Thursday
21Jan2010
Lobelia
Jan 21, 2010 at 10:49
Botanical Nomenclature: Lobelia inflata
Family: Campanulaceae
Common Names: lobelia, Indian tobacco, vomitwort, vomitweed
It’s hard not to smile just a little at any plant known by such a colorful name as “puke weed” but that’s exactly how many people think of lobelia. But this tall herb is good for more than just helping you empty your stomach. Over the years, it’s been used to ease asthma, protect against evil spirits and even ease nicotine and drug withdrawal. Folks have eaten it, smoked it, rubbed it on their bodies and drank it as tea.
Traditionally, lobelia is best-known as an emetic and was at one time widely prescribed by herbalists as a way to quickly purge the body through vomiting. However, some old herbs texts also tell of its use as a muscle relaxant.
A number of species of lobelia have long histories of use among Native Americans. The Cherokee, for example used at least 4 species—L. inflata, L. siphilitic, L. cardinalis and L. spicata. In Cherokee healing, lobelia was used mainly for muscle pain and spasms. They crushed and chewed the leaves, crushed and made poultices of the roots and even brewed tea from the plant.
The Delaware, Pawnee, Iriquois, Cree and others also made use of the various species which they could find locally.
Lobelia was also used for less-medical purposes. The Meskwaki, for example, chopped and consumed the roots to renew their marital love while the Iroquois brewed lobelia into tea and drank it ward off evil entities.
Although various species of the plant are found around the world, L. inflata—the one most people think of as “true” lobelia—is found only in the eastern U.S. and along the U.S. and Canadian border. As such, we can find no evidence that lobelia was used in India’s system of Ayurveda.
Traditional Chinese medicine made good use of another species of lobelia, L. chinensis, but we can find no evidence that the plant we most often call the “real” one—L. inflata—was ever widely used in Chinese herbology.
The most common species found in Europe is L. dortmanna. Little is known of any widespread medicinal uses.
Modern herbalists use lobelia for many of the same purposes as herbalists from centuries past. It may not be used quite as heavily as an emetic these days, but it still enjoys some use as a folk treatment for asthma, muscle cramps and any other condition in which constriction is involved.
Lobelia is also sometimes used in herbal “stop-smoking” aids. It contains no nicotine but contains chemicals that act in a similar way. Many lobelia users find it soothing, relaxing and even antidepressant. Some clinical herbalists even feel that it may sometime be included in other drug withdrawal programs.
Despite a long history of use, surprisingly few studies have been done on the potential medicinal properties of plants in this genus.
Methamphetamine Withdrawal
One of the most controversial uses for lobelia involves its role in substance abuse treatment programs. Lobelia contains an alkaloid known as lobelane or lobeline. Lobelane, in turn, has been shown to help “wean” meth users off their drug. A 2007 animal study found that rats who were given lobelane over a period of time actually self-fed less and less meth. These findings support those of a 2004 study which found that in high doses, the alkaloid decreased secretions from the adrenal glands of rats.
Anti-Cancer Benefits
One challenge facing cancer patients is that of multi-drug resistance, or MDR, cancers. A 2008 study from Germany didn’t find that lobelia actually killed cancer cells but the study did suggest that the alkaloid lobeline, which is found in lobelia, made the standard chemotherapy treatment work better against MDR tumors.
Sources:
USDA. (2010). Lobelia inflata L. PLANTS Database.
Moerman, D. (1998). Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press.
Lim, D., et al. (2004). Influence of lobeline on catecholamine release from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland. Autonomic Neuroscience.
Neugebauer, N., et al. (2007). Lobelane decreases methamphetamine self-administration in rats. European Journal of Pharmacology.
Ma, Y., et al. (2008). Lobeline, a piperidine alkaloid from Lobelia can reverse P-gp dependent multidrug resistance in tumor cells. Phytomedicine.
