Motherwort is a perennial plant in the genus Leonurus, belonging to the family Lamiaceae, native to the Central Asia. The herb has been used in traditional medicine in Central Europe, Asia and North America as relaxed agent to treat nervousness, insomnia, heart palpitation, promote milk flow, uterine contractions, menstrual flow and to relieve menopausal symptoms and menstrual complaints.
Health Benefits
1. Breast cancer
In the identification of Chinese motherwort aqueous extract (MAE) and it effects in breast cancer cells with low potency (IC50s in a range of 8-40 mg/mL) found that Chinese motherwort aqueous ethanol extract may effectively inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells through mechanisms of both cytotoxicity and cell cycle arrest. The cellular effects of MAEE are non-apoptotic and ER independent on breast cancer cells, according to”Cytotoxicity of Chinese motherwort (YiMuCao) aqueous ethanol extract is non-apoptotic and estrogen receptor independent on human breast cancer cells” by Tao J, Zhang P, Liu G, Yan H, Bu X, Ma Z, Wang N, Wang G, Jia W.(1)
2. Anti-inflammatory effects
In the investigation of Motherwort (MW), a Korean folk medicine and its effect in treating inflammatory disease found that MW was treated in vitro before activation of HMC-1 cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus calcium ionophore A23187. MW had no cytotoxic effects on HMC-1 cell viability. MW (1 mg/ml) inhibited PMA plus A23187-stimulated gene expression and production of TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-8. Stimulation with PMA plus A23187 induced NF-kappaB activation in HMC-1 cells, which was inhibited by MW (1 mg/ml). MW inhibited secretion of TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-8 possibly by inhibiting NF-kappaB activation according to “Anti-inflammatory activity of Motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus L.)” by
In the assessment the clinical efficacy of Leonurus oil extract (LOE) in patients with arterial hypertension stages 1 and 2, accompanied by anxiety and sleep disorders found that according to the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale, a significant improvement in the symptoms of anxiety and depression was observed in 32% of patients, a moderate improvement in 48% and a weak effect in 8%; 12% of patients did not respond to therapy. Side effects were minimal in all groups. Leonurus oil extract may therefore be a potentially effective therapeutic agent for patients with arterial hypertension and concurrent psycho-neurological disorders, according to “Effect of Leonurus cardiaca oil extract in patients with arterial hypertension accompanied by anxiety and sleep disorders” by Shikov AN, Pozharitskaya ON, Makarov VG, Demchenko DV, Shikh EV.(3)
4. Cardiac and electrophysiological effects
In the investigation of European Lamiaceae Leonurus cardiaca (Ph.Eur.) used for centuries as a remedy against tachyarrhythmia and other cardiac disorders with aqueous Soxhlet extract, found that mapping experiments with 256 electrodes on the heart surface showed a reduction of left ventricular pressure and an increase of relative coronary flow at concentrations of 1.0 and 2.0 mg/mL LCRE. Furthermore, the PQ-interval was prolonged and both the basic cycle length and the activation recovery interval increased, according to “Cardiac and electrophysiological effects of primary and refined extracts from Leonurus cardiaca L. (Ph.Eur.)” by Ritter M, Melichar K, Strahler S, Kuchta K, Schulte J, Sartiani L, Cerbai E, Mugelli A, Mohr FW, Rauwald HW, Dhein S.(4)
5. Limitation of anxiety and the improvement of visual function
In the observation of the chronic administration of melatonin (0.75 mg at night, 10 days) led to a significant decrease in the thresholds of retinal brightness sensitivity and improved the emotional state in anxious young subjects found that analogous changes were less pronounced after the treatment with common motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) tincture. It is suggested that there is a relation between the limitation of anxiety and the improvement of visual function (sensitivity), according to “[Effects of melatonin and motherwort tincture on the emotional state and visual functions in anxious subjects].[Article in Russian]” by Ovanesov KB, Ovanesova IM, Arushanian EB(5)
6. Postpartum hemorrhage prevention
In the evaluation of the efficacy and safety of motherwort (herba leonuri/leonurus heterophyllus sweet) injection for preventing postpartum hemorrhage after caesarian section found that tt is safe and efficacious that combined use of motherwort injection and oxytocin was to prevent postpartum hemorrhage during or after caesarian section, according to “[Multi-center study of motherwort injection to prevent postpartum hemorrhage after caesarian section].[Article in Chinese]” by Lin JH, Lin QD, Liu XH, Yan JY, He J, Li L, Gu H, Sun LZ, Zhang JP, Yu S, Ma YY, Niu JM, Xia Y, Zhao SC, Li W, Wang HL, Wang BS.(6)
7. Benign prostatic hyperplasia
In the evaluation the efficacy and safety of Ziyin Tongbi Decoction (ZTD), including motherwort in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) found that The TCM symptoms were improved in the treatment group after treatment, showing significant as compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05); as compared with the control group, the difference in urinary thread and lower abdominal distention in treatment group was significant improved (P < 0.05). The total effective rate in the treatment group was 89.00% (43/48),, according to “[Clinical observation on ziyin tongbi decoction in treating benign prostatic hyperplasia].[Article in Chinese]” by Guo J, Song CS, Han Q.(7)
8. Cerebral protection
In the analyzing neuroprotective effects of purified Herba Leonuri (pHL) were evaluated in Wistar rats undergone middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) found that Under the treatment of pHL, the infarct volume was reduced significantly from 20.75+/-0.03% to 15.19+/-0.02% (p<0.05). The neurological impairment was alleviated to 1.82 as compared to vehicle (2.43). Plasma antioxidant concentration was increased from 0.31+/-0.03 mM to 0.42+/-0.05 mM (p<0.05). DNA oxidative damage was reduced to 1.19+/-0.03 in stroke pHL treated group (p<0.05 as compared to vehicle group, 1.78+/-0.03). pHL could reduce the level of apoptosis and also the pro-apoptotic proteins, but increase the level of anti-apoptotic proteins, according to “Cerebral protection of purified Herba Leonuri extract on middle cerebral artery occluded rats” by Loh KP, Huang SH, Tan BK, Zhu YZ.(8)
9. Lymphatic stomata
In the study of the CHM extract consisting of Atractylodes macrocephala, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Codonopsis pilosula, Alismatis orientale and Leonurus heterophyllus and theirs lymphatic stomata and promoting the absorption of ascites from the peritoneal cavity found that CHM might treat ascites through increasing the endogenous NO concentration to open the lymphatic stomata and in turn to conduct the peritoneal water through lymphatic path, according to “[Study of Chinese herbal medicine in treating ascites and their mechanism in regulating lymphatic stomata].[Article in Chinese] by Wu Y, Li JC, Mao LG.(9)
10. Uterine myoelectric activity
found that the exciting effect of motherwort herb on the uterine smooth muscle may have something to do with the alteration of the ion concentration in relation to myoelectric activity, resulting in the increase of myoelectric activity of pacesetter cells as well as in the acceleration of depolarization of spike activity, according to “[Effect of motherwort herb on the myoelectric activity of uterus in rats].[Article in Chinese]” by Ma YM, Yang DY, Tian ZF, Qu SY, Ding YH, Wei YL.(10)
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Side effects
1. Do not use motherwort in children or if you are pregnant as the herb stimulating uterine contraction of that may lead to miscarriage.
2. Overdose can increase nervous tension, drowsiness, gastrointestinal discomfort and uterine bleeding
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