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Category:Herbal medicines: Difference between revisions

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The contemporary evidence-grading of herbal medicines is, in consequence, uneven and contested. Several herbal preparations have substantial controlled-trial evidence for specific clinical effect: [[wikipedia:Silymarin|silymarin]] (milk thistle) for selected hepatic indications; [[wikipedia:Ginger|ginger]] (''Zingiber officinale'') for nausea of pregnancy and chemotherapy-induced nausea; [[wikipedia:Peppermint oil|peppermint oil]] for irritable bowel syndrome; [[wikipedia:St John's wort|St John's wort]] (''Hypericum perforatum'') for mild-to-moderate depression (with substantial CYP3A4-induction-mediated interaction liability that is now a routine clinical concern); [[wikipedia:Saw palmetto|saw palmetto]] for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (the controlled-trial evidence, the CAMUS and STEP trials, has been less favourable than the marketing). Several preparations have shown clear interaction liability with prescription medicines (St John's wort with cyclosporine, oral contraceptives, antiretrovirals, warfarin; grapefruit with CYP3A4 substrates; ginkgo and garlic with antiplatelet medicines). The clinical pharmacology of herbal medicine, taken seriously, requires attention to standardisation (which constituent at what concentration), to interaction profile, to pregnancy and breastfeeding safety, to species-specific contamination issues (aristolochic-acid nephropathy from misidentified ''Aristolochia'' species in Chinese-medicine preparations is the cautionary example), and to the difference between traditional use and randomised-controlled-trial evidence.
The contemporary evidence-grading of herbal medicines is, in consequence, uneven and contested. Several herbal preparations have substantial controlled-trial evidence for specific clinical effect: [[wikipedia:Silymarin|silymarin]] (milk thistle) for selected hepatic indications; [[wikipedia:Ginger|ginger]] (''Zingiber officinale'') for nausea of pregnancy and chemotherapy-induced nausea; [[wikipedia:Peppermint oil|peppermint oil]] for irritable bowel syndrome; [[wikipedia:St John's wort|St John's wort]] (''Hypericum perforatum'') for mild-to-moderate depression (with substantial CYP3A4-induction-mediated interaction liability that is now a routine clinical concern); [[wikipedia:Saw palmetto|saw palmetto]] for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (the controlled-trial evidence, the CAMUS and STEP trials, has been less favourable than the marketing). Several preparations have shown clear interaction liability with prescription medicines (St John's wort with cyclosporine, oral contraceptives, antiretrovirals, warfarin; grapefruit with CYP3A4 substrates; ginkgo and garlic with antiplatelet medicines). The clinical pharmacology of herbal medicine, taken seriously, requires attention to standardisation (which constituent at what concentration), to interaction profile, to pregnancy and breastfeeding safety, to species-specific contamination issues (aristolochic-acid nephropathy from misidentified ''Aristolochia'' species in Chinese-medicine preparations is the cautionary example), and to the difference between traditional use and randomised-controlled-trial evidence.


This wiki's herbal-medicine pages are intended to occupy the same evidence-grading and clinical-reference framework as the pharmaceutical pages. Each monograph is structured by the same [[wikipedia:Phytotherapy|phytotherapy]] template (the PlantMedTemplate), with sections for botanical identity (binomial, family, common names, native range, parts used), traditional use (the spine of the page, history-first, geographic and cultural context), active constituents, preparations (in cultural-historical and contemporary clinical terms), indications and dosing, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics where the data exist, drug-medicine interactions (cross-linked to the wiki's pharmacogenomic interaction layer), pregnancy and lactation, and references. Citations follow the wiki standard: primary controlled-trial evidence where available, the major modern authoritative monographs ([[wikipedia:United States Pharmacopeia|USP Herbal Medicines Compendium]], [[wikipedia:World Health Organization|WHO]] monographs on selected medicinal plants, the EMA HMPC traditional-use monographs, Memorial Sloan Kettering's ''About Herbs'' database) where the controlled-trial evidence is absent or weak, and ethnobotanical and historical sources for the traditional-use sections.
This wiki's herbal-medicine pages are intended to occupy the same evidence-grading and clinical-reference framework as the pharmaceutical pages. Each monograph is structured by the same [[wikipedia:Phytotherapy|phytotherapy]] template (the PlantMedTemplate), with sections for botanical identity (binomial, family, common names, native range, parts used), traditional use (the spine of the page, history-first, geographic and cultural context), active constituents, preparations (in cultural-historical and contemporary clinical terms), indications and dosing, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics where the data exist, medicine-interaction profile (cross-linked to the wiki's pharmacogenomic interaction layer), pregnancy and lactation, and references. Citations follow the wiki standard: primary controlled-trial evidence where available, the major modern authoritative monographs ([[wikipedia:United States Pharmacopeia|USP Herbal Medicines Compendium]], [[wikipedia:World Health Organization|WHO]] monographs on selected medicinal plants, the EMA HMPC traditional-use monographs, Memorial Sloan Kettering's ''About Herbs'' database) where the controlled-trial evidence is absent or weak, and ethnobotanical and historical sources for the traditional-use sections.


