Mouse-ear hawkweed

Other Names : Hieracium pilosella, Pilosella officinarum
Common in Europe, North Africa and Asia, mouse-ear hawkweed is a tiny herbaceous plant with crawling shoots, or runners. Its elongated, oval leaves are coated in white hairs and form a rosette around the base of the plant. From May to September, when the plant is in bloom, dandelion-like flowers appear at the tips of the almost leafless stems.

Constituents

• All parts of the plant contain umbelliferone, a coumarin, which has an antibiotic effect, flavonoids, which are diuretic, and phenols substances with antiseptic and antiinflammatory actions.
• The plant produces triterpenoids, mainly taraxasterol, but also the 4,4-dimethyl phytosterols alpha- and beta-amyrin, taraxerol, and fern-7en-3beta-ol.

Health Benefits and Uses

• Diuretic : French studies in 1999 demonstrated the diuretic effects of the plant's flavonoids. Because it can help the body to eliminate excess fluid and waste, the plant is an effective treatment for swelling caused by water retention, especially in the legs and lower part of the body.
• Anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties. It is sometimes applied to wounds, and used to treat respiratory complaints such as asthma and bronchitis, as well as to ease inflammation in the kidneys and urinary tract.
• Umbelliferone is known to help stimulate the flow of bile from the gall bladder, helping to keep the digestive system healthy, and research has shown that it also has an antibiotic effect. And in 1993, American scientists discovered that umbelliferone, as well as other coumarin derivatives, can help to fight off the HIV virus and it is thought that this ability might be harnessed for combating other types of viral infection.