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Botanical Name |
: |
Cnicus benedictus L. |
English
Name |
: |
Blessed Thistle |
Synonym(s) |
: |
Carduus benedictus Steud., Carbenia benedicta Adans |
Family |
: |
Asteraceae |
| |
General Info
| Description |
 |
|
A weed scarcely exceeds 2 feet in height, has a coarse, erect, branched, and rather woolly stem. The leaves are 3 to 6 inches long, more or less hairy, with margins lobed and spiny. The yellow flower heads which appear from about May to August are borne at the ends of the branches, almost hidden by the upper leaves, and are about 1 1/2 inches long. Surrounding the flower heads are leathery scales, tipped with long, branching, yellowish-red spines. |
| Herb Effects |
|
|
Stimulates the flow of gastric juices and bile and antimicrobial. Astringent, bitter, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, strongly emetic in large doses, emmenagogue, galactogogue, stimulant, stomachic and tonic (whole plant) |
Chemistry
| Active Ingredients |
|
|
Alpha-amyrin, apigenin 7-glycoside, arctigenin, ascorbic acid, benzoic acid, beta-sitosterol, cinnamaldehyde, cnicin, ferulic acid, luteolin, n-nonacosane, niacin, oleanolic acid, riboflavin, stigmasterol, tannin, thiamin (plant); arctin, linoleic acid, oleic acid (seed); citral, p-cymene (essential oil); lithospermic acid, trachelogenin (fruit) |
| Chemistry
of Active Ingredients |
|
|
|
 |
Name |
CAS# |
IUPAC Name |
Formula |
Structure |
 |
|
| Alpha-Amyrin |
638-95-9 |
4,4,6a,6b,8a,11,12,1
4b-octamethyl-2,3,4a
,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,
12a,14,14a
-tetradecahydro-1H-p
icen-3-ol |
C30H50O |
|
| Ascorbic Acid |
Not Available |
2-(1,2-dihydroxyethy
l)-4,5-dihydroxy-fur
an-3-one |
C6H8O6 |
|
| Benzoic acid |
8013-63-6 |
benzoic acid |
C7H6O2 |
|
| Beta-sitosterol |
5779-62-4 |
17-(5-ethyl-6-methyl
-heptan-2-yl)-10,13-
dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9
,11,12,14, |
C29H50O |
|
| Cinnamaldehyde |
Not Available |
3-phenylprop-2-enal |
C9H8O |
|
| Cnicin |
24394-09-0 |
[(1R,2S,10R)-8-(hydr
oxymethyl)-4-methyl-
13-methylidene-12-ox
o-11-oxabi
cyclo[8.
3.0]trideca-4,8-dien
-2-yl]
(3R)-3,4-dihydroxy-2
-methylidene-bu
tan
oate |
C20H26O7 |
|
| Ferulic acid |
24276-84-4 |
3-(4-hydroxy-3-metho
xy-phenyl)prop-2-eno
ic acid |
C10H10O4 |
|
| Luteolin |
Not Available |
2-(3,4-dihydroxyphen
yl)-4,5-dihydroxy-ch
romen-7-one |
C15H10O6 |
|
| Niacin |
99148-57-9 |
Pyridine-3-carboxyli
c acid |
C6H5NO2 |
|
| Oleanolic acid |
508-02-1 |
10-hydroxy-2,2,6a,6b
,9,9,12a-heptamethyl
-1,3,4,5,6,6a,7,8,8a
,10,11,12,
13,14b-tetradecahydr
opicene-4a-carboxyli
c acid |
C30H48O3 |
|
| Riboflavin |
Not Available |
Not Available |
C17H21N4O9P |
|
| Stigmasterol |
4736-55-4 |
17-(4-ethyl-1,5-dime
thyl-hex-2-enyl)-10,
13-dimethyl-1,2,4,5,
6,7,8,9,10
,11,12,1
3,14,15,16,17-hexade
cahydrocyclopenta[a]
phenanthren-3-one |
C29H48O |
|
| Tannin |
1401-55-4 |
Not Available |
C27H22O18 |
|
| Thiamin |
59-43-8 |
2-[3-[(4-amino-2-met
hyl-pyrimidin-5-yl)m
ethyl]-4-methyl-1-th
ia-3-azoni
acyclope
nta-2,4-dien-5-yl]et
hanol |
C12H17N4OS+ |
|
| Linoleic acid |
8024-22-4 |
Octadeca-9,12-dienoi
c acid |
C18H32O2 |
|
| Oleic acid |
8046-01-3 |
octadec-9-enoic acid |
C18H34O2 |
|
| Citral |
96680-15-8 |
3,7-dimethylocta-2,6
-dienal |
C10H16O |
|
| p-Cymene |
Not Available |
Dichlororuthenium;
1-methyl-5,6-dihydro
-4H-pyrimidine;
p-cymene |
C15H24Cl2N2Ru |
|
| Lithospermic acid |
Not Available |
4-[(E)-2-[(1R)-1-car
boxy-2-(3,4-dihydrox
yphenyl)ethoxy]carbo
nylethenyl
]-2-(3,4
-dihydroxyphenyl)-7-
hydroxy-2,3-dihydrob
enzofuran-3-carboxyl
ic
acid |
C27H22O12 |
|
| Trachelogenin |
Not Available |
(3S,4R)-4-[(3,4-dime
thoxyphenyl)methyl]-
3-hydroxy-3-[(4-hydr
oxy-3-meth
oxy-phen
yl)methyl]oxolan-2-o
ne |
C21H24O7 |
|
| Arctigenin |
7770-78-7 |
(3R,4R)-4-[(3,4-dime
thoxyphenyl)methyl]-
3-[(4-hydroxy-3-meth
oxy-phenyl
)methyl]
oxolan-2-one |
C21H24O6 |
|
|
Pharmacology
| Medicinal Use |
|
|
Indigestion and heartburn, poor appetite, as a contraceptive and to treat cancer as well as infections, heart and liver ailments and fevers, for dropsy, strengthens the heart, and is good for the liver, lungs, and kidneys. |
| Contraindication |
|
|
One must carefully handle this herb during the drying and cutting process since it contains substances that greatly irritate external body surfaces. Do not use if an ulcer or any other acute stomach inflammation is present. |
| Reference |
|
|
 Vanhaelen-Fastre R. [Antibiotic and cytotoxic activity of cnicin isolated from Cnicus benedictus L]. J Pharm Belg1972 Nov-Dec;27(6):683-8.
Vanhaelen-Fastre R. Vanhaelen M.[Presence of salonitenolide in Cnicus benedictus]. Planta Med, 1974 Dec;26(4):37. |
Dealers
Products
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