Background
- Gumweed is a traditional medicine of California Native Americans, such as the Chumash people. Gumweed was used clinically from the 1880s until 1960 in the United States and the United Kingdom for the treatment of asthma, bronchitis, and poison ivy rash. Gumweed use in clinics was discontinued in 1960 when a new law required medicines to have proven efficacy in clinical trials. The plant contains grindelane diterpenoids of unknown pharmacological activity.
- High quality trials supporting the use of gumweed for asthma, bronchitis, dermatitis, or any other condition are currently lacking. High quality clinical trials of gumweed are needed in these areas.
References
Natural Standard developed the above evidence-based information based on a thorough systematic review of the available scientific articles. For comprehensive information about alternative and complementary therapies on the professional level, go to . Selected references are listed below.
- Afifi U, Aburjai T. Antiplatelet activity of Varthemia iphionoides. Fitoterapia 2004;75:629-633.
View Abstract - Anonymous. Rhus toxicodendron. Lancet 1908;172:887.
- Anonymous. The therapeutic effects of Gindelia robusta. Lancet 1890;135:565.
- Calderone V, Chericoni S, Martinelli C, et al. Vasorelaxing effects of flavonoids: investigation on the possible involvement of potassium channels. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2004;370:290-298.
View Abstract - Canavan D, Yarnell E. Successful treatment of poison oak dermatitis treated with Grindelia spp. (Gumweed). J Altern Complement Med 2005;11(4):709-710.
View Abstract - Heim KE, Tagliaferro AR, Bobilya DJ. Flavonoid antioxidants: chemistry, metabolism and structure-activity relationships. J Nutr Biochem 2002;13(10):572-584.
View Abstract - Juzwiak S, Wojcicki J, Mokrzycki K, et al. Effect of quercetin on experimental hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis in rabbits. Pharmacol Rep 2005;57(5):604-609.
View Abstract - Kreutzer S, Schimmer O, Waibel R. [Triterpenoid sapogenins in the genus Grindelia]. Planta Med 1990;56(4):392-394.
View Abstract - Spallholz JE, Hoffman DJ. Selenium toxicity: cause and effects in aquatic birds. Aquat.Toxicol 2002;57(1-2):27-37.
View Abstract - Strike SS. Ethnobotany of the California Indians volume 2. Aboriginal uses of California's indigenous plants. 1994.
- Timmermann BN, Hoffmann JJ, Jolad SD, et al. Diterpenoids and flavonoids from Grindelia discoidea. Phytochem 1986;25:723-727.
- Zhou L, Fuentes ER, Hoffmann JJ, et al. Diterpenoids from Grindelia tarapacana. Phytochem 1995;40:1201-1207.