Theophrastus and the name of Artichoke.

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What Is Artichoke?

Artichoke leaf Extract INCI Name Cynara Scolymus Extract CAS 84012-14-6 EINECS ELINCS No 281-659-3 Artichoke thistle extract photo picture image Cynara scolymnus - the actual artichoke plant - is one of the oldest known cultivated plants in the world with a 2000-year history. It is a tall thistle-like plant of the compositae family and is related to the better known Milk thistle-Silybum marianum. The immature flower of the artichoke plant, the rather strange-looking bud, has been used as a vegetable over the centuries. It has a high bitter index and is enjoyed for its slightly bitter taste.

 The plant is native to the Mediterranean countries and was originally cultivated from the wild artichoke-Cynara cardunculus. It is not to be confused with the Jerusalem artichoke-Helianthus tuberosus-a potato-like tuber originally grown by Native American Indians. In the United States, the wild artichoke has been known and used as a delicious food only for a few decades. Today artichoke is grown in southern Europe, north Africa, South America and also to a large extent in California, where four counties devoted to its cultivation claim to be "The Artichoke Center of the World."

 This grand perennial with its purplish flower head is native to southern Europe, northern Africa, and the Canary Islands. In the days of ancient Rome and Greece, Europeans began to cultivate artichoke as well. It is now grown commercially in North Africa. Although the flesh of the spike-tipped petals, called "bracts," and the heart of the flower head are eaten as a delicacy, it is the plant's large, lobed leaves and their extracts that are used medicinally.

 Traditional healers prescribed artichoke leaf to treat digestive upset, poor liver function, and a range of other ailments. Its primary use has been as a choleretic--a substance that strengthens liver function by increasing bile production. Artichoke leaf also has a centuries-old reputation as a diuretic (to increase urination).

 Artichoke is used as a sweetener and flavoring agent in some alcoholic drinks. Its aromatic "bitter" properties (particularly from the leaves, stem, and roots) inspire its use in alcoholic liqueurs intended to encourage good digestion. The extremely bitter taste is believed to stimulate the production of digestive juices, which is why the traditional aperitif is drunk before meals in many countries.

 Artichoke leaf has been used as a choleretic and diuretic in traditional European medicine since Roman times (Bianchini and Corbetta, 1977). Traditional medicinal uses of artichoke pertain to liver function. Artichoke leaf is considered choleretic (bile increasing), hepatoprotective, cholesterol-reducing, and diuretic (Kirchhoff et al., 1994). In Germany, it is used today as a choleretic (BAnz, 1998; Meyer-Buchtela, 1999) for its lipid-lowering, hepato-stimulating, and appetite-stimulating actions (Hnsel et al., 1992~1994; Meyer-Buchtela, 1999). In German pediatric medicine, herbs with a relatively low bitter value (800~2000), such as artichoke leaf, are considered suitable for the treatment of appetite disorders (Schilcher, 1997).

 Modern human studies have investigated its choleretic activity for treatment of digestive disorders (Kirchhoff et al., 1994). An article by Kraft summarized various post-marketing surveillance studies conducted on patients with dyspepsia and/or diseases of the liver or bile duct. The studies included anywhere from 417 to 557 patients and treatment duration ranged from 4 to 6 weeks. Statistically significant reduction of symptoms (e.g., abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, and nausea) were reported for the surveillance studies referred to in this paper. Artichoke preparations were well tolerated (up to 95% of cases) with a low rate of side-effects (Kraft, 1997).

 In one clinical trial, 20 men with acute or chronic metabolic disorders were separated at random into two groups. The test group was given a standardized artichoke extract (Hepar SL forte, Seturner, Germany) of 320 mg in a capsule dissolved in 50 ml water, taken intraduodenally. Results were assessed by measuring intraduodenal bile secretions, which increased 127.3% after 30 minutes, 151.5% after 60 minutes, and 94.3% after 90 minutes. The relative differences for the placebo were significant. The researchers concluded that artichoke extract can be used for the treatment of digestive disorders characterized by poor assimilation of fat due to insufficient bile secretion. No adverse side effects were observed (Kirchhoff et al., 1994).

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citations1.Theophrastus and the name of Artichoke.

last edit date:1st,July.2009.