Greater Celandine - Chelidonium majus

Detailed Description

An herbal remedy for digestive discomfort and liver detoxification.

Botanical Information

Greater Celandine is a perennial herb reaching heights of 30–120 cm. The leaves are up to 30 cm long, ovate to lobed, with serrated edges, sparsely hairy on the underside, and oppositely arranged. The stem is downy. Bright yellow flowers bloom from May to September on elongated stalks in umbels. After flowering, small black seeds mature in long, capsule-like cylindrical pods. When the stems or leaves are damaged, they exude a yellow-orange milky latex.

Origin and Distribution

Originally, Greater Celandine comes from temperate regions of North Africa, Europe (the Mediterranean), and parts of Western Asia. It is still found from the Canary Islands, Algeria, Morocco, across Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, northward to the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, and the UK, and eastward to the Caucasus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Mongolia, and Siberia. The plant was introduced to North America by settlers around 1672.

Usage / Dosage

Greater Celandine has been recognized as a detoxifying and cleansing herb since the times of Roman and Greek physicians, such as Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides (circa 1st century AD). During that era and in the Middle Ages, the plant was chewed to relieve toothache. John Gerard's herbal of 1597 described the cleansing effect of celandine juice. Traditional recommendations from Romania and neighboring areas include celandine for constipation and for its cleansing and laxative properties. Modern English herbalist Juliette de Bairacli Levy recommended infusions of greater celandine in milk, or direct application of the latex for treating warts. French herbalists, including Maurice Mességué, used greater celandine to manage various inflammatory conditions, including atopic dermatitis.

Research databases report that extracts from the root of greater celandine exhibit antimicrobial activity against species such as Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. Several studies have investigated the antibacterial effects of celandine constituents, with positive outcomes. Compounds such as chelerythrine, sanguinarine derivatives, sanguinarine itself, CML glycoprotein, and lectin were able to inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), multi-resistant enterococci, and others, including those from dental plaque.

Antiviral effects have been documented in alkaloid isolates from greater celandine against HIV-1, herpes viruses, and pox viruses. Antifungal activities have been demonstrated for root and aerial part extracts against Candida albicans, and alkaloid extracts against Fusarium oxysporum and some resistant yeast strains.

Clinical trials confirm that using certain herbal preparations containing greater celandine (alongside licorice, mustard, chamomile, mint, angelica, and milk thistle) internally for 4 weeks reduced the severity of gastroesophageal reflux, stomach pain, cramps in the digestive tract, vomiting, and nausea. Additional smaller studies have supported the benefits of herbal formulas including celandine for gallbladder problems. These potential choleretic properties reduce pain in patients with a gallbladder disorder called biliary dyskinesia.

Anti-ulcer effects of greater celandine were demonstrated in animal studies, where gastric erosion was induced with a strong non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), indomethacin. Antisecretory and cytoprotective effects are attributed to heightened synthesis of protective prostaglandin E2 and reduced levels of inflammatory leukotrienes. Clinical trials have shown that extracts of greater celandine can support the body's immune response, including among pediatric patients with chronic tonsillitis.

Health agencies recognize greater celandine as a herb that supports normal liver function in detoxification or cleansing. Two clinical studies have confirmed the choleretic effect of greater celandine—one in patients with liver disorders and another in healthy volunteers. A standardized alcoholic extract with 1.5% total alkaloids from celandine was shown to increase bile production. Three additional studies reported a reduction in the frequency of symptoms associated with biliary diseases.

Two animal studies in rats described a hepatoprotective effect of ethanol extracts of the whole celandine herb against the damaging effects of carbon tetrachloride on the liver. There was an observed reduction in necrotic lesions, prevention of fibrotic changes, and decreased activity of transaminases and bilirubin.

Anticancer effects of greater celandine's constituents may have several mechanisms. Chelidonine can reduce telomerase activity, stimulate apoptosis (programmed cell death), and block the division of cancer cells. Studies in animals confirmed an anti-tumor effect of celandine extracts in a model of stomach cancer.

A small study in Ukraine administered a specially prepared solution of celandine compounds intravenously under medical supervision to several patients with cancers of the colon, bladder, pancreas, and breast. Some patients experienced prolonged overall survival, regardless of changes in quality of life. Another small study indicated that regular administration of a water-based celandine solution for two weeks may have anticancer effects in esophageal cancer patients. Large doses of celandine are generally considered toxic, so consultation with a physician or pharmacist regarding usage is advisable.

Two in vitro studies have reported a significant antioxidant effect of alcoholic celandine extracts through their ability to suppress free radical activity in a diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical 'quenching' test. Further animal research demonstrated the antioxidant effect of celandine extract using the biomarker glutathione. The significance of this antioxidant phenomenon is evident in statements from health organizations, which attribute the effect not to single active compounds but to the herb as a whole.

Folk Medicine

The aerial parts and root are the most widely used portions of greater celandine in traditional medicine. Aboveground parts are harvested during flowering and dried at high temperatures; roots are collected in autumn, between late August and the end of October, and also dried. Occasionally, fresh rhizome is used in remedies. Alcoholic or aqueous extracts are made from the herb. In folk medicine, greater celandine is still used in the treatment of gallstones and dyspeptic complaints.

Herbalists recommend celandine decoctions to relieve persistent cough, especially for pain associated with gallbladder disease. The latex, with its cytostatic and caustic effects, is applied topically to warts. Greater celandine is also recommended for external use on blisters, itching, gout, and more generally for inflammation and pain. Internal use in some herbals is recorded for arthritis, cramping, loss of appetite, irregular menstrual cycles, and toothache.

Active Compounds

Greater Celandine contains isoquinoline-type alkaloids, flavonoids, derivatives of phenolic acids, and caffeic acid derivatives (including caffeoyl derivatives of malic acid) in various parts of the plant. The most significant alkaloid content in the aerial parts and roots is coptisine. Other compounds include dihydrosanguinarine acetate, allocryptopine, protopine, berberine, sanguinarine, chelerythrine, chelidonine, stylopine, and norchelidonine. The plant latex contains proteolytic enzymes and the cysteine protease inhibitor chelidostatin.

Traditional Dosage

According to herbal medicine and herbalists' recommendations, the general dosage is 1 teaspoon of greater celandine herb poured over a cup of boiling water, steeped for 5–10 minutes as needed. Some sources describe using half a teaspoon of chopped celandine in 250 ml of boiling water, drinking 1–3 cups daily for a maximum of 3 weeks. For certain issues such as persistent cough, asthma attacks, or stomach cramps, 1 cup is administered twice daily. For gastrointestinal issues including abdominal pain, flatulence, and indigestion, professional literature suggests 1 ml of extract three times daily for 4 weeks, often in combination with herbs like chamomile, peppermint, licorice, mustard, angelica, and others.