Centauri herba

Centaurii herba, also known as centaury , is a drug made from the dried, above-ground parts of the flowering plant. Extracts of the plant are used in herbal medicines to treat dyspeptic complaints and loss of appetite, among other things. The bitter value of the drug is (n.Ph.Eur) at least 2000, while the bitter value of the flowers is 12,000.

Quality is defined in the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.).

HMPC monograph: Traditional-use: mild dyspeptic and gastrointestinal complaints, intermittent loss of appetite

ESCOP monograph: for dyspeptic complaints and loss of appetite.
Commission e-monograph: for loss of appetite and dyspeptic complaints.

Empirical medicine: chronic dyspeptic conditions, achylia, digestive, roborans and tonic.

Centaury contains flavonoids, xanthone derivatives, secoiridoid bitter compounds (these occur mainly in the flowers) such as amarogentine, gentianin, and swertiamarin (cf. the almost identical bitter compounds of Gentianae radix, the gentian root). Further ingredients are phenolic carboxylic acids such as caffeic and syringaic acid. According to DAB, the drug must have a bitter value of at least 2,000.

Centaury stimulates salivary secretion and the secretion of gastric juice; the drug also has an appetizing, antiphlogistic and antipyretic effect. Furthermore, hepatoprotective, antibacterial against Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus and Citrobacter freundii due to the ingredients swertiamarin and sweroside.

Centaury is used to treat dyspeptic and gastrointestinal problems and loss of appetite.

The average daily dose of the drug is 6.0 g. It is mostly taken in the form of tea preparations and tinctures.

There are no known adverse effects.

Allergy to any of the ingredients, children and adolescents under 18 years, pregnancy and lactation, dyspeptic ulcers.

There are no known interactions with other substances.

In combination preparations: e.g. Amara drops or ^Canephron® N,

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