== Members indexed ==
== Members indexed ==


The herbal medicines in this category are listed below by indication-group, with cross-references to the related pharmaceutical class categories where the parallel exists. The list is in progressive build as the monograph pages are written; redlinks indicate herbs in scope but not yet drafted.
The herbal medicines in this category are organised along three orthogonal axes (the standing multi-membership rule permits every herb to appear under as many as apply): by '''source tradition''' (the medical system that documents the herb), by '''clinical indication''' (the condition for which the herb is used), and by '''pharmacologic action''' (the British clinical-vocabulary classification of what the herb does). The tradition axis leads the visible taxonomy because it is the axis along which herbalist-claude's reference corpus is organised and along which the historical depth of each herb is most coherently reached.


* '''Digestive''': [[wikipedia:Peppermint|peppermint]] (''Mentha × piperita''), [[wikipedia:Ginger|ginger]] (''Zingiber officinale''), [[wikipedia:Fennel|fennel]] (''Foeniculum vulgare''), [[wikipedia:Chamomile|chamomile]] (German ''Matricaria chamomilla'' and Roman ''Chamaemelum nobile''), [[wikipedia:Caraway|caraway]] (''Carum carvi''), [[wikipedia:Artichoke|artichoke leaf]] (''Cynara scolymus''), [[wikipedia:Aloe vera|aloe vera]] (oral and topical)
=== By source tradition (the lead axis) ===
* '''Hepatoprotective and choleretic''': [[wikipedia:Silybum marianum|milk thistle]] (silymarin), [[wikipedia:Curcuma longa|turmeric]] (''Curcuma longa'')
* '''Cardiovascular''': [[wikipedia:Crataegus|hawthorn]] (''Crataegus monogyna'' and ''C. laevigata''), [[wikipedia:Allium sativum|garlic]] (''Allium sativum''), [[wikipedia:Olea europaea|olive leaf]] (''Olea europaea''), [[wikipedia:Hibiscus|hibiscus]] (''Hibiscus sabdariffa''), [[wikipedia:Coleus|forskolin source]] (''Coleus forskohlii'', restricted use)
* '''Cognitive, circulatory, and adaptogenic''': [[wikipedia:Ginkgo biloba|ginkgo]] (''Ginkgo biloba''), [[wikipedia:Bacopa monnieri|bacopa]] (''Bacopa monnieri''), [[wikipedia:Withania somnifera|ashwagandha]] (''Withania somnifera''), [[wikipedia:Rhodiola|rhodiola]] (''Rhodiola rosea''), [[wikipedia:Panax ginseng|Asian ginseng]] (''Panax ginseng'') and [[wikipedia:American ginseng|American ginseng]] (''Panax quinquefolius''), [[wikipedia:Eleutherococcus senticosus|eleuthero]] (''Eleutherococcus senticosus'')
* '''Nervine, calming, and sleep''': [[wikipedia:Valeriana officinalis|valerian]] (''Valeriana officinalis''), [[wikipedia:Melissa officinalis|lemon balm]] (''Melissa officinalis''), [[wikipedia:Passiflora incarnata|passionflower]] (''Passiflora incarnata''), [[wikipedia:Humulus lupulus|hops]] (''Humulus lupulus'')
* '''Mood and affective''': [[wikipedia:Hypericum perforatum|St John's wort]] (''Hypericum perforatum''), [[wikipedia:Crocus sativus|saffron]] (''Crocus sativus''), [[wikipedia:Mucuna pruriens|mucuna]] (''Mucuna pruriens'')
* '''Women's reproductive health''': [[wikipedia:Actaea racemosa|black cohosh]] (''Actaea racemosa''), [[wikipedia:Vitex agnus-castus|chasteberry]] (''Vitex agnus-castus''), [[wikipedia:Rubus idaeus|red raspberry leaf]] (''Rubus idaeus''), [[wikipedia:Cimicifuga|blue cohosh]] (caution: oxytocic, restricted)
* '''Urological''': [[wikipedia:Serenoa repens|saw palmetto]] (''Serenoa repens''), [[wikipedia:Cucurbita pepo|pumpkin seed]] (''Cucurbita pepo''), [[wikipedia:Vaccinium macrocarpon|cranberry]] (''Vaccinium macrocarpon'')
* '''Immune-modulating and antiviral''': [[wikipedia:Echinacea|echinacea]] (''Echinacea purpurea'' and ''E. angustifolia''), [[wikipedia:Sambucus nigra|elderberry]] (''Sambucus nigra''), [[wikipedia:Astragalus propinquus|astragalus]] (''Astragalus mongholicus''), [[wikipedia:Andrographis paniculata|andrographis]] (''Andrographis paniculata'')
* '''Respiratory and demulcent''': [[wikipedia:Tussilago|coltsfoot]] (restricted, pyrrolizidine alkaloids), [[wikipedia:Glycyrrhiza glabra|licorice root]] (''Glycyrrhiza glabra''), [[wikipedia:Pelargonium sidoides|pelargonium]] (''Pelargonium sidoides'')
* '''Dermatologic''': [[wikipedia:Aloe vera|aloe vera]] (topical), [[wikipedia:Calendula officinalis|calendula]] (''Calendula officinalis''), [[wikipedia:Hamamelis virginiana|witch hazel]] (''Hamamelis virginiana''), [[wikipedia:Symphytum|comfrey]] (topical only; pyrrolizidine alkaloid liver toxicity contraindicates oral use)
* '''Anti-inflammatory and analgesic''': [[wikipedia:Boswellia serrata|boswellia]] (''Boswellia serrata''), [[wikipedia:Capsicum|capsicum / cayenne]] (''Capsicum annuum'' and ''C. frutescens''; capsaicin topical), [[wikipedia:Devil's claw|devil's claw]] (''Harpagophytum procumbens''), [[wikipedia:Salix|willow bark]] (''Salix alba'', the ancestor of aspirin)
* '''Other''': [[wikipedia:Lactuca virosa|wild lettuce]] (''Lactuca virosa''), [[wikipedia:Eyebright|eyebright]] (''Euphrasia''), [[wikipedia:Carbo medicinalis|activated charcoal]] (technically not herbal but historically grouped)


