Clematis
Scientific Name(s): Clematis virginiana L. Family: Ranunculaceae
Common Name(s): Clematis , devil's-darning-needle , old-man's beard , traveler's-joy , vine bower , virgin's bower , woodbine
Clinical Overview
Uses of Clematis
Primarily used for skin disorders. In animals, it has caused CNS stimulant, androgenic, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular, hypotensive and hepatic effects.
Clematis Dosing
There is no recent clinical evidence which supports dosage recommendations for clematis.
Contraindications
Contraindications have not yet been identified.
Pregnancy/Lactation
Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.
Clematis Interactions
None well documented.
Clematis Adverse Reactions
Skin irritation, profuse salivation, blistering, inflamed eyes, abdominal cramping, vomiting of blood, weakness, bloody diarrhea, and painful, excessive or bloody urine.
Toxicology
Poisoning symptoms include dizziness, confusion, possible fainting, and convulsions.
Botany
Clematis is a genus of mostly climbing perennial shrubs in the buttercup family and has over 200 species worldwide, mainly in North America and Asia. Several species are cultivated in North America for their beautiful flowers. The common species include: Woodbine ( C. virginiana ), virgin's bower ( C. cirrhosa ), old-man's beard ( C. vitalba ) and vine bower ( C. viticella ).
C. virginiana is a trailing vine which can grow up to 50 feet higher than other botanicals, often resulting in a bower or shaded shelter. The long, feathery, beard-like tail on the fruit led to the synonym, old-man's beard. This species is a North American native plant which was once in the continental pharmacopeia as a medicine.
Its habitat is in thickets, roadsides, woods and stream banks. It may be found from Manitoba to Quebec, as far south as Alabama and Louisiana, and west all the way to Kansas. The vine has leaves which are divided into three oval and toothed leaflets, each of which are on a long stalk. These stalks are like tendrils which aid in its climbing habit. From July to September, it displays creamy white flowers which bloom into large clusters; these become fruit heads with long plume-like tails. 1 , 2
Other related species in the genus include: C. dioica from tropical America, 3 C. recta ( C. erecta ) of Southern Europe, 4 C. vitalba of Eurasian and North African origin, 4 C. chinensis (Wei Ling Xian) of Chinese origin 5 and C. thunbergii from Senegal. 3
History
The popular use of C. virginiana in pioneer medicine was probably learned from the Native Americans. It was a common remedy for skin disorders (sores, cuts), itching and venereal eruptions. 1 Throughout history, the leaf of the plant was used in folk remedies for treating cancers and tumors, as well as for itching, fever, renosis, nephrosis, ulcers and scrofula. 2 Past uses also report diuretic, poisonous, rubefacient, sudorific, purgative and vesicant properties. Clematis has long been cultivated as a woody climbing or trailing vine for growing over a fence or wherever dense foliage is desired. Others have mentioned using the fuzzy seed mass for smoking and utilizing the young shoots of a Eurasian variety ( C. taurica ) in cooking.
Chemistry
Early literature reports extraction of alkaloid, glycoside, and saponin fractions from certain species. 6 Members of Ranunculaceae contain protoanemonin, an irritant compound found mostly in the fresh leaves and sap; this is derived from a precursor glycoside known as ranunculin. 7 Some report the same principles for C. vialba , as well as anemonin, caulosaponin, caulosapogenin, stigmasterol glycoside, ceryl alcohol, myricylalcohol, beta-siterosterol, trimethylamine, beheinc-, caffeic-, chlorogenic- and melissic-acid, n-triacontane, n-nonacosane, ginnone, ginnol, and campesterol. 2 The dried seeds contain about 15% protein and 14% fat.
