Convallariae majalis herba

Lily of the valley

Dried herb of the lily of the valley. The herb is poisonous, it contains cardiac steroids: cardenolides (cardenolide glycosides), especially convallatoxin, convalloside and convallotoxol.

HMPC: not processed

ESCOP: not edited
Commission E monograph (old: 1990): mild heart failure (NYHA stage II on exertion), old-age heart and chronic cor pulmonale, now obsolete, see below

Historically, folk medicine: cardiac insufficiency Now obsolete due to the limited therapeutic range (strong toxic effect of cardenolides!).

Positively inotropic, lowers increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, economizes cardiac work, lowers pathologically increased venous pressure, tonifies veins, diuretic effect, natriuretic and kaliuretic.

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cardiac arrhythmia

Therapy with digitalis glycosides, potassium deficiency states

Enhancement of the effect of quinidine, calcium, saluretics, laxatives, glucocorticoids.

1. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/maigloeckchen.php

2. Wenigmann M. (2017) Phytotherapy medicinal drugs, phytopharmaceuticals, application. Urban & Fischer, pp. 153-154