Dr.Dünner plant lexicon

Information about the effects of plants

Our plant lexicon

Name Elder
Botanical name Sambucus nigra L.
Botanical family Caprifoliaceae
Parts of the plant used Flowers and berries
Harvest time Flowers: June to July
Berries: September to October
Habitat Forest, fields and roadsides with nutrient-rich soils
Ingredients Flowers: Up to 3.5% flavonoids, as glycosides of quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin, as well as tannins, sterols, and essential oil with more than 63 components.
Berries: High content of anthocyanins, sambucyanin (red pigment, which improves cellular respiration), vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, and minerals (potassium, phosphorus, calcium). In their raw state, the berries are stomach-irritating due to their sambunigrin content, which is neutralized by cooking.

Name Nasturtium
Botanical name Tropaeolum majus L.
Botanical family Tropaeolaceae
Parts of the plant used Herb
Harvest time During the flowering period, which lasts from May until autumn
Habitat Prefers sunny meadows, fallow land, fields, and roadsides
Ingredients Mustard oil glycosides (glucosinolates), from which the active benzyl mustard oil is formed through enzymatic cleavage; 100 g of fresh plant contains up to 320 mg of vitamin C. Additionally, carotenoids are present.

Name Linden
Botanical family Tilia spec.
Botanical family Caprifoliaceae
Parts of the plant used Flowers with bracts
Harvest time The flowers of the summer linden from late May to early July, those of the winter linden in August
Habitat Mixed forests or specifically in prominent and exposed locations
Ingredients Essential oil, farnesol, saponins, flavone glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, tannic acid, mucilages

Name Thyme
Botanical name Thymus vulgaris L.
Botanical family Lamiaceae
Parts of the plant used The herb as well as the leaves and flowers stripped from the stems
Harvest time May to August; at the very beginning of the flowering period, the stems along with flowers and leaves are harvested and dried in the shade below 35 °C
Habitat Prefers Mediterranean climate, colonizes open dry grasslands, loves calcareous soil and sunny locations
Constituents Essential oil with thymol and carvacrol as main components, as well as p-cymene, linalool, and other monoterpene flavonoids and antioxidant biphenyls

Name Yellow Gentian
Botanical name Gentiana lutea L.
Botanical family Gentianaceae
Parts of the plant used Root
Harvest time In spring or autumn; plants must be at least 10 years old
Habitat On mountain meadows at an altitude of 750 to 2500 meters
Ingredients Iridoid glycosides (bitter compounds) such as amarogentin, gentiopicroside, swertiamarin, as well as mono- and oligosaccharides, also pectins, but no starch, in addition yellow-coloring xanthone derivatives and traces of essential oil

Name Dandelion
Botanical name Taraxacum officinale
Botanical family Asteraceae
Parts of the plant used Whole plant or only herb, leaves, flowers.
Harvest time Whole plant including root in flowering state from May to October; root in spring from April to May before flowering, or in autumn (September to October) after flowering
Habitat Meadows, roadsides and wasteland; up to an altitude of 2800 meters
Ingredients Sesquiterpene lactone bitter compounds such as taraxacin and triterpenes; furthermore, phytosterols and a high content of inulin and potassium

Name Artichoke
Botanical name Cynara cardunculus
Botanical family Asteraceae
Parts of the plant used The fleshy outer leaves and heart are eaten as vegetables. The leaves are used for medical purposes, especially indigestion, since the ingredients stimulate bile production. There are also studies that show a cholesterol-lowering effect.
Harvest time The flower bud as a vegetable in June and July shortly before blooming, the leaves of the basal rosette after harvesting the flower bud.
Habitat Mediterranean region, South America, and California.
Ingredients Bitter compounds, such as the sesquiterpene lactone cynaropicrin, can only be found in the leaves; furthermore, flavonoids such as luteolin and cynaroside, as well as phenolic acids such as cynarin and chlorogenic acid

Name Devil’s Claw
Botanical name Harpagophytum procumbens DC. Ex Meisn.
Botanical family Pedaliaceae
Parts of the plant used Roots or the tuberous secondary roots. The harpagosides contained in the roots are often used in medicines due to their anti-inflammatory, decongestant, and pain-relieving effects. Also frequently used for osteoarthritis, as protein-degrading enzymes are inhibited, thus protecting the joint cartilage. Numerous studies confirm the efficacy of this medicinal plant.
Harvest time Varies
Habitat Savanna and grassy vegetation, red, sandy soils or in alluvial areas
Ingredients Iridoid glycosides, principally harpagoside, flavonoids such as kaempferol and luteolin, as well as unsaturated fatty acids, cinnamic acid, and chlorogenic acid

Name Frankincense
Botanical name Boswellia serrata Roxb. Ex Colebr.
Botanical family Burseraceae
Parts of the plant used Resin
Harvest time Obtained by cutting into the bark
Habitat Dry areas and barren landscapes up to an altitude of 1200 meters
Ingredients 50 to 70% resins with beta-boswellic acid as the main component, also mucilage and essential oil

Name Peppermint
Botanical name Mentha x piperita L.
Botanical family Lamiaceae
Parts of the plant used Leaves and the pure, essential peppermint oil
Harvest time March to May before flowering season
Habitat Moist, nutrient-rich soils; semi-shady, slightly sunny locations
Ingredients Essential oil with the main components menthol and menthone

Name Rhodiola Rosea
Botanical name Rhodiola rosea L.
Botanical family Crassulaceae
Parts of the plant used Root and rootstock (root and rhizome)
Harvest time Spring and autumn
Habitat On moist soils in the mountainous regions of Eurasia and North America up to an altutude of 2300 meters.
Ingredients Phenylpropanoids: rosavine, rosin and rosarin, as well as various flavonoids, essential oils, and organic acids

Name Indian Ginseng, Winter Cherry
Botanical name Withania somnifera L.
Botanical family Solanaceae
Parts of the plant used Root
Harvest time Winter
Habitat Prefers warm, dry climates
Ingredients Alkaloids, such as somniferine, phytosterols, as well as steroid lactones and saponins, also estrogenic components, such as withanolides and withaferin.

Name St. John’s Wort
Botanical name Hypericum perforatum L.
Botanical family Hypericaceae
Parts of the plant used Both the flowering herb and the flowers on their own. St. John’s Wort is therefore always associated with sun and – figuratively speaking – also with cheerfulness. The power of St. John’s Wort can brighten the gloomy and somewhat depressive time of the year. It is therefore not surprising that both Paracelsus and modern conventional medicine recommend St. John’s Wort for mood enhancement.
Harvest time Late June to September
Habitat Embankments, roadsides, rubble heaps
Ingredients Mainly hypericin, hyperforin, as well as flavonoids and bitter compounds

Name Milk Thistle
Botanical name Carduus Marianus, Silybum marianum
Botanical family Asteraceae
Parts of the plant used Typically, milk thistle seeds are used. These contain the main active ingredient silymarin or silybin, which has a pronounced liver-protective effect and is even successfully used in cases of liver poisoning. Numerous scientific studies impressively confirm the efficacy and excellent tolerability of this medicinal plant.
Harvest time August and September
Habitat Roadsides and fallow areas
Ingredients Mainly silibinin, also silybin, the most pharmacologically active substance of the active ingredient complex