Althaea officinalis

<p><i ><b>Althaea officinalis</b></i> (<b >Marshmallow</b>, <b >Marsh Mallow</b>, or <b >Common Marshmallow</b>) is a species indigenous to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa" title="Africa" >Africa</a>, which is used as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicinal_plant" title="Medicinal plant" class="mw-redirect" >medicinal plant</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornamental_plant" title="Ornamental plant" >ornamental plant</a>. A confection made from the root since ancient Egyptian time evolved into today's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshmallow" title="Marshmallow" >marshmallow</a> treat.

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<th colspan="2" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_classification" title="Biological classification" >Scientific classification</a></th>

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<td >Kingdom:</td>

<td ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantae" title="Plantae" class="mw-redirect" >Plantae</a></td>

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<td >(unranked):</td>

<td ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angiosperms" title="Angiosperms" class="mw-redirect" >Angiosperms</a></td>

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<td >(unranked):</td>

<td ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eudicots" title="Eudicots" >Eudicots</a></td>

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<td >(unranked):</td>

<td ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosids" title="Rosids" >Rosids</a></td>

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<td >Order:</td>

<td ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvales" title="Malvales" >Malvales</a></td>

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<td >Family:</td>

<td ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvaceae" title="Malvaceae" >Malvaceae</a></td>

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<td >Genus:</td>

<td ><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_(genus)" title="Althaea (genus)" >Althaea</a></i></td>

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<td >Species:</td>

<td ><i><b>A. officinalis</b></i></td>

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<th colspan="2" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binomial_nomenclature" title="Binomial nomenclature" >Binomial name</a></th>

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<td colspan="2" ><b><i>Althaea officinalis</i></b></td>

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<h2 >Description</h2>

<p >The stems, which die down in the autumn, are erect, 3 to 4 feet (1.2 m) high, simple, or putting out only a few lateral branches. The leaves, shortly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petiole_(botany)" title="Petiole (botany)" >petioled</a>, are roundish, ovate-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordate" title="Cordate" class="mw-redirect" >cordate</a>, 2 to 3 inches (76 mm) long, and about 1 1/4 inch broad, entire or three to five lobed, irregularly toothed at the margin, and thick. They are soft and velvety on both sides, due to a dense covering of stellate hairs. The flowers are shaped like those of the common Mallow, but are smaller and of a pale colour, and are either axillary, or in panicles, more often the latter.

The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamens" title="Stamens" class="mw-redirect" >stamens</a> are united into a tube, the anthers, kidney-shaped and one-celled. The flowers are in bloom during August and September, and are followed, as in other species of this order, by the flat, round fruit which are popularly called 'cheeses.'

The common Mallow is frequently called by country people 'Marsh Mallow,' but the true Marsh Mallow is distinguished from all the other Mallows growing in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain" title="Great Britain" >Great Britain</a>, by the numerous divisions of the outer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepals" title="Sepals" class="mw-redirect" >calyx</a> (six to nine cleft), by the hoary down which thickly clothes the stems and foliage, and by the numerous panicles of blush-coloured flowers, paler than the Common Mallow. The roots are perennial, thick, long and tapering, very tough and pliant, whitish yellow outside, white and fibrous within. The whole plant, particularly the root, abounds with a mild <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mucilage" title="Mucilage" >mucilage</a>, which is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emollient" title="Emollient" class="mw-redirect" >emollient</a> to a much greater degree than the common Mallow.<sup class="Template-Fact" >[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" >citation needed</a></i>]</sup> The generic name, <i>Althaea</i>, is derived from the Greek <i>altho</i> (to cure), from its healing properties. The name of the family, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malvaceae" title="Malvaceae" >Malvaceae</a>, is derived from the Greek <i>malake</i> (soft), from the special qualities of the Mallows in softening and healing.

