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OROBANCHACEAE

(Broomrape family)

• Medicinal / Folk-medicinal aspects: Isolated reports document the use of some species in the external treatment of bruises, sores, and obstinate ulcers. A more substantial (but insubstantive) literature describes the use of eyebright in the treatment of minor eye affections. •
• Adverse effects: There is a theoretical risk of selenium poisoning on ingestion or of nickel or cobalt dermatitis from contact with some members of this family. •
• Veterinary aspects: The use of an eyewash prepared from eyebright in horses and cows has been reported. •

The family comprises about 90 genera and more than 2000 species. Many of the genera were formerly included in the family Scrophulariaceae. The family is of cosmopolitan distribution, found mainly in temperate Eurasia, North America, South America, parts of Australia, New Zealand and tropical Africa. With the exception of the genus Lindenbergia Lehm., all members of this family are holoparasitic or hemiparasitic, annual or perennial herbs or shrubs growing on the roots of their host (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group 2003). The principal genera are Pedicularis L. (600-800 spp.), Castilleja Mutis ex L.f. (160-200 spp.), Euphrasia L. (170-350 spp.), Orobanche L. [150 spp.], and Buchnera L. [100 spp.] (Stevens 2001-2013d).

Buchnera henriquesii Engl.: [syn. Buchnera rhodesiana S.Moore]

This plant growing in the Shaba Province of Zaïre was found to hyperaccumulate copper and cobalt from soils rich in these elements. Concentrations of up to 3520 and 1510 µg/g (ppm) respectively were recorded (Morrison et al. 1981). The contact sensitising capacity of cobalt and its salts is well documented (Malten et al. 1976, Cronin 1980). Copper is only a rare sensitiser (Karlberg 1983).

Castilleja chromosa A.Nelson
Desert Paintbrush, Northwestern Indian Paintbrush, Prairie Fire, Red Desert Paintbrush

Indian paintbrush flowers are edible and have been consumed by various native American tribes. However, the plants are regarded as "secondary accumulators" of selenium when growing in soils rich in this element, as they have been found to contain 25–100 µg/g (ppm; dry weight) selenium (Beath et al. 1941, Harr & Muth 1972, Harr 1978). Whilst selenium is an essential trace nutrient for humans, excessive consumption may produce symptoms of poisoning (selenosis) that include hair loss and brittle nails [see Xylorhiza venusta A.Heller, fam. Compositae].

Conopholis americana (L.) Wallr.: [syn. Orobanche americana L.]
American Cancer Root, Bear Corn, Squawroot

This species has been used in the same way as Epifagus virginiana W.P.C.Barton [see below] for the external treatment of obstinate ulcers (Remington et al. 1918).

Epifagus virginiana (L.) W.P.C.Barton: [syns Leptamnium virginianum Raf., Orobanche virginiana L.]
Beechdrops, Cancer Root, Orobanche de Virginie, Krebswurz

This North American species is a parasite on the roots of Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. (fam. Fagaceae), the American beech (Mabberley 2017). It has been considered useful in obstinate ulcers of a cancerous character, to which it was directly applied (Remington et al. 1918), it formerly being official in the National Dispensatory of the United States (Piffard 1881).

Esterhazya J.C.Mikan

Members of this small South American genus reportedly hyperaccumulate nickel from soils rich in this element. A concentration of 1060 µg/g (ppm) in the dried plant material has been recorded from plants growing in Brazil (Brooks 1998). The contact sensitising capacity of nickel and its salts is well documented (Malten et al. 1976, Spruit et al. 1980, Cronin 1980).

