Verbasci flos

Verbasci flos, also known as woolly flowers or mullein flowers, is a drug made from the dried flowers reduced to the petals, which is used in herbal medicinal products for the treatment of catarrh-like infections of the upper respiratory tract, among other things.

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

HMPC monograph: Traditional-use. Sore throat with dry cough and cold
ESCOP mon ograph: common cold, cough, sore throat, as a mild expectorant.
Commission e-monograph: catarrhs of the respiratory tract

Empirical medicine: Wound treatment

Royal candle blossoms contain between 1.4 and 4 % flavonoids, including the glycosides kaemperol, quercetin, diosmin, apigenin, chrysoeride, luteolin, hesperetin, tamarixetin and eriodictyrol. Other ingredients are invert sugar (11 %), mucilage (3 %), saponins and iridoids such as aucubin.

Royal candle blossoms have an anti-inflammatory, soothing and expectorant effect.

According to Commission E, mullein flowers are used as tea infusions in the treatment of upper respiratory tract catarrhs, coughs and simple colds.

The average daily dose of mullein flowers is 3-4 g. Here the drug is most often used in the form of infusions: 1-1.5 g of dried drug as an infusion, one to three times a day.

There are no known adverse effects.

Allergy to any of the ingredients, children and adolescents under 12 years. Not recommended in lactation and pregnancy due to lack of data.

There are no known interactions with other substances.

1. Serkedjieva J (2000) Combined antiinfluenza virus activity of Flos verbasci infusion and amantadine derivatives. Phytother Res 14:571-574.
2. Slagowska A et al,(1987) Inhibition of herpes simplex virus replication by Flos verbasci infusion. Pol J Pharmacol Pharm 39:55-61.
3. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/koenigskerze.php.
4. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-verbascum-thapsus-l-v-densiflorum-bertol-v-thapsiforme-schrad_en.pdf
5. Wenigmann M. (2017) Phytotherapy medicinal drugs, phytopharmaceuticals, application. Urban & Fischer, pp. 141-142
6. https://escop.com/wp-content/uploads/edd/2015/09/Verbasci.pdf.