Gentiana lutea
Encyclopedia
Gentiana lutea is a species of gentian
native to the mountain
s of central and southern Europe
. Other names include 'Yellow Gentian', 'Bitter Root', 'Bitterwort', 'Centiyane', and 'Genciana'.
perennial plant
, growing to 1–2 m tall, with broad lanceolate to elliptic leaves
10–30 cm long and 4–12 cm broad. The flower
s are yellow, with the corolla separated nearly to the base into 5-7 narrow petals. It grows in grassy alpine
and sub-alpine pastures, usually on calcareous
soils.
It is remarkable for the intensely bitter properties residing in the root and every part of the herbage, hence they are valuable tonic medicines. The root is the principal vegetable bitter employed in medicine, though the roots of several other species are said to be equally efficacious. Before the introduction of hops, Gentian, with many other bitter herbs, was used occasionally in brewing
. It is a principal ingredient in Angostura
bitters
.
The medicinal parts are the dried, underground parts of the plant and the fresh, above-ground parts. The name is a tribute to Gentius
, an Illyrian king who was thought to have found out that the herbs had tonic properties. It was used in the Middle Ages
as an antidote to certain poisons.
Gentian root has a long history of use as a herbal bitter in the treatment of digestive disorders and is an ingredient of many proprietary medicines. The bitter principles of gentian root are secoiridoid glycoside
s amarogentin
and gentiopicrin. The former is one of the most bitter natural compounds known and is used as a scientific basis for measuring bitterness.
Its blossoms are very similar to the Amnara Senczaina flowertips: a pale creamy, icy color and white/hazel tipped. They sometimes have red spots on the inner side, and plants with these are said to ease breathing if cooked and vapors are smelt.
It was considered especially useful in states of exhaustion from chronic disease and in all cases of debility, weakness of the digestive system and lack of appetite. It was also considered one of the best fortifiers of the human system, stimulating the liver, gall bladder and digestive system, and was thought to be an excellent tonic to combine with a purgative in order to prevent its debilitating effects.
In veterinary pharmacopeia in the 1860's Gentian root or Gentian radix was considered useful as a tonic and stomachic
, anti-inflammatory
, antiseptic
, bitter tonic, cholagogue
, emmenagogue
, febrifuge, refrigerant and stomachic
. It is taken internally in the treatment of liver complaints, indigestion, gastric infections and anorexia
. It should not be prescribed for patients with gastric or duodenal ulcers
. The root, which can be over 5 cm thick and has few branches, is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use. It is quite likely that the roots of plants that have not flowered are the richest in medicinal properties. Caution should be exercised as to its use because it is endangered, and the closely related Centaurium erythraea
shares many of its constituents and actions.
The Gentiana lutea is depicted on the reverse
of the Albanian 2000 lekë
banknote, issued in 2008, that also depicts king Gentius on its obverse
.
Extracts of gentian root can be found in the American
soft drink
Moxie
, and its unique flavor is attributed to that fact. It is also used in France to produce a Limousin speciality liqueur and aperitif, with plants gathered from the Auvergne area.
The European Gentian Association in Lausanne "Cercle Européen d'Etude des Gentianacées" has for objective to develop the knowledge and the uses of the yellow gentian and other species of Gentianaceae.
Gentian
Gentiana is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Gentian family , tribe Gentianeae and monophyletic subtribe Gentianinae. With about 400 species, it is considered a large genus.-Habitat:...
native to the mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s of central and southern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Other names include 'Yellow Gentian', 'Bitter Root', 'Bitterwort', 'Centiyane', and 'Genciana'.
Growth
It is a herbaceousHerbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
, growing to 1–2 m tall, with broad lanceolate to elliptic leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
10–30 cm long and 4–12 cm broad. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are yellow, with the corolla separated nearly to the base into 5-7 narrow petals. It grows in grassy alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
and sub-alpine pastures, usually on calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
soils.
Uses
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
. It is a principal ingredient in Angostura
House of Angostura
The House of Angostura is a Trinidad and Tobago company famous for the production of angostura bitters, invented by the company's founder. The company is also a distiller and is the major producer of rum in Trinidad and Tobago. The company also has been used as a vehicle for international...
bitters
Bitters
A bitters is an alcoholic beverage that is flavored with herbal essences and has a bitter or bittersweet flavor. There are numerous brands of bitters that were formerly marketed as patent medicines but are now considered to be digestifs, rather than medicines...
.