Family: Campanulaceae
Common Names: lobelia, Indian tobacco, vomitwort, vomitweed
It’s hard not to smile just a little at any plant known by such a colorful name as “puke weed” but that’s exactly how many people think of lobelia. But this tall herb is good for more than just helping you empty your stomach. Over the years, it’s been used to ease asthma, protect against evil spirits and even ease nicotine and drug withdrawal. Folks have eaten it, smoked it, rubbed it on their bodies and drank it as tea.
Traditional Medicinal Uses for Lobelia
Traditionally, lobelia is best-known as an emetic and was at one time widely prescribed by herbalists as a way to quickly purge the body through vomiting. However, some old herbs texts also tell of its use as a muscle relaxant.
Lobelia in Native American Healing
A number of species of lobelia have long histories of use among Native Americans. The Cherokee, for example used at least 4 species—L. inflata, L. siphilitic, L. cardinalis and L. spicata. In Cherokee healing, lobelia was used mainly for muscle pain and spasms. They crushed and chewed the leaves, crushed and made poultices of the roots and even brewed tea from the plant.
The Delaware, Pawnee, Iriquois, Cree and others also made use of the various species which they could find locally.
Lobelia was also used for less-medical purposes. The Meskwaki, for example, chopped and consumed the roots to renew their marital love while the Iroquois brewed lobelia into tea and drank it ward off evil entities.
Lobelia in Ayurveda
Although various species of the plant are found around the world, L. inflata—the one most people think of as “true” lobelia—is found only in the eastern U.S. and along the U.S. and Canadian border. As such, we can find no evidence that lobelia was used in India’s system of Ayurveda.
Lobelia in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine made good use of another species of lobelia, L. chinensis, but we can find no evidence that the plant we most often call the “real” one—L. inflata—was ever widely used in Chinese herbology.
Lobelia in Traditional European Herbalism
The most common species found in Europe is L. dortmanna. Little is known of any widespread medicinal uses.
Lobelia in Modern Herbal Medicine
Modern herbalists use lobelia for many of the same purposes as herbalists from centuries past. It may not be used quite as heavily as an emetic these days, but it still enjoys some use as a folk treatment for asthma, muscle cramps and any other condition in which constriction is involved.
Lobelia is also sometimes used in herbal “stop-smoking” aids. It contains no nicotine but contains chemicals that act in a similar way. Many lobelia users find it soothing, relaxing and even antidepressant. Some clinical herbalists even feel that it may sometime be included in other drug withdrawal programs.
Serious Medical Studies on Lobelia
Despite a long history of use, surprisingly few studies have been done on the potential medicinal properties of plants in this genus.
Methamphetamine Withdrawal
One of the most controversial uses for lobelia involves its role in substance abuse treatment programs. Lobelia contains an alkaloid known as lobelane or lobeline. Lobelane, in turn, has been shown to help “wean” meth users off their drug. A 2007 animal study found that rats who were given lobelane over a period of time actually self-fed less and less meth. These findings support those of a 2004 study which found that in high doses, the alkaloid decreased secretions from the adrenal glands of rats.
Anti-Cancer Benefits
One challenge facing cancer patients is that of multi-drug resistance, or MDR, cancers. A 2008 study from Germany didn’t find that lobelia actually killed cancer cells but the study did suggest that the alkaloid lobeline, which is found in lobelia, made the standard chemotherapy treatment work better against MDR tumors.
Sources:
USDA. (2010). Lobelia inflata L. PLANTS Database.
Moerman, D. (1998). Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press.
Lim, D., et al. (2004). Influence of lobeline on catecholamine release from the isolated perfused rat adrenal gland. Autonomic Neuroscience.
Neugebauer, N., et al. (2007). Lobelane decreases methamphetamine self-administration in rats. European Journal of Pharmacology.
Ma, Y., et al. (2008). Lobeline, a piperidine alkaloid from Lobelia can reverse P-gp dependent multidrug resistance in tumor cells. Phytomedicine.
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