Euphrasia officinalis L.: [syns Euphrasia fennica Kihlm., Euphrasia rostkoviana subsp. fennica (Kihlm.) Jalas]
Eyebright, Eyewort, Casse-Lunettes, Euphraise Officinale, Euphraise de Rostkov, Echter Augentrost, Großer Augentrost

Eyebright has been the subject of much taxonomic confusion. In the early literature, the crude drug known as eyebright is referred to as Euphrasia officinalis L., but this name has been deemed ambiguous by Sell & Yeo (1970) and therefore was rejected in favour of Euphrasia rostkoviana Hayne. Adding to this confusion, some authorities (Hong et al. 1998) have referred the ambiguous Euphrasia officinalis L. to Euphrasia pectinata Ten. subsp. pectinata. Further, the name eyebright may also refer to Euphrasia stricta J.P.Wolff ex J.F.Lehm. and to the botanically unrelated Chamaesyce hypericifolia Millsp. (fam. Euphorbiaceae) and Chamaesyce thymifolia Millsp. (fam. Euphorbiaceae). Silverside (1991) rejected the treatment of Euphrasia officinalis as a nomen ambiguum, his work having now led to the recognition of five subspecies.^a However, difficulty in assigning botanical identity to a collected / cultivated specimen remains because it is also recognised (see Metherell & Rumsey 2018) that hybridisation between different Euphrasia species / subspecies does occur.

Eyebright has a long history of use in traditional medicine as a "remedy for acute catarrhal inflammations of the nasal and ocular membranes, with profuse, watery secretion or abundant flow of acrid mucus, and attended with heat, pain, burning, and sneezing" (Felter 1922).

Felter & Lloyd (1898) noted that eyebright is:

[…] used with much benefit in the form of infusion or poultice, in catarrhal ophthalmia, [and is] also of service in all mucous diseases attended with increased discharges; and in cough, hoarseness, earache, and headache, which have supervened in catarrhal affections. It appears to specifically influence the nasal membranes and lachrymal apparatus. In acute catarrh (fluent coryza), in which there is a profuse watery flow, it exerts its most specific action. It will not only be found of great utility to control inflammatory and catarrhal phases of the parts during or following an attack of measles, but will tend to avert unpleasant after-effects, as catarrhal conjunctivitis, nasal catarrh, catarrhal deafness, etc.

The virtues of eyebright in eye lotions are also mentioned by Flück & Jaspersen-Schib (1976), Stuart (1979), and Wren (1988). By contrast, Pereira (1842) noted that common eyebright is:

[…] nearly inert, though it is used as a popular remedy for diseases of the eyes.

Similarly, Anon (1891) wrote:

[…] We have found this lotion [made of the tincture diluted with water] dropped in the eye produces remarkably good results in the slight forms of conjunctivitis in young children; on the other hand, in other cases its action was apparently nil. An adult male patient, who, suffering from subacute conjunctivitis, persevered with the euphrasia drops for a fortnight without the slightest relief, but was perfectly cured after the use of drops of sulphate of zinc […]

In a multi-centred trial involving 65 patients with conjunctivitis of unspecified aetiology, Stoss et al. (2000) evaluated an homeopathic/anthroposophic (i.e. highly diluted) preparation made from eyebright (Euphrasia ferm 33c Dil. D2) and rose oil (Rosae aetheroleum Dil. D7) — Euphrasia single-dose eye drops (WALA Heilmittel GmbH, Eckwalden/Bad Boll, Deutschland)^b — asserting that these eye drops were "made from Euphrasia rostkoviana Hayne". The eye drops were generally well tolerated but no controls were included in the study design. In a similar study involving an homeopathic/anthroposophic preparation declared to contain Euphrasia 3c D384 — [Visiodoron] Euphrasia® eye drops (Weleda AG, Arlesheim)^c — 84 preterm neonates with white, yellow, or green ocular discharge were randomly assigned (1:1) to the Euphrasia arm or the placebo arm (NaCl 0.9%). The Euphrasia eye drops did not signiﬁcantly improve treatment success, but the results suggested that they may be of beneﬁt for symptoms such as reddening and tearing, and thus may have improved the comfort of patients (Meier-Girard et al. 2020 ).

