the surface of the skin

Are used to soothe and moisten inflamed or irritated skin

Vegan Cream - combination of aloe gel, oils, tinctures and essential oils

liniments

Are liquids intended for external use only

Usually contain anodyne & rubefacient herbs in oil or rubbing alcohol and should be applied with friction

Useful in sprains, strains and sore muscles

Should only be applied to unbroken skin

A simple liniment can be made by mixing 2 parts of any tincture with 1 part almond oil or alcohol

Herbal Actions: Respiratory System

expectorants, anticatarrhals, antitussives

Herbal Actions - Digestive System

cholagogue, choleretic, bitters, demulcents, carminatives, antiemetics, emetics

Herbal Actions: Adrenals & Nervous System:

adaptogens, nervine tonics, nervines relaxants, sedatives, hypnotics, nervine stimulants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, nootropics

Herbal Actions- Cardiovascular System:

cardiotonics, hypotensives, blood vessel tonics, antioxidants, hypolipidemics, hypoglycemics, circulatory stimulants

Herbal Actions - Urinary System

diuretics, antilithics

Herbal Actions - Reproductive System

emmenagogues, galactogogues, uterine tonics, female reproductive tonics, male reproductive tonics

Herbal Actions - Immune System

antimicrobials, antibacterials, antivirals, antifungals, antihelmintics, deep immune tonics

Herbal Actions - MSK System and Connective Tissue

connective tissue tonics, rubefacients, vulneraries, analgesics, antispasmodics, antiinflammatories, antirheumatics

Herbal Actions - Skin and Mucus Membranes

emollients, demulcents, astringents, styptics, vulneraries, rubefacients

Herbal Actions - Herbal Cleansers

alteratives, diuretics, laxatives/aperients, lymphatics, diaphoretics

Carbohydrates

inulin, arabinogalactans, beta-glucans, gum, mucilage

Lipids

alkamides, fatty acids

Phenolics

salicylic acid, coumarins, flavonoids, isoflavones, lignans, quinones, tannins

Terpenoids

volatile oils, resins, saponins, phytosterols, carotenoids, cardiac glycosides, iridoids

Alkaloids

isoquinoline, pyrrolizidine

Water-based solutions will extract water soluble constituent

mucilage, polysaccharides and tannins

“Fat”-based solutions (alcohol, vinegar, glycerin, oil) will extract fat-soluble constituents

like alkaloids, resins and volatile oils

CONSIDERATIONS FOR HERBAL ETHICS AND SAFETY

1.Social & environmental impact 2. Cultural sensitivity and patient autonomy 3. Quality & sourcing 4. Toxicity, allergy & contraindications 5. Herb-Drug & Herb-Herb interactions

Alkaloids

45-60% alcohol ; There is no absolute guide to their solubility. Are generally not very soluble in water and more so in alcohol

Flavonoids

Water or 25-50% alcohol; Vary in solubility depending on their glycoside

Mucilage

Water; A polysaccharide that absorbs water and may form a sludge in alcohol

Salicylates

Water or 25% alcohol'; Readily soluble in water or alcohol

Saponins

Water + 40% alcohol ; Partially soluble in both water & alcohol

Resins

90% alcohol or oil ; Insoluble in water

Tannins

Water or 25% alcohol ; Readily soluble in water or alcohol

Volatile Oils

Volatize in hot water, 40% alcohol, or oil ; Soluble in alcohol and fixed oils, slightly soluble in water (steam distillation & heat)

Tinctures Methods - Maceration Method

Precise ratios (e.g., 1:5).

Tinctures Methods - Percolation Method

Hydrate the dry herb, add to inverted bottle, add additional alcohol on top. (sit 12 hours)