Most of the Mallows have been used as food, and are mentioned by early classic writers with this connection. Mallow was an <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/esculent" class="extiw" title="wiktionary:esculent" >esculent</a> vegetable among the Romans; a dish of Marsh Mallow was one of their delicacies. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosper_Alpinus" title="Prosper Alpinus" class="mw-redirect" >Prosper Alpinus</a> stated in 1592 that a plant of the Mallow kind was eaten by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptians" title="Egyptians" >Egyptians</a>. Many of the poorer inhabitants of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria" title="Syria" >Syria</a> subsist for weeks on herbs, of which Marsh Mallow is one of the most common. When boiled first and fried with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onions" title="Onions" class="mw-redirect" >onions</a> and butter, the roots are said to form a palatable dish, and in times of scarcity consequent upon the failure of the crops, this plant, which fortunately grows there in great abundance, is collected heavily as a foodstuff.</p>

<h2 >[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Althaea_officinalis&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Traditional uses" >edit</a>]Traditional uses</h2>

<p >The leaves, flowers and the root of <i>A. officinalis</i> (marshmallow) all have medicinal properties. These are reflected in the name of the genus, which comes from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language" >Greek</a> <i>althainein</i>, meaning "to heal".<sup id="cite_ref-S.26S_0-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis#cite_note-S.26S-0" >[1]</a></sup> In traditional Chinese medicine, <i>Althaea officinalis</i> is known as 藥蜀葵 (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin" title="Pinyin" >pinyin</a>:<em>yàoshǔkuí</em>). It increases the flow of breast milk and soothes the bronchial tubes.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis#cite_note-1" >[2]</a></sup><sup class="noprint Inline-Template" >[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Identifying_reliable_sources" title="Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources" >unreliable source?</a></i>]</sup>

Marshmallow is traditionally used as a treatment for the irritation of mucus membranes, including use as a gargle for mouth and throat <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_ulcer" title="Oral ulcer" class="mw-redirect" >ulcers</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastric_ulcer" title="Gastric ulcer" class="mw-redirect" >gastric ulcers</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis#cite_note-2" >[3]</a></sup> A study on rats concluded that an extract from the flowers has potential benefits for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlipidemia" title="Hyperlipidemia" >hyperlipidemia</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastric_ulcer" title="Gastric ulcer" class="mw-redirect" >gastric ulcers</a> and platelet aggregation.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis#cite_note-3" >[4]</a></sup>

The root extract (halawa extract) is sometimes used as flavouring in the making of a middle eastern snack called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halva" title="Halva" >halva</a>. The flowers and young leaves can be eaten, and are often added to salads or are boiled and fried.</p>

Marshmalow roots</div>

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<p >The root has been used since the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ages" title="Middle Ages" >Middle Ages</a> in the treatment of sore throat.<sup id="cite_ref-C.26EN_4-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis#cite_note-C.26EN-4" >[5]</a></sup> The later French version of the recipe, called <i>pâté de guimauve</i> (or "guimauve" for short), included an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggwhite" title="Eggwhite" class="mw-redirect" >eggwhite</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meringue" title="Meringue" >meringue</a> and was often flavored with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_water" title="Rose water" >rose water</a>. <i>Pâté de guimauve</i> more closely resembles contemporary commercially available <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshmallow" title="Marshmallow" >marshmallows</a>, which no longer contain any actual marshmallow.</p>

<h2 >[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Althaea_officinalis&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Chemistry" >edit</a>]Chemistry</h2>

<p >Chemical constituents include <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Altheahexacosanyl_lactone&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Altheahexacosanyl lactone (page does not exist)" >altheahexacosanyl lactone</a> (<i>n</i>-hexacos-2-enyl-1,5-olide), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2%CE%B2-hydroxycalamene&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="2β-hydroxycalamene (page does not exist)" >2β-hydroxycalamene</a> (altheacalamene) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Altheacoumarin_glucoside&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Altheacoumarin glucoside (page does not exist)" >altheacoumarin glucoside</a> (5,6-dihydroxycoumarin-5-dodecanoate-6β-<small>D</small>-glucopyranoside), along with the known phytoconstituents <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauric_acid" title="Lauric acid" >lauric acid</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%92-sitosterol" title="Β-sitosterol" class="mw-redirect" >β-sitosterol</a>and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanosterol" title="Lanosterol" >lanosterol</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis#cite_note-5" >[6]</a></sup></p>