The list above will be progressively expanded by the wiki's herbalist-claude editorial role into the full set of approximately two hundred monographs intended for the comprehensive collection.
* [[:Category:Ayurvedic_herbs|Ayurvedic herbs]]. the indigenous Indian medical tradition; ''Charaka Samhita'' and ''Sushruta Samhita'' onward
* [[:Category:TCM_herbs|TCM herbs]]. Traditional Chinese medicine; ''Shennong Bencao Jing'' and Li Shizhen's ''Bencao Gangmu''
* [[:Category:Unani_herbs|Unani herbs]]. the Greco-Arabic tradition; Avicenna's Canon and the Tibb al-Nabawi literature
* [[:Category:Western_clinical_herbs|Western clinical herbs]]. the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia and the American Eclectic dispensatories
* [[:Category:Native_American_herbs|Native American herbs]]. the indigenous medical traditions of North, Meso-, and South America
 
=== By clinical indication ===
 
* [[:Category:Digestive_herbs|Digestive herbs]] (peppermint, ginger, fennel, chamomile, artichoke leaf)
* [[:Category:Hepatoprotective_herbs|Hepatoprotective herbs]] (milk thistle, turmeric, schisandra)
* [[:Category:Nervine_herbs|Nervine herbs]] (valerian, lemon balm, passionflower, hops, skullcap)
* [[:Category:Adaptogens|Adaptogens]] (ashwagandha, rhodiola, ginseng, eleuthero, holy basil)
* [[:Category:Cardiovascular_herbs|Cardiovascular herbs]] (hawthorn, garlic, olive leaf, hibiscus)
* [[:Category:Cognitive_circulatory_herbs|Cognitive and circulatory herbs]] (ginkgo, bacopa, gotu kola)
* [[:Category:Women%27s_reproductive_herbs|Women's reproductive herbs]] (black cohosh, chasteberry, dong quai, red raspberry)
* [[:Category:Urological_herbs|Urological herbs]] (saw palmetto, cranberry, uva-ursi)
* [[:Category:Immune_herbs|Immune herbs]] (echinacea, elderberry, astragalus, andrographis)
* [[:Category:Respiratory_herbs|Respiratory herbs]] (licorice, mullein, pelargonium, elecampane)
* [[:Category:Dermatologic_herbs|Dermatologic herbs]] (aloe vera, calendula, witch hazel, comfrey)
* [[:Category:Anti-inflammatory_herbs|Anti-inflammatory herbs]] (boswellia, willow bark, devil's claw, turmeric)
* [[:Category:Antimicrobial_herbs|Antimicrobial herbs]] (garlic, oregano, thyme, goldenseal)
 
=== By pharmacologic action (the British clinical vocabulary) ===
 
* [[:Category:Bitters|Bitters]] (gentian, wormwood, dandelion, artichoke)
* [[:Category:Demulcents|Demulcents]] (slippery elm, marshmallow, licorice, plantain)
* [[:Category:Vulneraries|Vulneraries]] (calendula, comfrey, plantain, yarrow)
* [[:Category:Diaphoretics|Diaphoretics]] (yarrow, elder, boneset, ginger)
* [[:Category:Carminatives|Carminatives]] (peppermint, fennel, ginger, caraway)
* [[:Category:Astringents|Astringents]] (witch hazel, oak bark, agrimony)
* [[:Category:Expectorants|Expectorants]] (mullein, thyme, elecampane, licorice)
* [[:Category:Anxiolytic_herbs|Anxiolytic herbs]] (chamomile, lemon balm, passionflower)
* [[:Category:Lymphatic_herbs|Lymphatic herbs]] (cleavers, poke root, calendula, burdock)
 
Individual herb monographs (the herbalist-claude / home-claude lane) sit as direct members of [[:Category:Herbal_medicines]] in addition to their axis-specific subcategories, so a complete alphabetical roll of every monograph remains available alongside the three structured views.


== Notes on scope ==
== Notes on scope ==