Plantago major

Scientific name: Plantago major L.

Botanical family: PLANTAGINACEAE

Vernacular names

(In territories with significant traditional TRAMIL use)

Dominican Republic:

llantén

Martinique:

miyé
plantain

Trinidad and Tobago:

miyé
plantain

Guadeloupe:

miyé
plantain

Dominica:

planten

Haiti:

planten

Other vernacular names

Cuba:

Llantén

Honduras:

Llantén

Nicaragua:

Llanten

Dominican Republic:

Llantén

Colombia:

Llantén

Guadeloupe:

Plantain

Martinique:

plantain

Dominica:

Plantain
Planten

Trinidad and Tobago:

Plantain (wild, english)

Haiti:

Planten

Geographical distribution

A native of the Old World, naturalised in much of the world.

Botanical description

Herbaceous perennial, with a short and thick rhizome. Leaves in ovate or elliptic basal rosettes, with entire or dentate margins, long pedicels. Inflorescence in scape of up to 50 cm long; dense, linear-cylindrical spikes of 5 to 25 cm; sessile flowers; ovate, green sepals. Ellipsoid capsule of 2 to 4 mm, with 5 or more seeds.

Voucher(s)

Rouzier,150,SOE

Fournet,5244,GUAD

Longuefosse&Nossin,29,HAVPMC

Delaigue,23,NHTT

García,7537,JBSD

conjunctivitis

leaf, decoction, instillation^3-4

nervous breakdown

leaf, decoction, orally¹

conjunctivitis

leaf, maceration, instillation⁴³

conjunctivitis

leaf, infusion, eye baths^2,43

malozie (eye injuries)

leaf, decoction, eye baths⁵

blindness in RD

leaf, juice, instillation⁴

bad blood

leaf, decoction, orally^1,5

inflammation

leaf, infusion, orally²

For ataque de nervios:
prepare a decoction with 20 grams of leaves in 2 cups (1⁄2 litre) of water. Boil for 5 minutes in a covered vessel. Cool, strain (filter) and drink 1 cup 3-4 times a day³⁵.

For conjunctivitis:
prepare a decoction or infusion with 20 grams of leaves in 2 cups (1⁄2 litre) of water. For decoctions, boil for 5 minutes in a covered vessel. For the infusion, add the boiling water to the 20 grams of fresh leaves, cover the vessel and leave to settle for 5 minutes. Cool, strain (filter) through a cloth or gauze, and carry out an eye wash or instillation with the contents of a dropper (3 millilitres) every 2 hours³⁶.

Or adequately wash 5 to 7 fresh leaves, crush them in a mortar until the juice is squeezed out. Filter the preparation with a cloth before making an instillation with the content of a dropper (3 millilitres) every 2 hours.

For inflammation:
prepare an infusion by adding 2 cups (1⁄2 litre) of boiling water to 20 grams of leaves. Cover, leave to settle, strain (filter) and drink 1 cup 3-4 times a day.

Preparations must never be stored for more than 24 hours, even if refrigerated.

According to the information available:

The use for ataque de nervios and inflammation is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys, the toxicity and validation studies and the scientific information published.

If deterioration is observed in the patient or if the ataque de nervios or inflammation persist for more than 4 days, seek medical attention.

The use of the leaves in decoction for conjunctivitis is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys, the toxicity studies and the scientific information published.

All applications in the eyes must follow the strictest hygiene measures, in order to prevent contamination or additional infection and to avoid contact with substances that can irritate to the conjunctiva.

In cases of conjunctivitis, there is a risk of increasing the irritation by the application of the juice of the leaves.

The aqueous preparation should be filtered before application to avoid eye irritation.

If deterioration is observed in the patient, or the eye condition or conjunctivitis persists for more than 5 days, seek medical attention.

Traditional use for bad blood constitutes an integral part of the cultural heritage and is classified in the REC category based on the significant traditional use documented in the TRAMIL surveys and the toxicity studies.

Not for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children under 5 years of age.

TRAMIL Work²⁷
The hydroalcoholic extract (70%) from the aerial parts (283 mg/ml total solids) administered to a culture medium at increasing concentrations (0.4-5.66 mg total solids/ml) in vitro in the somatic segregation model in Aspergillus nidulans D30 showed no genotoxic effect.

TRAMIL Work²⁸
The aqueous leaf extract (30, 100, 300 and 1000 mg/kg) intravenously in rats revealed an LD₈₄= 475 mg/kg, LD₅₀ = 175 mg/kg and LD₁₆ = 64 mg/kg.

