Polygoni avicularis herba

Polygoni avicularis herba, also called bird's knotweed, is a drug obtained from the herb of bird's knotweed collected with the root and dried ( Commission E monograph), used in herbal medicines for the treatment of mild respiratory catarrh and inflammatory changes of the pharyngeal and oral mucosa.

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

HMPC monograph: Traditional-use: Internally: trivial cold, increase in urine volume, flushing of urinary tract, mild urinary tract discomfort. External: mild inflammation of the mouth and throat.
ESCOP: not edited.
Commission E-monograph: Internal: mild catarrh of the respiratory tract; external: inflammatory changes of the mucous membrane of the mouth and throat.

Bird's knotweed contains mucilage, phenolic carboxylic acids, flavonoids such as avicularin (about 1%), 1% silicic acid and 3.6% gallotannin-catechin tannins.

The drug has an astringent effect.

Bird's knotweed is used for mild catarrhs of the respiratory tract and inflammation of the pharynx and oral mucosa.

The daily dose of bird's knotweed is between 4 and 6 g.

Tea infusion:1.5 to 2 g of finely chopped bird's knotweed pour about 150 mL of boiling water, strain for 5 to 10 min. One cup 3 to 5 times a day For gargling, dilute the tea a little with water and use 4 to 5 times a day.

There are no known adverse effects.

Allergy to one of the ingredients, children under 12 years of age, diseases in which a reduced liquid supply is indicated (heart diseases), there are no reliable data for pregnancy and lactation.

No interactions with other medications were found.

1. Granica S et al. (2012) Novel insight into qualitative standardization of Polygoni avicularis herba (Ph. Eur.). J Pharm Biomed Anal 72:216-222.
2. Kumazawa N et al. (1990) Protective effects of various methanol extracts of crude drugs on experimental hepatic injury induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats. Yakugaku Zasshi 110:950-957.
3. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-polygonum-aviculare-l-herba_en.pdf
4. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/vogelknoeterich.php.