Marshmallow (<i>Althaea officinalis</i>)</div>

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<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famine_food" title="Famine food" >Famine food</a></li>

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<h2 >[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Althaea_officinalis&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: References" >edit</a>]References</h2>

<li id="cite_note-S.26S-0" ><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis#cite_ref-S.26S_0-0" >^{</a></b>&nbsp};Gualtiero Simonetti (1990). Stanley Schuler. ed. <i>Simon & Schuster's Guide to Herbs and Spices</i>. Simon & Schuster, Inc. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number" title="International Standard Book Number" >ISBN</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-671-73489-X" title="Special:BookSources/0-671-73489-X" >0-671-73489-X</a>.</li>

<li id="cite_note-1" ><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis#cite_ref-1" >^{</a></b> }<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.gaiagarden.com/products/marshmallow/" >"Marshmallow Remedies | Gaia Garden Herbals"</a>. Gaiagarden.com. Retrieved 2009-01-03.</li>

<li id="cite_note-2" ><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis#cite_ref-2" >^{</a></b> }<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://research.rmutp.ac.th/paper/cu/Herbal%20Therapy.pdf" >John S. Williamson & Christy M. Wyandt 1997. Herbal therapies: The facts and the fiction. <i>Drug topics</i></a></li>

<li id="cite_note-3" ><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis#cite_ref-3" >^{</a></b> Hage-Sleiman}, R; Mroueh, M; Daher, CF (2011). "Pharmacological evaluation of aqueous extract of Althaea officinalis flower grown in Lebanon". <i>Pharmaceutical biology</i> <b>49</b> (3): 327–33.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_object_identifier" title="Digital object identifier" >doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3109%2F13880209.2010.516754" >10.3109/13880209.2010.516754</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed_Identifier" title="PubMed Identifier" class="mw-redirect" >PMID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21281251" >21281251</a>.</li>

<li id="cite_note-C.26EN-4" ><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis#cite_ref-C.26EN_4-0" >^{</a></b> Petkewich}, Rachel (2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/84/8416marshmallows.html" >"What's that stuff? Marshmallow"</a>. <i>Chemical & Engineering News</i> <b>84</b> (16): 41. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_object_identifier" title="Digital object identifier" >doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1021%2Fcen-v084n011.p041" >10.1021/cen-v084n011.p041</a>. Retrieved 2008-02-10.</li>

<li id="cite_note-5" ><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis#cite_ref-5" >^{</a></b> Rani}, S.; Khan, S.A.; Ali, M. (2010). "Phytochemical investigation of the seeds of Althea officinalis L". <i>Natural Product Research</i> <b>24</b> (14): 1358–1364. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_object_identifier" title="Digital object identifier" >doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F14786411003650777" >10.1080/14786411003650777</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed_Identifier" title="PubMed Identifier" class="mw-redirect" >PMID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20803381" >20803381</a>.</li>

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<h2 >[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Althaea_officinalis&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: External links" >edit</a>]External links</h2>

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<td class="mbox-text" >Wikimedia Commons has media related to: <i><b><a class="external text" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis" >Althaea officinalis</a></b></i></td>

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<li ><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/althaeaoffi.html" >Connecticut Botanical Society: <i>Althaea officinalis</i></a></li>

<li ><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Althaea+officinalis" >Plants For A Future: <i>Althaea officinalis</i></a></li>

<li ><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALOF2" >USDA Plants profile: <i>Althaea officinalis</i></a></li>

<li ><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/m/mallow07.html" >Botanical.com: Mallows including <i>Althaea officinalis</i></a></li>

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