Calendula

Calendula

Other Names

Calendula is the common name for Calendula officinalis.

marigold
pot marigold

What Is It?

Calendula refers to the dried flowers of the pot marigold, Calendula officinalis. The name calendula derives from the Latin word “calend,” for month, a reference to the long flowering period of the plant. Calendula has been used to treat wounds and inflammation since ancient times. Most commonly calendula is used in creams, ointments and gels. Calendula is a staple topical remedy in homeopathic medicine. 2,3,4,5

Medicinal History

Calendula was employed in early Indian and Arabic cultures, as well as in ancient Greece and Rome. The plant was used as a medicine, and as a colorant in foods, fabric and cosmetics. 2 The flowers were commonly sold in European markets in the Middle Ages. 6

Calendula’s brilliant yellow blossoms make it ideal for festive and religious uses. Calendula flowers are employed in some Catholic events associated with the Virgin Mary, and adorn statuary of deities in most Hindu temples in India. 6

Throughout history, calendula and its various preparations have been used to treat wounds, burns, cuts, bruises and minor infections. (Herbalmed) Calendula has been topically used for skin ulcers, contusions, hemmorhoids, sprains, warts, and sore nipples. Internally it has been employed for stomach ailments, jaundice, and gastric and duodenal ulcers. 3, 7

Calendula has long been a topical staple remedy of homeopathic medicine, widely used for open wounds and ulcers, and for promoting tissue formation. 8

Today, extracts of calendula are not only the active ingredients in topical healing preparations, but are commonly employed in various cosmetic products.

Habitat & Cultivation

Calendula is native to central, eastern and southern Europe. The plant is cultivated in the Mediterranean, the Balkans, in India, and South America. 5 Calendula enjoys well-drained soil and full sun. 2 Calendula is a brilliant and cheerful ornamental flower which is commonly grown in the US as well.

At peak maturity, flowers are cut when conditions are dry, and the petals are stripped. Petals are either employed fresh or dried, for use in various extracts and preparations. 2, 3,4

How It Works

Calendula appears to work in many ways at once, rather than just one. Among the over 100 phytochemicals identified in the plant, a great many possess anti-inflammatory activity. Calendula is rich in carotenoids, lutein, lycopene, quercitin, rutin, ubiquinone, xanthophils, and other highly active, tissue-protective antioxidants. 9 These phytochemicals account for some of the wound healing activity ascribed to the plant.

Extracts of calendula exhibit antibacterial and antifungal activity, supporting its uses in treating wounds which may be infected. 10 Calendula also stimulates granulation, the formation of new tissue. 3

Contemporary Uses Approved by Authoritative Bodies

Germany’s Commission E approves the use of calendula for:

Internally and topically, for inflammation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa.
Externally for poorly healing wounds and leg ulcers.

ESCOP approves the use of calendula for:

Inflammations of the skin and mucosa
As an aid to wound healing

6,10,11

Potential Risks

Safety issues and concerns

There are no known safety concerns regarding calendula.

Contraindications – based on conditions and medication intake, etc.

Known sensitivity to the Compositae family.

Potentially harmful drug interactions

There are no known potentially harmful drug interactions associated with calendula.

Allergy precautions

Some pollen-allergic individuals may be sensitive to calendula.

Usage Tips

Observe usage guidelines on various creams, ointments, oils and other topical calendula products.
As an oral rinse, make an infusion with 2 grams of calendula and 5 ounces of water.
For use in a compress, dilute 1 part calendula tincture with 3 parts freshly boiled water.

6,10,11

Product Choosing/Buying Tips

Choose calendula products made with certified organic ingredients whenever the choice is available.

Science Update

Calendula may modify blood sugar and protect the stomach.

An extract from the flowers of Calendula officinalis demonstrated a hypoglycemic effect, delayed gastric emptying, and showed a gastroprotective effect in mice. The principal saponin constituents, glycosides A, B, C, D, and F, appear to be the primary agents responsible for these effects. 12

Experiments on rats and other animals show that calendula cream exerts a wound-healing and anti-inflammatory effect 13,14,15 but double-blind human studies have not yet been reported.

Creams made with calendula flower are a nearly ubiquitous item in the German medicine chest, used for everything from children's scrapes to eczema, burns, and poorly healing wounds. These same German products are widely available in the United States as well.

References:

1, McGuffin M, Kartesz JT, Leung AY, Tucker AO. American Herbal Products Association’s Herbs of Commerce. Silver Spring, MD: 1^st ed., (American Herbal Products Association. 2000). 31

2. Bown, Deni. The Herb Society Of America Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. (1^st ed., (New York: Dorling Kindersley,1995). 252

3. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics, 2nd ed., (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1996). 113-114

4. Bruneton J. Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants. 2nd ed., (Paris: Lavoisier Publishing 1993). 562-563

5. Wichtl M, Bisset NG (eds.). Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. Trans from 2^nd

German ed., (Stuttgart: Medpharm GmbH Scientific Publishers. 1994). 118-120

6. Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J (eds). Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. 1^st ed., (Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications. 2000). 44-46

7. Tyler, Varro., Brady, Lynn., Robbers, James., Pharmacognosy. 9^th ed., (Philadelphia, Lea

& Febiger, 1988) 480

8. Boericke, W., Pocket Manual Of Homeopathic Materia Medica 1^st ed. (B Jain Publishers, New Delhi, India 1991) 156-157

9. Agricultural Research Service, Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical

Databases. http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/

10. European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy. ESCOP Monographs on the Medicinal Uses of Plant Drugs. 1^st ed., (Exeter, U.K.: ESCOP 1997).

11. Blumenthal M, Busse W, Goldberg A, Gruenwald J, Hall T, Riggins CW, Rister RS (eds.). The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. S. Klein, R.S. Rister (trans.). 1st ed., (Austin, TX: American Botanical Council. 1998). 100

12. Yoshikawa M, Murakami T, Kishi A, Kageura T, Matsuda “Medicinal flowers. III. Marigold. (1): hypoglycemic, gastric emptying inhibitory, and gastroprotective principles and new oleanane-type triterpene oligoglycosides, calendasaponins A, B, C, and D, from Egyptian Calendula officinalis.” H Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2001 Jul 49:863-70

13. Review of Natural Products. St. Louis, Mo: Facts and Comparisons; 1995: Calendula monograph.

14. Schulz V, Hansel R, Tyler VE. Rational Phytotherapy: A Physicians' Guide to Herbal Medicine. 3rd ed. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag; 1998:259.

15. Patrick KFM, Kumar S, Edwardson PAD, et al. “Induction of vascularisation by an aqueous extract of the flowers of Calendula offcinalis L. the European marigold.” Phytomedicine. 1996;3:11–18.