Horse chestnut Aescin.Horse Chestnut Extract.

Historical and Scientifical use of Horse chestnut.

Horse Chestnut Extract Aescin INCI Name Aesculus Hippocastanum Extract EINECS ELINCS No 232-497-7 CAS 8053-39-2.6805-41-0 photo picture image Medicinal Action and Uses of Horse chestnut(asculus,Aesculus hippocastanum):

Horse chestnuts and buckeyes (a similar but often smaller North American species of the same genus) somewhat resemble true chestnuts in appearance but are edible only after careful preparation. The wood of the horse chestnut is soft and has been used for paper pulp and carpentry, woodenware, and other similar purposes. A compound derived from horse chestnut, aesculin, is a pharmaceutical agent used as an astringent and anti-inflammatory.

There is an unproven believe that Horse Chestnut increases the strength and tone of the veins in particular, so it is often used to treat phlebitis, varicose veins, and haemorrhoids.

The horse chestnut tree is native to Asia and northern Greece, but it is now cultivated in many areas of Europe and North America. The tree produces fruits that are made up of a spiny capsule containing one to three large seeds, known as horse chestnuts. Traditionally, many of the aerial parts of the horse chestnut tree, including the seeds, leaves, and bark, were used in medicinal preparations. Modern extracts of horse chestnut are usually made from the seeds, which are high in the active constituent aescin (also known as escin).

The bark has tonic, narcotic and febrifuge properties and is used in intermittent fevers, given in an infusion of 1 OZ. to the pint, in tablespoonful doses, three or four times daily. As an external application to ulcers, this infusion has also been used with success.

The fruits have been employed in the treatment of rheumatism and neuralgia, and also in rectal complaints and for haemorrhoids.

Horse chestnut reduce fevers,educe pain and inflammation of arthritis and rheumatism:Horse chestnut leaves have been used by herbalists as a cough remedy and to reduce fevers. The leaves were also believed to reduce pain and inflammation of arthritis and rheumatism. In traditional herbal medicine, poultices of the seeds have been used topically to treat skin ulcers and skin cancer. Other uses include the internal and external application for problems of venous circulation, including varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

Horse chestnut reduce the symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency:Double-blind and preliminary clinical trials have shown that oral horse chestnut extracts reduce the symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency, including swelling and pain. Those suffering edema after surgery have also found relief from topical application of horse chestnut extracts, according to preliminary studies.

Horse Chestnuts as Fodder:

In Eastern countries considerable use is made of Horse Chestnuts for feeding horses and cattle, and cattle are said to eat them with relish, though pigs will not touch them. The method of utilizing them is to first soak them in lime-water, which deprives them of the well-known bitter flavour inherent in the nuts, and then to grind them to a meal and mix them with the ordinary provender.

Experiments made during the Great War proved that for every ton of Horse Chestnuts which are harvested, half a ton of grain can be saved for human consumption, and thus the Horse Chestnuts, though totally unfit for human food, can be utilized indirectly to increase the national food supply.

The genus Pavia is so closely allied as to be now generally grouped with the aesculus. The Red Buckeye (. pavia) is a handsome small tree with dense and large foliage, together with bright red flowers in large loose clusters in early summer. Sometimes it rises from 15 to 20 feet high, but some of its varieties are only low-spreading or trailing shrubs. The Yellow Buckeye (. flava) is common and sometimes 40 feet high. It has somewhat the habit of the Red Horse Chestnut (. rubicunda), but has smoother leaves. The DWARF HORSE CHESTNUT (. parviflora) is a handsome shrub, 6 to 10 feet high, flowering in later summer. Its foliage is much like that of other asculi, and its small, white, fragrant flowers are in long, erect plume-flowers.

Chronic venous insufficiency:Uses based on scientific evidence

Chronic venous insufficiency is a condition that is more commonly diagnosed in Europe than in the United States, and may include leg swelling, varicose veins, leg pain, itching, and skin ulcers. There is evidence from laboratory, animal, and human research that horse chestnut seed extract (HCSE) may be beneficial to patients with this condition. Studies report significant decreases in leg size, leg pain, itchiness, fatigue and "tenseness." There is preliminary evidence that HCSE may be as effective as compression stockings.

Uses based on tradition or theory:

The below uses are based on tradition or scientific theories. They often have not been thoroughly tested in humans, and safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider.

Antiangiogenic, benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), gall bladder pain (colic), gall bladder infection (cholecystitis), gall bladder stones (cholelithiasis), bladder disorders (incontinence, cystitis), bruising, cough, vein clots (deep venous thrombosis), diarrhea, dizziness, fever, hemorrhoids, kidney diseases, leg cramps, liver congestion, lung blood clots (pulmonary embolism), menstrual pain, nerve pain, osteoarthritis, pancreatitis, rectal complaints, "rheumatism," rheumatoid arthritis, skin conditions, post-operative/post-traumatic soft tissue swelling, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), ulcers, varicose leg ulcers, whooping cough.