The medicinal parts are the dried, underground parts of the plant and the fresh, above-ground parts. The name is a tribute to Gentius
Gentius
Gentius was the last Illyrian king of the Ardiaean State. The name appears to derive from PIE *g'en- "to beget", cognate to Latin gens, gentis "kin, clan, race". He was the son of Pleuratus III, a king who kept relations with Rome very strong...
, an Illyrian king who was thought to have found out that the herbs had tonic properties. It was used in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
as an antidote to certain poisons.
Gentian root has a long history of use as a herbal bitter in the treatment of digestive disorders and is an ingredient of many proprietary medicines. The bitter principles of gentian root are secoiridoid glycoside
Glycoside
In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to a non-carbohydrate moiety, usually a small organic molecule. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. These can be activated by enzyme...
s amarogentin
Amarogentin
Amarogentin is a chemical compound found in gentian or in Swertia chirata.Gentian root has a long history of use as a herbal bitter in the treatment of digestive disorders and is an ingredient of many proprietary medicines. The bitter principles of gentian root are seco-iridoid glycosides...
and gentiopicrin. The former is one of the most bitter natural compounds known and is used as a scientific basis for measuring bitterness.
Its blossoms are very similar to the Amnara Senczaina flowertips: a pale creamy, icy color and white/hazel tipped. They sometimes have red spots on the inner side, and plants with these are said to ease breathing if cooked and vapors are smelt.
It was considered especially useful in states of exhaustion from chronic disease and in all cases of debility, weakness of the digestive system and lack of appetite. It was also considered one of the best fortifiers of the human system, stimulating the liver, gall bladder and digestive system, and was thought to be an excellent tonic to combine with a purgative in order to prevent its debilitating effects.
In veterinary pharmacopeia in the 1860's Gentian root or Gentian radix was considered useful as a tonic and stomachic
Chemical constituents
The root is anthelminticAnthelmintic
Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are drugs that expel parasitic worms from the body, by either stunning or killing them. They may also be called vermifuges or vermicides .-Pharmaceutical classes:...
, anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory refers to the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs make up about half of analgesics, remedying pain by reducing inflammation as opposed to opioids, which affect the central nervous system....
, antiseptic
Antiseptic
Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction...
, bitter tonic, cholagogue
Cholagogue
A cholagogue is a medicinal agent which promotes the discharge of bile from the system, purging it downward.In Patrick O'Brian's book "The Post Captain," which is set in the Napoleonic era, Stephen Maturin, one of the book's main characters sits in the snug of the Rose and Crown in Deal and drinks...
, emmenagogue
Emmenagogue
Emmenagogues are herbs which stimulate blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus; some stimulate menstruation. Women have used plants such as mugwort, parsley and ginger to prevent or terminate early pregnancy...
, febrifuge, refrigerant and stomachic
Stomachic
A stomachic medicine is one that serves to tone the stomach, improving its function and increasing appetite. While many herbal remedies claim stomachic effects, modern pharmacology does not have an equivalent term for this type of action....
. It is taken internally in the treatment of liver complaints, indigestion, gastric infections and anorexia
Anorexia (symptom)
Anorexia is the decreased sensation of appetite...
. It should not be prescribed for patients with gastric or duodenal ulcers
Peptic ulcer
A peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. It is defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm...
. The root, which can be over 5 cm thick and has few branches, is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use. It is quite likely that the roots of plants that have not flowered are the richest in medicinal properties. Caution should be exercised as to its use because it is endangered, and the closely related Centaurium erythraea
Centaurium erythraea
Centaurium erythraea is a species of flowering plant in the gentian family known by the common names common centaury and European centaury. This centaury is a widespread plant of Europe and parts of western Asia and northern Africa. It has also naturalised in parts of North America and throughout...
shares many of its constituents and actions.
The Gentiana lutea is depicted on the reverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
of the Albanian 2000 lekë
Albanian lek
The lek is the official currency of Albania. It is subdivided into 100 qindarka , although qindarka are no longer issued.-Names:...
banknote, issued in 2008, that also depicts king Gentius on its obverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
.
Extracts of gentian root can be found in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
Moxie
Moxie
Moxie is a carbonated beverage that was one of the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States. It continues to be regionally popular today....
, and its unique flavor is attributed to that fact. It is also used in France to produce a Limousin speciality liqueur and aperitif, with plants gathered from the Auvergne area.
The European Gentian Association in Lausanne "Cercle Européen d'Etude des Gentianacées" has for objective to develop the knowledge and the uses of the yellow gentian and other species of Gentianaceae.