Herbal Plant, Prunella vulgaris, Inspires Cancer and HIV Research

Prunella vulgaris, self-heal plant, is the subject of cancer and HIV research. Learn how this old herbal remedy transformed into a promising new treatment.

The herbal plant, Prunella vulgaris, also known as self-heal or all-heal, has long been used in herbal medicine by European, Chinese, and North American native healers. But now, scientific interest in this plant is growing as research shows that it has anti-tumor and anti-viral properties. Many studies highlight the plant’s promising use as an anti-cancer and anti-HIV (human immunodeficiency virus that can lead to AIDS) treatment.

Leaves and Flowers Long Used in Herbal Treatments

This plant is a member of the mint family, but is lacking the minty fragrance and flavor. However, it is edible and the leaves can be used in salads, as a pot herb in stews, or in teas. The flower spikes also can be steeped in infusions.
Used for a host of problems, Prunella vulgaris was especially helpful when its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties were needed, as in treating gastritis or when its antibiotic and emollient properties were needed, as for bathing external wounds.

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With its long history of widespread use in three continents and by many cultures, Prunella vulgaris was bound to capture the attention of modern medical science.
Prunella vulgaris in Cancer, HIV, Herpes and Other Anti-viral Research
In the past decade, scientists have conducted many studies on the herb Prunella vulgaris concerning its anti-cancer effects and anti-viral activity, especially against HIV and herpes viruses.
The BC Cancer Agency (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) has conducted studies on the effectiveness of ancient herbal remedies for lung cancer prevention which included the use of Prunella vulgaris in combination with other herbs. Its website states: “The efficacy of botanical extracts in Western medicine is gaining increasing recognition.” Regarding the compound of six herbs it further states, “A preliminary open study at BCCA also showed promising results in preventing the development and progression of pre-cancerous lesions in the lung.”

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According to Cancer Monthly, researchers at Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Greenville Hospital System in South Carolina found that Prunella vulgaris reduced the growth of endometrial cancer cells. They concluded that it may prove an effective treatment for women with endometriosis and certain types of cancer.
Functional FoodNet (University of Guelph) reports that scientists from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia found an anti-herpes virus compound in Prunella vulgaris and concluded that it might prove useful as a new anti-herpes drug.
The US National Institutes of Health have published a study from Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University in Japan. There researchers found that an extract from the flower spikes of Prunella vulgaris exhibited anti-HIV activity in vitro (in the laboratory) and also found that it can be absorbed from the intestine in vivo (in a living organism), thus opening up the possibility of oral administration dosage.
A 2008 study at the University of Iowa, reported in Virology Journal, concluded that multiple Prunella vulgaris consituents have profound anti-viral activity. This study also noted that extracts from a roadside (disturbed habitat) collection of the herb showed more potency than those from a forest-grown (undisturbed habitat) sample. Although not addressed in this study, this may be related to Prunella's need for compacted soil to support its structurally weak stems, as described by Gregory L. Tilford in From Earth to Herbalist: an Earth Conscious Guide to Medicinal Plants.
Growing Research Interest in Prunella vulgaris, the Plant Known as All-Heal
In Australia, the University of Queensland has investigated new plants which could possibly be used as commercial crops. "New" is defined as a plant not previously produced in a certain agricultural area. In assessing the potential of Prunella vulgaris, the Australian New Crops Website shows that the annual number of research papers mentioning this plant has multiplied more than twenty times from 1926 to 2006, indicating increasing interest.

Pharmaceutical Potential as Anticancer and Anti-HIV Treatment

Prunella vulgaris has journeyed far from its original identification as wildflower and weed. First, traditional herbalists and native peoples embraced it as a panacea, calling it all-heal or self-heal. Then modern gardeners re-discovered it as newly appealing and brought it into their gardens as border plants and groundcovers. Now modern science has focussed on its pharmaceutical potential, especially as an anticancer and anti-HIV treatment. In this way, Prunella vulgaris, the self-heal plant, will come closer to fulfilling the potential of its most promising name—all-heal.
In the article Is Prunella vulgaris Truly an All-Healing Herbal Medicine? read more on this plant in herbal medicine.
To learn more about the plant, self-heal, and its uses in the garden, see the article Ready to Try Prunella vulgaris, Self-heal, in the Shade Garden?
Another plant that went from herbal medicine to modern drug is described in the article Foxglove Herb, Digitalis purpurea, Source of Modern Cardiac Drug.
References:
Lust, John, The Herb Book, New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1987.
McVicar, Jekka, Jekka’s Complete Herb Book, Vancouver, BC: Raincoast Books, 1998.
Ody, Penelope, Healing with Herbs, Pownal, VT: Storey Books, 1999.
Tilford, Gregory L., From Earth to Herbalist: an Earth Conscious Guide to Medicinal Plants, Missoula, MO: Mountain Press Publishing Company,1998.

Copyright Jen L. Jones. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

Jen L. Jones - Based in Canada, Jones writes on human rights, history,and the natural world. She focuses also on Turkish and Scottish travel and ...

Print Article

• 
  Prunella vulgaris Used in Cancer and HIV Research - Jen L. Jones
• 
  All-heal Plant Used in Medicinal Research - Forest and Kim Starr
• 
  Chemical Constituents Hold Secret of Healing - Michael Gasperl
• 
  Wildflower Prunella has Anti-viral Properties - Bjoertvedt
• 
  Tiny Lipped Flowers of Prunella vulgaris - Andrew Bossi
• 
  Prunella vulgaris Used in Cancer and HIV Research - Jen L. Jones
• 
  All-heal Plant Used in Medicinal Research - Forest and Kim Starr
• 
  Chemical Constituents Hold Secret of Healing - Michael Gasperl
• 
  Wildflower Prunella has Anti-viral Properties - Bjoertvedt
• 
  Tiny Lipped Flowers of Prunella vulgaris - Andrew Bossi
• 
  Prunella vulgaris Used in Cancer and HIV Research - Jen L. Jones
• 
  All-heal Plant Used in Medicinal Research - Forest and Kim Starr
• 
  Chemical Constituents Hold Secret of Healing - Michael Gasperl