Traditional remedy for leg vein health:

Horse chestnut is a traditional remedy for leg vein health. It tones and protects blood vessels and may be helpful in ankle oedema related to poor venous return. Utilised extensively throughout Europe as an anti-inflammatory agent for a variety of conditions, in addition to being used for vascular problems. The plant is taken in small doses internally for the treatment of a wide range of venous diseases, including hardening of the arteries, varicose veins, phlebitis, leg ulcers, haemorrhoids and frostbite.

Fluid accumulation is more common in the legs and far more likely in individuals who stand for extended periods of time. Prolonged standing and obesity can increase pressure within leg veins causing weak veins to swell, leak and deteriorate into varicose veins. Aescin, performs an antioxidant function and has a general vasoprotective role by protecting collagen and elastin (the two chief proteins that form the structure of veins). By protecting these key vessel proteins, veins and capillaries stay strong and maintain their structural integrity when exposed to stress.

A study out of West Germany, reported in the early 1980s, showed one commercial horse chestnut product affected both the collagen content and architecture of the varicose vein and helped make the veins more normal.

Astringent, anti-inflammatory:

Horse chestnut is an astringent, anti-inflammatory herb that helps to tone the vein walls which, when slack or distended, may become varicose, haemorrhoidal or otherwise problematic. The plant also reduces fluid retention by increasing the permeability of the capillaries and allowing the re-absorption of excess fluid back into the circulatory system.

Decongestant, expectorant and tonic:

The seeds are decongestant, expectorant and tonic. They have been used in the treatment of rheumatism, neuralgia and haemorrhoids. A compound of the powdered roots is analgesic and has been used to treat chest pains. Extracts of the seeds are the source of a saponin known as aescin, which has been shown to promote normal tone in the walls of the veins, thereby improving circulation through the veins and promoting the return of blood to the heart.

Veins that are either weak and/or under chronic stress are more likely to fail and therefore more likely to allow leakage of fluid from the vessels into the tissue space leading to swelling.
Horse Chestnut Extract Aescin INCI Name Aesculus Hippocastanum Extract EINECS ELINCS No 232-497-7 CAS 8053-39-2.6805-41-0 photo picture image

Horse chestnut triterpene glycosides:

Horse chestnut contains several triterpene glycosides, with aescin predominating in the seeds. Coumarin glycosides aesculin, fraxin, and scopolin and their corresponding aglycones, aesculetin, fraxetin, and scopoletin, are also found, along with flavonoids such as quercetrin. Allantoin, leucocyanidins, tannins, and the plant sterols sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol have also been identified. The whole extract made from the Horse Chestnut is probably superior to the isolated Aescin. This is a commonly overlooked mechanism of most herbs. The combination of the entire plant components synergistically can often produce superior results as compared to a refined, isolated active ingredient of the herb

Leg ulcers and frostbite:

Horse chestnut has also been taken internally for leg ulcers and frostbite, and applied externally as a lotion, ointment, or gel. In France, an oil extracted from the seeds has been used externally for rheumatism. The topical preparation has also been used to treat phlebitis. Most studies have looked at the plant's use internally. But there is some evidence that applying an ointment to the affected area may also help.

Reduce oedema (swelling with fluid) following trauma:

Randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have shown that horse chestnut can reduce oedema (swelling with fluid) following trauma, particularly those following sports injuries, surgery, and head injury. A clinical study compared horse chestnut extract to compression stockings and placebo for varicose veins. Both the herbal medicine and the stockings significantly reduced oedema of the lower legs compared to placebo. Feelings of tiredness and heaviness, pain, and swelling in the legs were alleviated by the extract, in comparison to placebo. In addition, common symptoms which accompany lower leg swelling; such as leg pain, heaviness and fatigue, are typically reduced in individuals taking horse chestnut seed extract.

Trial studies suggest that Horse Chestnut may also be of value in treating lung conditions of infarction, embolisms and thrombosis.

Reference:

1.Horse chestnut Aescin.Horse Chestnut Extract.

last edit date:2nd,Mar.2010.

Available Product

Name:Horse Chestnut Extract
Serie No:R013.
Specifications:Aescin 20.0%UV
INCI Name:AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM EXTRACT
EINECS/ELINCS No.:232-497-7
CAS:8053-39-2,Aescin 6805-41-0
Chem/IUPAC Name:Aesculus Hippocastanum Extract is an extract of the horse chestnut,Aesculus hippocastanum,Hippocastanaceae

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