Arnica montana

Arnica montana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Arnica
Species:	A. montana
Binomial name
Arnica montana L.
Synonyms [1]
Doronicum montanum Lam. Doronicum arnica Desf. Doronicum arnica Garsault Doronicum oppositifolium Lam. Arnica helvetica Loudon Arnica petiolata Schur Arnica plantaginisfolia Gilib.

Arnica montana, known commonly as leopard's bane, wolf's bane, mountain tobacco and mountain arnica,^[1] is a European flowering plant with large yellow capitula.

It has been used in herbal medicine, but lacks any evidence of statistically demonstrated benefits in rigorous (e.g., double-blind) studies.

Distribution and habitat

Arnica montana

Arnica montana is endemic to Europe, from southern Iberia to southern Scandinavia and the Carpathians. It is absent from the British Isles and the Italian and Balkan Peninsulas. A. montana grows in nutrient-poor silicaceous meadows up to nearly 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). It is rare overall, but may be locally abundant. It is becoming rarer, particularly in the north of its distribution, largely due to increasingly intensive agriculture. In more upland regions, it may also be found on nutrient-poor moors and heaths.

Form

A. montana has tall stems, 20–60 centimetres (7.9–24 in) high, supporting usually a single flower head. Most of the leaves are in a basal rosette, but one or two pairs may be found on the stem and are, unusually for composites, opposite. The flower heads are yellow, approximately 5 cm in diameter, and appear from May to August.

Uses and toxicity

Seeds

Arnica montana is sometimes grown in herb gardens and has long been used medicinally.^[2][3] It contains the toxin helenalin, which can be poisonous if large amounts of the plant are eaten. It produces severe gastroenteritis and internal bleeding of the digestive tract if enough material is ingested.^[4] Contact with the plant can also cause skin irritation.^[5][6] The roots contain derivatives of thymol,^[7] which are used as fungicides and preservatives and may have some anti-inflammatory effect.^[8] When used topically in a gel, arnica was found to have the same effect as compared to using an ibuprofen gel in treating the symptoms of hand osteoarthritis.^[9]

A scientific study found that the application of topical arnica had no better effect than a placebo in the treatment of laser-induced bruising.^[10] Studies in the treatment of topical arnica gel on osteoarthritis of the knee found that 76% of patients would use the treatment again for reducing pain and stiffness.^[11]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Judith Ladner. "Arnica montana". Food and Agriculture Organization. http://www.fao.org/ag/AGp/agpc/doc/Gbase/data/pf000462.htm. Retrieved March 16, 2010. 
2. ^ "Arnica". Flora of North America. efloras.org. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=102636. Retrieved March 16, 2010. 
3. ^ A. L. Butiuc-Keul & C. Deliu (2001). "Clonal propagation of Arnica montana L., a medicinal plant". In Vitro Cellular and Development Biology - Plant 37 (5): 581–585. doi:10.1007/s11627-001-0102-2. JSTOR 4293517. 
4. ^ Gregory L. Tilford (1997). Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West. Mountain Press. ISBN 0-87842-359-1. 
5. ^ "Poisonous Plants: Arnica montana". North Carolina State University. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Arnicmo.htm. 
6. ^ Rudzki E, Grzywa Z (October 1977). "Dermatitis from Arnica montana". Contact Dermatitis 3 (5): 281–2. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0536.1977.tb03682.x. PMID 145351. 
7. ^ I. Weremczuk-Jezyna, W. Kisiel & H. Wysokińska (2006). "Thymol derivatives from hairy roots of Arnica montana". Plant Cell Reports 25 (9): 993–6. doi:10.1007/s00299-006-0157-y. PMID 16586074. 
8. ^ P. C. Braga, M. Dal Sasso, M. Culici, T. Bianchi, L. Bordoni & L. Marabini (2006). "Anti-inflammatory activity of thymol: inhibitory effect on the release of human neutrophil elastase". Pharmacology 77 (3): 130–6. doi:10.1159/000093790. PMID 16763380. http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?typ=fulltext&file=PHA2006077003130. Retrieved January 27, 2008. 
9. ^ R. Widrig, A. Suter, R. Saller & J. Melzer (2007). "Choosing between NSAID and arnica for topical treatment of hand osteoarthritis in a randomised, double-blind study". Rheumatology International 27 (6): 585–91. doi:10.1007/s00296-007-0304-y. PMID 17318618. 
10. ^ Delilah Alonso, Melissa C. Lazarus & Leslie Baumann (2002). "Effects of topical arnica gel on post-laser treatment bruises". Dermatologic Surgery 28 (8): 686–8. doi:10.1046/j.1524-4725.2002.02011.x. PMID 12174058. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/openurl?genre=article&sid=nlm:pubmed&issn=1076-0512&date=2002&volume=28&issue=8&spage=686. Retrieved January 27, 2008. 
11. ^ Advances in Therapy 19 (5): 209–218. 2002. http://www.springerlink.com/content/v23133u8712803wt/. Retrieved July 6, 2011. 

External links

• Royal Society of Medicine Article concerning testing involving Arnica (RSM)
• Botanica.com Arnica
• "Arnica montana". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=505925. Retrieved 23 May 2006.