Horsetail

A plant species from the horsetail class (Equisetopsida) that grows to a height of 10 to 50 cm. The plant develops a root system up to 160 centimeters deep. Equisetum arvense grows on fields, in loamy and damp meadow edges and embankments. In gardens and fields, the plant tends to be regarded as a troublesome weed. The abundant silicic acid stored in the cell walls gives the plant its firm consistency. Due to its high silica content, it is used to clean pewter dishes (pewter weed, scouring weed).

The above-ground parts of the plant are used phytotherapeutically (horsetail herb - Equiseti herba).

Equisetum arvense (green summer shoots) is the parent plant of Equisiti herbae (Herbae Equisiti). The extracts contain about 10% mineral components such as silicic acid and water-soluble silicates; furthermore 0.2-0.9% flavone glycosides (especially kaempferol and quercitin), polyenoic acid, bitter substances and resins. Alkaloids such as nicotine are also present in small quantities.

diuretic, antimicrobial, promotes wound healing

Internal: for accompanying treatment of post-traumatic edema.

Externally: poorly healing wounds, e.g. ulcus curisApplications
as tea, as ethanolic extracts; the extract can also be incorporated 3% in ointments.

Preparation: Tea: 1 teaspoon of the crushed drug with a cup of water on a low heat for 6 minutes, then rinse. Tea can be administered internally.

Preparation of tea for compresses: prepare 10g of drug per 1 l of water as above. Also for rinses.

Bladder Kidney Tea Uroflux® vegetable tea, Buccotean®, Buccotean® TF, Dr. Klinger's Bergische Bladder and Kidney Tea, Fugacid® Bladder Tea, Urinary Tea 400, Hernia Tea, Nieron® Tea N

1. Asgharikhatooni A et al.(2015) The effect of equisetum arvense (horse tail) ointment on wound healing and pain intensity after episiotomy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Iran Red Crescent Med J 17:e25637.
2. Carneiro DM et al.(2014) Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial to Assess the Acute Diuretic Effect of Equisetum arvense (Field Horsetail) in Healthy Volunteers. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2014:760683.doi: 10.1155/2014/760683.
3. Gründemann C et al. (2014) Equisetum arvense (common horsetail) modulates the function of inflammatory immunocompetent cells. BMC Complement Altern Med 14:283.
4. Commission E: Equisetum arvense
5. Saslis-Lagoudakis CH et al. (2015) Identification of common horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.; Equisetaceae) using Thin Layer Chromatography versus DNA barcoding. Sci Rep 5:11942.
6. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/schachtelhalm.php

7. Blaschek W (2015) Wichtl tea drugs and phytopharmaceuticals. A handbook for practice. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft Munich. S 241-243