Active Ingredient: alkaloids

Specification: 10%

Test Method: UV-VIS

The Iroquois and Cherokee were among the first of the American tribes in the eastern United States to use this small perennial plant (Hydrastis canadensis) medicinally. They harvested its fleshy underground stems (rhizomes) and roots and used them to treat a variety of infections and other complaints, from insect bites and digestive upset to eye and skin ailments. By the nineteenth century, healers began to refer to this native wildflower (which resembles a buttercup) as goldenseal because the cuplike scars on its bright yellow rhizomes resembled the wax seals then used to close envelopes and certify documents. The plant's colorful roots also provided dye for clothing.

As goldenseal's popularity as a healing agent grew over the decades, the plant fell victim to overharvesting. Today it is no longer gathered in the wilderness but commercially cultivated in Oregon and WashingtonState. The herb's active medicinal compounds are the alkaloids berberine and hydrastine. Most of the research has been conducted on berberine, which has antibiotic, immune-system stimulating and anticancer properties. The alkaloids are responsible for the herb's notably bitter taste. Eleven countries (but not the United States) now officially recognize berberine and hydrastine as medicines.

Health Benefits
Goldenseal has long been valued for its ability to soothe inflamed or infected mucous membranes. It is found in popular herbal blends for taming intestinal and gallbladder inflammation. Traditional Chinese healers give goldenseal (berberine, specifically) to cancer patients whose immune systems are weakened as a result of chemotherapy treatments. It's even being explored as a treatment for liver disorders.

Specifically, goldenseal may help to:
Curtail colds, flu and other respiratory infections. If you feel that you may be developing a cold or the flu, take some goldenseal at once. The herb has both anti-infective and immune-system stimulating properties that may shorten the course of the illness. Goldenseal is often combined with echinacea for this purpose. In addition, because goldenseal can soothe mucous membranes, gargling with a tincture (diluted in warm water) or drinking the tea may relieve a sore throat.