TRAMIL Work²⁹
The LD₅₀of the hydroalcoholic extract (70%) of the aerial parts (283 mg of total solids/ml) orally in mice was 1380 mg/kg. At a maximum dose of 1750 mg/kg (expressed in mg of total solids per kg) and 14 days of observation after administration, no deaths or signs of toxicity were observed.

TRAMIL Work³⁰
The freeze-dried aqueous extract (decoction) from fresh leaves, in doses of 2 g/kg/day for 5 days a week for 40 days, orally in NGP mice (5 males and 5 females), showed a decrease in the straightening reflex from day 2; from day 12 in addition to the mentioned sign, there was a decrease in the anterior and posterior prehensile activity and a decrease in the alarm reaction; these manifestations were maintained until the end of the treatment. The observation was maintained for 7 days after treatment and no deaths were recorded during the trial.

TRAMIL Work³¹
The freeze-dried aqueous extract (decoction) from fresh leaves, in a solution of 1.2 g of the freeze-dried product with 12 ml of previously filtered deionised water, was administered (200 ml/day) to the conjunctival sac of 5 rabbits for 5 consecutive days, causing moderate irritation 24 hours after the start of the treatment, which disappeared after 48 hours and did not reappear in the 5 days of observation.

TRAMIL Work³²
The aqueous extract (30% decoction) from dried leaves, administered (0.1 ml/day) in the conjunctival sac of the right eye (left eye used as control), in 3 male New Zealand rabbits, taking readings according to the Draize scale at 1, 24, 48 and 72 hours, showed a slight effect on the conjunctiva but only for the first hour of observation.

The hydroalcoholic maceration (55.48%) from dried leaves orally in Swiss albino mice (weight 18 to 22 g) showed an LD₅₀= 182.54 mg/kg according to the OECD-198733 method.

The FDA have classified the plant as “Herb of Undefined Safety”³⁴.

There is no information available documenting the safety of use in children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

The leaves contain flavonoids: apigenin⁷, baicalein, scutellarein⁸, hispidulin⁹, luteolin, nepetin⁷; iridoids: aucubin, catalpol⁷, aucuboside¹⁰; benzenoids: benzoic and derivative acids, gentisic and syringic acids, tyrosol, vanillic and salicylic acids¹¹; phenylpropanoids: chlorogenic acids¹², cinnamic and derivatives, ρ-coumaric and ferulic acids¹¹, plantamajoside¹³; quinoids: phylloquinone¹⁴; sesquiterpenes: loliolide ¹¹; carbohydrates: plantaglucide¹⁵.

Proximate analysis of 100 g of fresh leaves¹⁶: calories: 61; water: 81.4%; protein: 2.5%; fat: 0.3%; carbohydrates: 14.6%; ash: 1.2%; calcium: 184 mg; phosphorus: 52 mg; iron: 1.2 mg; sodium: 16 mg; potassium: 277 mg; carotene: 2520 μg; riboflavin: 0.28 mg; niacin: 0.8 mg; ascorbic acid: 8 mg.

A study on its composition in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, includes the leaves of this plant in the group of nutrients¹⁷.

TRAMIL Work¹⁸
The aqueous extract (decoction) from fresh leaves (50 g/l, 10-20 ml, 3 times a day/3 days) orally in 100 patients showed an anti-inflammatory effect against gingivitis. The effect was measured according to the subjective assessment of the patients and the evaluation by a stomatologist.

The same preparation in equal numbers of patients and doses of administration showed a subjective effect against dyspepsia. The effect was seen about ten minutes after administration. In all cases, the patients had previously undergone a gastroscopic examination and the diagnosis of “dyspepsia" of functional origin” had been confirmed.

TRAMIL Work¹⁹
The freeze-dried aqueous leaf extract (decoction) (125 mg/ml, 2 g/kg/day/5 consecutive days) orally in Hsd:ICR mice (5 males and 5 females) controlled with distilled and deionised water (0.4 ml) in 10 other mice of the same strain and characteristics in hole-board, sphere, rotarod and pentobarbital sleep induction models, with evaluation at the end of the administration. There was a statistically significant difference in the curiosity test, showing a possible anxiolytic effect in the treatment, with an increase in the number of holes explored compared to the control group in both sexes, which was complemented by the results in the sphere test, with a decrease in the average activity of the treated females compared to the control group. In the other models, there was no statistically significant difference.

