Leonuri cardiacae herba

Leonuri cardiacae herba, the herb of the true heartwort, is a drug used in herbal medicinal products for the treatment of nervous tension such as palpitations. The quality of Leonuri cardiacae herba is defined in the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.).

HMPC monograph: Traditional use: nervous tension, nervous heart complaints, e.g. palpitations
ESCOP monograph: Mild heart complaints of nervous origin
Commission e-monograph: Nervous heart complaints, also in the context of hyperthyroidism.

Empirical medicine: Mild cardiac arrhythmia; sedative for nervous, climacteric complaints

Leonuri cardiacae herba contains iridoids, including ajugol, galiridoside and ajugoside. Other ingredients are diterpenes, triterpenes, phenylpropanoic acid glycosides, betaines (especially stachydrin and betonicin) and 5 to 9 % tannins.

Cardiovascular weed shows sedative, slightly hypotensive and slightly negative chronotropic effects.

Heart weed is used for nervous tensions such as palpitations and as a support in hyperthyroidism

The average daily dose is 4.5 g of the drug and is used in the form of infusions and other galenic preparations for ingestion.

There are no known adverse effects. Exclusion of allergy.

Allergy to one of the ingredients, children and adolescents under 18 years, pregnancy!

No data for the breastfeeding period.

There are no known interactions with other ingredients.

1. Schilcher H (ed.) in, Leitfaden Phytotherapie, Urban & Fischer Verlag (2016) Munich, p.155 f
2. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/herzgespann.php
3. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-leonurus-cardiaca-l-herba_en.pdf
4. Wenigmann M. (2017) Phytotherapy medicinal drugs, phytopharmaceuticals, application. Urban & Fischer, pp. 122-123
5. Liu XH et al. (2012) Active chemical compounds of traditional Chinese medicine Herba Leonuri: implications for cardiovascular diseases. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 39:274-282
6. Wojtyniak K et al.(2013) Leonurus cardiaca L. (motherwort): a review of its phytochemistry and pharmacology. Phytother Res 27:1115-1120