HOREHOUND

Chemical properties

Horehound is a perennial herb indigenous to Britain, but commonly grows wild on arid or sandy soils in a maritime or mountain climate. The herb is widespread throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa as well as the United States and Canada. The plant grows to a height of approximately 100 cm (3 ft) and has oval leaves covered with white, wooly hairs. Horehound bears small, white flowers in dense whorls that bloom from May to October. The flower is the part used. Horehound has a bitter, tonic, balsamic odor.

Occurrence

Horehound is a perennial found in Asia, Europe, the United States, and Canada.

The Uses of HOREHOUND

In traditional herbal medicine, horehound has been used to treat upper respiratory congestion, whooping cough, anorexia, asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis, and diarrhea, to aid digestion and increase diuresis, and as an anthelmintic and a laxative. Its topical form has been used to promote wound healing.

Essential oil composition

The bitter principle of the horehound is marrubiin (volatile oil), a diterpene lactone. In addition, horehound contains a sterolin, an esterfied form and a sesquiterpene. Flavonoids isolated from horehound include apigerin, luteolin, apigerin 7-glycoside, luteolin 7-glycoside, quercetin 3-rhamnoglycoside and quercetin 3-glycoside.