TRAMIL Works^20-21
The freeze-dried aqueous extract (50% decoction) from the fresh leaves in vitro at concentrations of 573, 286 and 143 μg/ml, showed no activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6341 and ATCC 29737).

The aqueous leaf extract (decoction) in vitro showed inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, isolated from secretions of patients with conjunctivitis²².

The aqueous plant extract, in rat in vivo models, showed an anti-inflammatory effect and capillary permeability reduction activity²³.

The aqueous extract from dried leaves (1 g/kg/day/8 days), orally in rats, showed an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect in models of foot oedema and pain induced by carrageenan injection²⁴.

The aqueous leaf extract administered orally (100 mg/kg/day/15 days) in rabbits, in a model of anaphylactic shock induced by egg albumin, did not offer a protective effect²⁵.

The leaf, in topical application in a preliminary clinical trial on 10 adult humans with contact dermatitis, had antipruritic activity²⁶.

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

1 WENIGER B, ROUZIER M, 1986
Enquête TRAMIL. Service Oecuménique d’Entraide SOE, Port au Prince, Haïti.

2 DELAIGUE J, 2005
TRAMIL survey. UAG & PRDI, Tobago House of Assembly, Scarborough, Tobago.

3 CHARLES C, 1988
TRAMIL survey. Movement for Cultural Awareness MCA, Roseau, Dominica.

4 LONGUEFOSSE JL, NOSSIN E, 1990-95
Enquête TRAMIL. Association pour la valorisation des plantes médicinales de la Caraïbe AVPMC, Fort de France, Martinique.

5 GERMOSEN-ROBINEAU L, GERONIMO M, AMPARO C, 1984
Encuesta TRAMIL. enda-caribe, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana.

6 EDOUARD JA, 1992
Enquête TRAMIL. Lycée agricole, Baie-Mahault, Guadeloupe.

7 LEBEDEV-KOSOV VI, 1980
Flavonoids and iridoids of Plantago major L. and Plantago asiatica L. Rast Resur 16:403-406.

8 MAKSYUTINA NP, 1971
Baicalein and scutellarein derivatives in Plantago major leaves. Khim Prir Soedin 7(3):374-375.

9 HARBORNE JB, WILLIAMS CA, 1971
Comparative biochemistry of flavonoids. XIII. 6-hydroxyluteolin and scutellarein as phyletic markers in higher plants. Phytochemistry 10:367-378.

10 ANDRZEJEWSKA-GOLEC E, SWIATEK L, 1984
Chemotaxonomic investigations on the genus plantago. I. Analysis of iridoid fraction. Herba Pol 30(1):9-16.

11 PAILER M, HASCHKE-HOFMEISTER E, 1969
Components of Plantago major. Planta Med 17(2):139-145.

12 MAKSYUTINA NP, 1971
Hydroxycinnamic acids from Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata. Khim Prir Soedin 7(6):824-825.

13 NORO Y, HISATA Y, OKUDA K, KAWAMURA T, KASAHARA Y, TANAKA T, SAKAI E, NISIBE S, SASAHARA M, 1991
Pharmacognostical studies of plantagins herba (VII) on the phenylethanoid contents of Plantago spp. Shoyakugaku Zasshi 45(1):24-28.

14 JANSSON O, 1974
Hylloquinone (vitamin k-1) levels in leaves of plant species differing in susceptibility to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Physiol Plant 31:323.

15 OBOLENTSEVA GV, KHADZHAI YI, 1966
Pharmacological testing of plantaglucide. Farmakol Toksikol 29(4):469-472.

16 DUKE JA, ATCHLEY AA, 1986
Handbook of proximate analysis tables of higher plants. Boca Ratón, USA: CRC Press. p131.

17 SIDDIQUI M, HAKIM M, 1991
Crude drugs and their nutrient values. J of the National Integrated Med Assoc 33(1):8-10.

18 CARBALLO A, 1995
Plantas medicinales del Escambray cubano. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio provincial de producción de medicamentos, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba.

19 PAZOS L, COTO T, GONZALEZ S, QUIROS S, 2004
Actividad sedante-tranquilizante en ratón, dosis repetidas del extracto acuoso de hoja de Plantago major. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos LEBi, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

20 LUCIANO-MONTALVO C, GAVILLAN-SUAREZ J, BOULOGNE I, 2013
A screening for antimicrobial activities of Caribbean herbal remedies. Informe TRAMIL. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 13:126.

