Natural Products

Goldenseal

Scientific names: Hydrastis Canadensis

Common names: Goldenseal also is known as yellowroot, orangeroot, eyebalm, eyeroot, goldenroot, ground raspberry, Indian turmeric, yellow puccoon, jaundice root, and sceau d'or.

Efficacy-safety rating:

Ò...Little or no evidence of efficacy.

Safety rating:

●...Little exposure or very minor concerns.

What is Goldenseal used for?

Traditional/Ethnobotanical uses

Goldenseal root was used medicinally by American Indians of the Cherokee, Catawba, Iroquois, and Kickapoo tribes. They used it as an insect repellent, a diuretic, a stimulant, and a wash for sore or inflamed eyes. Goldenseal root was used to treat arrow wounds and ulcers, as well as to produce a yellow dye. Early settlers learned of these uses from the Indians and the root found its way into most 19th century pharmacopeias. The Eclectic medical movement particularly was enthusiastic in its adoption of goldenseal for gonorrhea and urinary tract infections. The widespread harvesting of Hydrastis in the 19th century, coupled with loss of habitat, resulted in depletion of wild populations. In 1997, Hydrastis was listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which controls exports of the root to other countries. The final listing included roots or live plants but excluded finished products. As an alternative to wild harvesting, goldenseal was cultivated in the Skagit Valley of Washington state and is being promoted as a cash crop in New York, North Carolina, and Canada. Because of its high price, goldenseal, like other expensive herbs, often has been adulterated. Common adulterants include species of Coptis and Xanthorrhiza, both of which also contain large amounts of the yellow alkaloid berberine. The popular notion that goldenseal can be used to affect the outcome of urinalysis for illicit drugs evolved from the novel Stringtown on the Pike by pharmacist John Uri Lloyd, in which goldenseal bitters are mistaken for strychnine in a simple alkaloid test by an expert witness in a murder trial. Goldenseal has been variously ingested prior to testing or added to the urine sample after collection. It is one of several adulterants commonly detected in urinalysis samples.

Antimicrobial

Goldenseal may be of use in topical infections and is used as an eyewash. Goldenseal has been included in cold and flu preparations for its anticatarrhal (to stop runny nose) effects, but little evidence supports this use and its effects are debatable. Goldenseal may be of use in topical infections and is used as an eyewash.

Goldenseal alkaloids have modest antimicrobial activity, which may be relevant when applied topically. While the chemical constituent berberine is found in goldenseal and is widely distributed in plants, hydrastine is characteristic of goldenseal root and is considered to be the most important bioactive alkaloid. There is extensive pharmacologic literature on hydrastine and berberine. The alkaloids are poorly absorbed when taken orally, so studies of parenterally administered goldenseal alkaloids must be interpreted with care. There are no clinical studies on goldenseal root itself for medicinal use.

What is the dosage of Goldenseal?

Extracts standardized to 5% hydrastine are available. However, the berberine content may be more important for goldenseal's medicinal uses. Doses of 100 mg hydrastine and 2 g crude root have been proposed.