Observations placeholder
Chicory and malaria
Identifier
005291
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Dec;95(2-3):455-7. Antimalarial activity of lactucin and lactucopicrin: sesquiterpene lactones isolated from Cichorium intybus L. Bischoff TA, Kelley CJ, Karchesy Y, Laurantos M, Nguyen-Dinh P, Arefi AG. Department of Pharmacy, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Bischoff.Theodore@MGH.Harvard.edu
Folklore reports from Afghanistan prior to the wars described the use of aqueous root extracts of Cichorium intybus (L.) as a light-sensitive plant remedy for malaria. Preparative isolation and bioassay against HB3 clone of strain Honduras-1 of Plasmodium falciparum identified the previously known light-sensitive sesquiterpene lactones Lactucin and Lactucopicrin to be antimalarial compounds.
PMID: 15507374