Scientific Name/Common Name: Alchemilla vulgaris / Lady’s mantle
Part(s) Used: Aerial portions
Constituents/Active Ingredients: Lady's mantle contains: 6-8% tannins (partly gallotannins), ellagitannins (pedunculagin, the dimeric alchemillin), flavonoids (quercetin 3-O-b-D-glucuronide has been identified in French leaves).
Overview: Lady's Mantle is a perennial herb found in Europe, North America, and Asia that has been used medicinally since the Middle Ages. The word Alchemilla is a derivative of the Arab word Alkemelych, which means alchemy, and was named for the plant's magical healing powers. An astringent that affects the production rate of enzymes in the pancreas, lady's mantle is commonly recommended for treating diarrhea and stomach ailments. In folk medicine, lady's mantle was also used to soothe infections of the mucous membranes of mouth and throat. The tea and extracts were also used as a bath additive to treat skin irritations and wounds. The leaf tea and dewdrops from the leaves of the living plant are most commonly employed to help female conditions such as menorrhagia, menopause and painful periods.
Traditional Use/Benefits/Body Systems: As an astringent for diarrhea and inflammation/irritation of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract; for PMS and painful/difficult menstruation.
Clinical Studies/Scientific Research/References: Wichtl M and NG Bisset (eds). 1994. Lady's Mantle. In Herbal Drugs and Phyto-pharmaceuticals. (English translation by Norman Grainger Bisset). CRC Press, Stuttgart, Pp. 52-54. Duckstein SM, Lotter EM, Meyer U, Lindequist U, Stintzing FC. Phenolic constituents from Alchemilla vulgaris L. and Alchemilla mollis (Buser) Rothm. at different dates of harvest. Z Naturforsch C. 2013 Jan-Feb;68(1-2):529-40.
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