Marshmallow, Althaea

Roots comfrey—Symphytum officinalis (Boraginaceae) marshmallow—Althaea officinalis (Malvaceae)... 

For improving skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, make a tea of elder with equal parts chickweed (Stellaria media), marshmallow root (.Althaea officinalis) and burdock root Arctium lappa). 

Allosidastrum (mock fanpetals) Allowissadula (false Indian mallow) Althaea (marshmallow)... 

Marshmallow originated in France as a medicinal paste called Pate de Guimauve. Its common name comes from the fact it was produced using the viscous juice extracted from the roots of the marsh mallow plant. Althaea officinalis. This extract was mixed with eggs and sugar and then beaten into a light fluffy foam (Lees and Jackson, 1973). Nowadays, marshmallow is an... 

MARSHMALLOW ROOT The root consists of the dried, peeled root of Althaea officinalis, L., family Malvaceae, collected in the autumn from plants at least two years old. 

The first step when tackling any new problem should be to carry out a literature search. Here, not only can articles on TLC be helpful, but sometimes publications from other areas of chromatography, e.g. HPLC, can provide exactly the information needed to solve the problem. The following example is from my own experience. An HPLC publication on the characterization of some extracts from medicinal plants used in cosmetics yielded the information that some amino acids in Althaeae officinalis (marshmallow) root showed a certain fingerprint . I therefore proposed a possible method of identifying this extract, whose identification would otherwise be very difficult. A quantitative determination of alanine from a dry extract of marshmallow root in an instant tea was also possible after optimization of this HPLC system by means of TLC (see also Sections 7.2.1 and 7.2.2.1). 

Althea. Marshmallow, Dried root of Althaea officinalis L. Malvaceae (marshmallow) deprived of brown, corky layer. Habit. Europe Western and Northern Asia, naturalized in Eastern U S Constii, Asparagine, 25-35% mucilage sugar, pectin,... 

Common/vernacular names Althaea, althea, marshmallow. 

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