An uncommon plant found in East Asia shows potent antioxidant properties

( Natural News ) The golden valerian ( Patrinia scabiosaefolia ) hails from East Asia. It is a pretty flowering plant that can be consumed as food and is used as a traditional medicinal herb. Recent research showed that the essential oil of this plant can potentially stop the growth of cancerous tumors, protect brain cells from damaging inflammation, and scavenge toxic free radicals in the body. The plant is reportedly capable of detoxification, reducing body temperature, and expelling pus from the body. Traditional Chinese medicine uses it as a remedy for intestinal disorders such as acute appendicitis, dysentery, enteritis, and deep-rooted ulcer. Earlier studies showed that natural components found in the golden valerian possess anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. These bioactive compounds can be isolated from plants and used as new pharmacological agents to treat diseases that are resistant to current drugs. Essential oils are complicated liquid mixtures of volatile aromatic compounds found in aromatic plants. Some of these oils have drawn scientific interest in recent years due to their cytotoxicity towards cancer cells, which can lead to apoptosis or cell death. While golden valerian contains essential oils, only a few studies have taken a look at the chemical substances that made up those oils. Nor have there been many studies about the bioactivity of those natural compounds. (Related: The best essential oils for healthier hair .) Testing the essential oil of golden valerian for protective activities Researchers from the Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (FUTCM) examined the essential oil of golden valerian for its antioxidant, cytotoxic, and anti-neuroinflammatory activities. They obtained samples of the entire plant and ran the raw material through drying and distillation processes. The resulting essential oil was run through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify its different components. Meanwhile, the researchers prepared cultures of […]

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