Referring to Euphrasia officinalis, Lans et al. (2006) noted that an infusion prepared from eyebright leaves, calendula (Calendula officinalis L., fam. Compositae) flowers, and comfrey (Symphytum officinale L., fam. Boraginaceae) leaves is used in British Columbia, Canada as an eyewash in horses. In a subsequent ethnoveterinary study, Lans et al. (2007) noted the use of eyebright tea to treat infected eyes of cows, and of an unspecified purchased product prepared from the aerial parts of "Euphrasia officinalis agg." to treat [unspecified] eye problems in ruminants.

Harveya speciosa Bernh.: [syn. Cycnium tubatum Benth.]
Cream Harveya, Tall Ink Flower, Inkblom

In Natal [now KwaZulu-Natal], the entire plant is pounded, mixed with other plants and used as a poultice for bruises (Hulme 1954).

Orobanche uniflora L.: [syns Anoplanthus uniflorus (L.) Endl., Aphyllon uniflorum (L.) A.Gray, Thalesia uniflora (L.) Britton]
Ghostpipes, Naked Broomrape, One-Flowered Broomrape, One-Flowered Cancer Root, Orobanche Uniflore

This species has been used in the same way as Epifagus virginiana W.P.C.Barton [see above] for the external treatment of obstinate ulcers (Remington et al. 1918).

Parasopubia delphiniifolia (L.) H.-P.Hofm. & Eb.Fisch.: [syn. Gerardia delphiniifolia L., Sopubia delphiniifolia (L.) G.Don]
Larkspur-Leaved Sopubia

Referring to Sopubia delphinifolia [sic] in a text on Indian materia medica, Nadkarni (1976) noted that the plant is applied to bruises and sores.

Pedicularis resupinata L.
Lousewort

Stuart (1911) noted in a text on Chinese materia medica that a decoction of the plant, known as ma xian hao (马先蒿) or fan gu ma xian hao (返顾马先蒿), is used as a wash for foul sores. The plant has an odour of horse manure.

Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) Libosch. ex DC.: [syns Digitalis glutinosa Gaertn., Rehmannia chinensis Libosch. ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey., Rehmannia glutinosa var. huechingensis Chao & Shih, Rehmannia lutea var. purpurea Makino]
Chinese Foxglove

In traditional Chinese medicine, the plant is known as di huang (地黄). Its leaves are bruised and used in scaly eczema (Stuart 1911). The root is the source of Radix Rehmanniae Glutinosae and of preparations known as sheng di huang (生地黄) and shu di huang (熟地黄),^a,b which are commonly administered orally to lower blood sugar, as a haemostatic, and in the treatment of dermatitis (Huang 1993). Tse (2003) refers to the use of dried root preparations in the treatment of psoriasis and "various other skin rashes".

Rehmannia glutinosa is one of the components of a standardised formulation (Zemaphyte^®) prepared from 10 Chinese herbs that has been investigated as an orally-administered remedy for atopic eczema, with some success (Sheehan et al. 1992, Liu et al. 1993, Rustin & Atherton 1994). Interestingly, a study of Zemaphyte^® in Chinese patients with recalcitrant atopic dermatitis (Fung et al. 1999) demonstrated no benefit. An extract of Rehmannia glutinosa showed significant in vitro antioxidant activity (Kirby & Schmidt 1997) but it was not possible to establish that this contributed to any clinical outcomes.

Rehmannia glutinosa is also a component of another standardised formulation (PYM00217) prepared from 3 Chinese herbs that has been investigated as an orally-administered remedy for atopic dermatitis in dogs. The treatment was reportedly effective, palatable and well-tolerated (Ferguson et al. 2006).

The taxonomic position of the genus Rehmannia Bunge ex Link has for a long time been uncertain, it having been classified variously in the Gesneriaceae, Phrymaceae, Plantaginaceae, Rehmanniaceae, and Scrophulariaceae in the earlier literature.

References

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