Nasturtium

Other names: Lucerne

Scientific name: Tropaeolum majus

Common names:

Ayurvedic names:

Chinese names: Chin-lien-hua

Bangladesh names:

Arabic names:   الكبوسين أبو خنجر (alkaboseen abu khinjar)  

Rain Forest names:

Family: Tropaeolaceae

Approximate number of species known:

Common parts used: Aerial parts

Collection: Mid summer

Annual/Perennial: Annual

Height: upto 1 foot

Actions:  Anti-microbial, Antiseptic, expectorant 

Known Constituents: Glucosillnates, vitamin C

Consituents Explained:

Description: 

Traditional Use:

A powerful anti-microbial, often used externally and internally for bacterial infections.

Used as a vaginal douche.

Clinical Studies:

A study verified the efficacy and safety of a herbal medicinal product containing Tropaeoli majoris herba and Armoraciae rusticanae radix in the prophylactic treatment of chronically recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), and to test whether the medicinal product decreases the incidence of relapses over the study period.

A total of 219 adults aged between 18 and 75 years were screened and 174 patients enrolled. Of these 174 patients, a group of 45 patients were screening failures. Patients were randomised to receive either the study drug or placebo twice daily for 90 days.

A UTI is confirmed by defined symptoms together with a laboratory result. The diagnosis of a new episode of a recurrent UTI included urine analysis from a central laboratory. The primary efficacy criterion – the number of recurrent UTIs over the study period – was tested between the treatment groups.

A total of 36 patients in the test group and 37 patients in the placebo group reported adverse events. Two serious adverse events were reported in the placebo group and one serious adverse event in the treatment group (not associated with the study medication).

This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial demonstrates the efficacy and safety of the herbal medicinal product Angocin Anti-Infekt N* in the prophylactic treatment of chronically recurrent UTIs.

Reference:

Albrecht U, Goos KH, Schneider B. “A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial Of A Herbal Medicinal Product Containing Tropaeoli Majoris Herba (Nasturtium) And Armoraciae Risticanae Radix (Horseradish) For The Prophylactic Treatment Of Patients With Chronically Recurrent Lower Urinary Tract Infections.” 2007 October http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17723159