Common comfrey

Symphytum Officinale Common Names Common Comfrey, Consoude, Consuelda... 

Comfrey is a perennial herb used for the prevention of kidney stones nourishing and repairing bone and muscle and for the treatment of injuries such as burns and bruises. In Australia, comfrey is classified as a poison and its sales have been restricted in several regions. Many different commercial forms of comfrey are marketed, including oral and external products. Commercial comfrey is usually derived from the leaves or roots of Symphytum officinale (common comfrey). However, some products are also derived from Russian comfrey. Russian comfrey contains a very toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid, echimidine, which is not found in common comfrey. However, common comfrey contains other hepatotoxic alkaloids, namely 7-acetylintermedine, 7-acetyllycopsamine and symphytine. The metabolites of these alkaloids are very toxic to the liver. Ridker et al. documented hepatic venocclusive disease associated with consumption of comfrey root. Long-term smdies in animals have also confirmed the carcinogenicity of comfrey in animal models. ... 

Symphytum officinale (L.), S. tuberosum, Sympytum x uplandicum Nyman (Russian comfrey, a hybrid of S. officinale and S. asperum) (Anonymous, 1995), Symphytum asperum Lepech (prickly comfrey) (USP, 1998), boneset, knitback, knitbone (Awang, 1987), consound, common comfrey, blackwort, bruisewort, slippery root, yalluc, gum plant, consolida, ass ear (Grieve, 1971)... 

Commercial comfrey is usually derived from the leaves or roots of Symphytum officinale (common comfrey) (USP, 1998). However, some products are derived from Symphytum x uplandicum Nyman (Russian comfrey) or Symphytum asperum Lepech (prickly comfrey), which appear to be more toxic than common comfrey (Anonymous, 1998). Russian comfrey and prickly comfrey contain a very toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) called echimidine that common comfrey does not contain (Tyler, 1994). Although common comfrey does not contain echimidine, it does contain other hepatotoxic PAs. These alkaloids include 7-acetylintermedine, 7-acetyllycopsamine, their unacetylated precursors, and symphytine (Tyler, 1993). 

Kim NC, Oberlies NH, Brine DR, Handy RW, Wani MC, Wall ME (2001) Isolation of symlandine from the roots of common comfrey (Symphytum officinale) using countercurrent chromatography. J Nat Prod 64 251-253... 

Common/vernacular names Common comfrey, Russian comfrey (S. x uplandicum), prickly comfrey (5. asperum), and blackwort. 

Common comfrey (5. officinale) is an erect, stout, often branched perennial, to 1 m leaves broadly lance shaped middle and upper ones sessile, but at point of insertion extend downward on stalk stalk distinctly winged flowers variable from white or cream, yellowish to rose, pink, or light to dark violet anther about as wide as filament petal lobes recurved calyx segments distinctly lanceolate nutlets smooth occurs in moist grasslands and riv-erbanks most of Europe, is rare in extreme south, naturalized alien in northern Europe eastern North America. 

The elder flower is rather musk-scented. Some feel that its perfume is somewhat psychoactive, and this may be the reason why so much lore and legend surround it. Elder blossoms are often used in herbal salves for tropical application to the skin. Other common herbs included in such salves are comfrey leaves (Symphytum officinale), calendula (Calendula officinalis) blossoms and plantain (Plantago major) leaves. 

A person s use of alternative medicine must be solicited. Many herbal remedies were once wisely abandoned because of their common adverse reactions. Comfrey tea is a common cause of hepatocellular damage. As in the case of the Chinese remedy jin bu huan, or as in the case of the more elegantly presented chaparral capsules containing grease wood leaves, the end of therapy with these types of agents is occasionally severe disability or death from fulminant hepatic failure." Pennyroyal oil, maragosa oil, and clove oil cause a dose-related hepatotoxicity." ... 

Nor does comfrey (Symphylum officinale, family Boraginaceae) receive many accolades from Foster and Johnson (2006). It is noted, however, to contain two primary positive therapeutic constituents allantoin and rosmarinic add. Allantoin causes cells to multiply and thereby aids the regeneration of damaged tissues, as in woimds, bums, and sores, and is thus a fairly common ingredient in ointments for skin problems. Rosmarinic acid is an anti-inflammatory agent, and is foimd in the herb rosemary and in members of the mint family. 

Rosemary Gladstar s Herbs for the Home Medicine Chest. Discover the healing properties of common herbs like calendula and comfrey, then learn how to make medicinal teas, salves, oils, and syrups for first aid needs and everyday problems such as headaches and colds. 96 pages. Paperback. ISBN 1-58017-156-7. 

In some countries, the larger population are exposed to low levels of alkaloids in commonly available foods, such as honey in Australia [73] and milk [74] and comfrey tea in Europe [19, 56]. 

Outbreaks of pyrrolizidine poisonings in humans have occurred and have generally been associated with contaminated grain used for meal or bread. The pyrrolizidines have also been detected in comfrey teas (Roitman, 1981) commonly available at herbal medicine and health food stores. The possibility of the occurrence of pyrrolizidine residues in meat or milk of livestock consuming toxic plants exists, but no toxic responses in humans from this source has been reported (Peterson and Culvenor, 1983). 

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