21 BOUCOURT E, MARTINEZ M J, MOREJON Z, 2010
Evaluación de la actividad antimicrobiana del extracto acuoso de las hojas frescas de Plantago major L. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas “Dr. Salvador Allende”, C. Habana, Cuba.

22 CACERES A, GIRON LM, ALVARADO SR, TORRES MF, 1987
Screening of antimicrobial activity of plants popularly used in Guatemala for the treatment of dermatomucosal diseases. J Ethnopharmacol 20(3):223-237.

23 LAMBEV I, MARKOV M, PAVLOVA N, 1981
Study of the antiinflammatory and capillary restorative activity of a dispersed substance from Plantago major L. Probl Nutr Med 9(3):162-169.

24 NÚÑEZ ME, DA SILVA JA, SOUCCAR C, LAPA AJ, 1997
Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the aqueous extract of Plantago major L. Pharmaceutical Biology 35(2):99-104.

25 CAMBAR P, SANTOS A, COUSIN L, 1985
Efecto del extracto acuoso de Plantago major (Llantén) en el choque anafiláctico inducido por albúmina de huevo en el conejo. Memoria de la III Semana Científica de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras.

26 DUCKETT S, 1980
Plantain leaf for poison ivy. N Engl J Med 303(10):583.

27 BETANCOURT J, MARTINEZ MJ, LOPEZ M, MOREJON Z, BOUCOURT E, MORON F, 2000
Actividad genotóxica in vitro de partes aéreas de Plantago major L. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias. Médicas “Dr. Salvador. Allende”, La Habana, Cuba.

28 CAMBAR P, 1989
Efecto antiinflamatorio del extracto acuoso de la hoja de llantén (Plantago major). Informe TRAMIL. Unidad de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras UNAH, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

29 BETANCOURT J, MARTINEZ MJ, LOPEZ M, MOREJON Z, BARCELO H, LAINEZ A, MONTES ME, REGO R, BOUCOURT E, MORON F, 2000
Toxicidad aguda clásica de partes aéreas de Plantago major L. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias. Médicas “Dr. Salvador. Allende”, La Habana, Cuba.

30 GARCIA GM, COTO MT, GONZALEZ CS, PAZOS L, 1996
Toxicidad por vía oral en ratón, del extracto acuoso de hojas frescas de Plantago major. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos LEBi, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

31 GARCIA GM, COTO MT, GONZALEZ CS, PAZOS L, 1996
Irritabilidad ocular en conejos, del extracto acuoso de hojas frescas de Plantago major. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos LEBi, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

32 GUERRA MJ, LOPEZ M, BOUCOURT E, FUENTES V, 2002
Irritabilidad oftálmica de la decocción 30% de hojas secas de Plantago major L. Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio Central de Farmacología. Facultad de Medicina Dr. Salvador Allende. Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba.

33 LOGARTO PARRA A, SILVA YHEBRA R, GUERRA SARDINAS I, IGLESIAS BUELA L, 2001
Comparative study of the assay of Artemia salina L. and the estimate of the medium lethal dose (LD₅₀value) in mice, to determine oral acute toxicity of plant extracts. Phytomedicine 8(5):395-400.

34 DUKE J, 1985
Handbook of medicinal herbs. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press.

35 KOSSMANN I, VICENTE C, 1992
Salud y Plantas Medicinales. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Ed. Planeta.

36 ALBORNOZ A, 1993
Medicina tradicional herbaria. Caracas, Venezuela: Instituto Farmacoterápico Latino S.A. p273.

Disclaimer

The information provided is for educational purposes only for the benefit of the general public and health professionals. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. Since some parts of plants could be toxic, might induce side effects, or might have interactions with certain drugs, anyone intending to use them or their products must first consult with a physician or another qualified health care professional. TRAMIL has no responsibility whatsoever towards the user for any decision, action or omission made in relation to the information contained in this Pharmacopoeia.

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Plantago major

Vernacular names

Dominican Republic:

Martinique:

Trinidad and Tobago:

Guadeloupe:

Dominica:

Haiti:

Cuba:

Honduras:

Nicaragua:

Dominican Republic:

Colombia:

Guadeloupe:

Martinique:

Dominica:

Trinidad and Tobago:

Haiti:

Geographical distribution

Botanical description

Voucher(s)

Pharmacopoeia

References

Disclaimer