More recent reports identified anemonin (the dilactone of cyclobutane-1,2-diol-1,2 diacrylic acid derived from the cyclodimerization of protoanemonin) in C. hirsutissima , 8 a new oleanic saponin named clemontanoside B from C. montana leaves, 9 two saponins named hushangoside and hederagenin glycoside from the stems of C. montana , 10 other saponins from Clematis species, 11 clemontanoside F from the roots of C. montana , 12 and two triterpenoid saponins named clematichineno-side A and B from the roots of C. chinensis . 13 The major components of the essential oil of C. hexapetala are palmitic acid and 3-hydroxy-4-methoxyl benzaldehyde. 14
Clematis Uses and Pharmacology
Modern herbalists cite the older uses of C. virginiana as a treatment for skin disorders, but caution that the juice is a powerful irritant. 1 Generally, all of the historic uses stated above have not been verified in modern studies. Among the more recent verified pharmacological effects are: the CNS stimulant properties of anemonin in horses; 8 the CNS activity of clemontanoside B from C. montana in mice; 9 the androgenic effects (in mice) of C. fusca Turcz. preparations; 15 the anti-inflammatory activity of the Chinese medicine “Wei Ling Xian” ( C. chinensis and related species); 16 and the cardiovascular and hypotensive action, 17 the hepatic protective 18 and the biliary tract effects of C. chinensis . 19
Dosage
There is recent clinical evidence which supports dosage recommendations for clematis.
Pregnancy/Lactation
Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.
Interactions
None well documented.
Adverse Reactions
When the plants are handled or eaten, protoanemonin irritates and blisters the skin. Intense inflammation and burning around the mouth and digestive tract follow oral ingestion. Other side effects associated with oral intake include: profuse salivation, blistering, inflamed eyes, abdominal cramping, vomiting of blood, weakness and bloody diarrhea. 7 Kidneys may also be irritated, resulting in painful and excessive urination and bloody urine, ultimately leading to diminished urinary output.
Toxicology
A recent poisonous plant reference focused on those buttercup species which contained protoanemonin in the fresh leaves and sap, including clematis. Poisoning symptoms also include dizziness, confusion, possible fainting and convulsions.
Fatalities are not common, probably due to the rapid and intense acrid taste and irritation resulting from oral contact. If a large amount has been ingested accidentally, gastric lavage is recommended, followed by demulcents to soothe irritated membranes. Fortunately, protoanemonin is present mainly in fresh plant material and cooking or drying results in its decomposition.
Bibliography
1. Dobelis IN, ed. The Magic and Medicine of Plants . Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Assoc., 1986.2. Duke JA. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs . Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Inc., 1985.
3. Lewis WH, et al. Medical Botany - Plants Affecting Man's Health . New York: Wiley and Sons, 1977.
4. Delaveau P. Secrets et vertus des plantes médicinales , 2nd ed. Paris: Reader's Digest, 1985.
5. Ody P. The Complete Medicinal Herbal . New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1993.
6. Kingsbury J. Poisonous Plants of the United States and Canada . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1964.
7. Turner NJ, et al. Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of North America . Portland: Timber Press, 1991.
8. Kern JR, et al. J Ethnopharm . 1983:8:121.
9. Jangwan JS, et al. Int J Crude Drug Res . 1990;28:39.
10. Bahuguna RP, et al. Int J Crude Drug Res . 1990;28:125.
11. Fujita M, et al. Yagugaku Zasshi-J Pharma Soc Japan . 1974;94(2):194.
12. Thapliyal RP, et al. Phytochem . 1993;34(3):861.
13. Shao B, et al. Phytochem . 1995;38(6):1473.
14. Jiang B, et al. Chin J Materia Med . 1990;15(8):488.
15. Moiseeva RK. Buill Eksp Biol Med . 1975;80(7):60.
16. Wei MJ, et al. Acta Pharma Sinica . 1991;26(10):772.
17. Ho CS, et al. Am J Chin Med . 1989;17(3–4):189.
18. Chin HF, et al. Am J Chin Med . 1988;16(3–4):127.
19. Geng BQ, et al. Chung Yao Tung Pao Bull Chin Materia Med . 1985;10 (9):37.
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