Tormentil

OTHER NAME(S): Biscuits, Bloodroot, Cinquefoil, Earthbank, English Sarsaparilla, Ewe Daisy, Flesh and Blood, Potentielle Droite, Potentille, Potentille Dressée, Potentilla, Potentille Tormentille, Septfoil, Shepherd's Knapperty, Shepherd's Knot, Thormantle, Tormentilla, Tormentillae Rhizoma, Tormentille, Potentilla erecta, Potentilla tormentilla, Potentille dressée

Overview

Tormentil (Potentilla erecta) is a plant in the Rosaceae family that's found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It's traditionally used for diarrhea.

Tormentil contains ingredients called tannins that might help reduce skininflammation. Tannins also have a drying effect. This effect might help control diarrhea and stop bleeding.

People use tormentil for diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, bleeding, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Don't confuse tormentil with bloodroot, German sarsaparilla, potentilla, or sarsaparilla. These are not the same.

References
  1. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
  2. Schulz V, Hansel R, Tyler VE. Rational Phytotherapy: A Physician's Guide to Herbal Medicine. Terry C. Telger, transl. 3rd ed. Berlin, GER: Springer, 1998.
  3. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
  4. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  5. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  6. Subbotina MD, Timchenko VN, Vorobyov MM, et al. Effect of oral administration of tormentil root extract (Potentilla tormentilla) on rotavirus diarrhea in children: a randomized, double blind, controlled trial. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2003;22:706-11..
  7. Tunon, H., Olavsdotter, C., and Bohlin, L. Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of some Swedish medicinal plants. Inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis and PAF-induced exocytosis. J Ethnopharmacol 1995;48(2):61-76.
  8. SCHENCK, G., FROMMING, K. H., and FROHNECKE, L. [Paper chromatography of the ingredients of tormentil tincture]. Arch.Pharm.Ber.Dtsch.Pharm.Ges. 1957;290/62(10):453-457.
  9. Gazikalovic, E., Bodiroga, M., and Ognjanovic, J. [Determination of tannins in the rhizomes of Potentilla tormentilla]. Vojnosanit.Pregl. 1992;49(4):339-342.
  10. Kite, G. C., Porter, E. A., and Simmonds, M. S. Chromatographic behaviour of steroidal saponins studied by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. J.Chromatogr.A 5-4-2007;1148(2):177-183.
  11. Moss, A. C. and Cheifetz, A. S. Reducing the torment of diarrhea: tormentil for active ulcerative colitis. J.Clin.Gastroenterol. 2007;41(9):797-798.
  12. Huber, R., Ditfurth, A. V., Amann, F., Guthlin, C., Rostock, M., Trittler, R., Kummerer, K., and Merfort, I. Tormentil for active ulcerative colitis: an open-label, dose-escalating study. J.Clin.Gastroenterol. 2007;41(9):834-838.
  13. Nikitina, V. S., Kuz'mina, L. I., Melent'ev, A. I., and Shendel', G. V. [Antibacterial activity of polyphenolic compounds isolated from plants of Geraniaceae and Rosaceae families]. Prikl.Biokhim.Mikrobiol. 2007;43(6):705-712.
  14. Tomczyk, M. and Latte, K. P. Potentilla--a review of its phytochemical and pharmacological profile. J.Ethnopharmacol. 3-18-2009;122(2):184-204.
  15. Fecka, I. Development of chromatographic methods for determination of agrimoniin and related polyphenols in pharmaceutical products. J.AOAC Int. 2009;92(2):410-418.
  16. Volodina, E. V., Maksimovskii, IuM, and Lebedev, K. A. [The combined treatment of lichen ruber planus of the mouth mucosa]. Stomatologiia (Mosk) 1997;76(2):28-32.
  17. Zaiteva SI, Matveeva SL Gerasimova TG Pashkov YN Butov DA Pylypchuk VS Frolov VM Kutsyna GA. Efficacy and safety of phytoconcentrate Dzherelo (Immunoxel) in treatment of patients with multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) in comparison to standartd chemotherapy. Research Journal of Medical Sciences. 2009;3(2):36-41.
  18. Kaltalioglu K, Balabanli B, Coskun-Cevher S. Phenolic, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and In-vivo Wound Healing Properties of Potentilla erecta L. Root Extract in Diabetic Rats. Iran J Pharm Res 2020;19(4):264-274.
  19. Marcinczyk N, Golaszewska A, Gromotowicz-Poplawska A, et al. Multidirectional effects of tormentil extract on hemostasis in experimental diabetes. Front Pharmacol 2021;12:682987.