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Herb & Supplement Encyclopedia: |
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Shepherd's Purse |
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 Scientific Names |
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 Forms |
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 Traditional Usage |
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 Overview |
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 Active Ingredients |
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 Suggested Amount |
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 Drug Interactions |
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 Contraindications |
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 Side Effects |
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 References |
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Scientific Names: |
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Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Med. [Fam. Brassicaceae] |
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Forms: |
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Fresh or dried aboveground parts of Capsella bursa-pastoris. |
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Traditional Usage: |
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- Arthritic Pain Relief
- Bladder Health Maintenance
- Cellular Regeneration
- Cleansing
- Detoxification
- Diarrhea
- External and Internal Bleeding
- Female Health Maintenance
- Hemorrhaging
- Menstrual Health Maintenance
- Nose Bleeds
- Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
- Styptic
- Urinary System Problems
- Wounds, Abrasions, and Burns |
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Overview: |
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Shepherd's purse, Capsella bursa-pastoris L. [Fam. Brassicaceae], also known as pick-pocket and witches' pouches, is an annual or biennial plant native to Europe that has now naturalized as a weedy introduction to disturbed soils around the world. Its common name comes from its flat seed pouches, which look like small, heart-shaped purses. Traditionally, shepherd's purse was used for diarrhea; urinary and bladder inflammation accompanied by urinary bleeding; hemorrhaging after childbirth; internal bleeding of the lungs and colon; as a styptic; and to treat painful menstrual periods. Externally, shepherd's purse reduces the pain and swelling from bruises, wounds, strains, and arthritis. Both the German Commission E monographs and the German Standard License have approved shepherd's purse to treat unusually heavy and persistent menstruation and nosebleeds. Shepherd's purse extracts are found in many drugs and teas used to treat premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Shepherd's purse is noted for its usefulness in treating mild forms of passive hemorrhage and is said to accomplish permanent cures in abnormally heavy menstrual or menopausal bleeding and mild forms of intestinal or gastric hemorrhage from simple ulceration. Shepherd's purse is also used for treating dyspepsia, dysentery and bleeding piles. Externally, shepherd's purse juice has been applied to bruises and strains, as well as to rheumatic joints. Additionally, in Asian medicine, it's used for swelling and urinary tract infections. Studies with an extract of Capsella bursa-pastoris herb in mice showed a 50 to 80% inhibition of solid abnormal growths that had been inoculated into the tissue of the animals. Experiments done to isolate and identify the active component causing the significant inhibition of abnormal growths identified an acidic substance from the herb extract. This acidic substance was identified as fumaric acid and was effective in inhibiting the growth of Ehrlich solid abnormal growths at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day. |
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Active Ingredients: |
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Shepherd's purse contains: flavonoids, including luteolin, quercetin 7-rutinosides, luteolin 7-galactoside, disometin, hesperetin, and their glycosides [e.g. rutin, hesperidin]; sinigrin and other glucosinolates; and potassium salts. Shepherd's purse also contains: amines (acetylcholine, choline, 2.33% amino acids [major component proline], histamine, tyramine); unidentified crystalline alkaloids; volatile oils 0.02% including camphor as the major component and at least 74 components identified; fixed oil; resin; and other constituents including carotenoids, fumaric acid, sinigrin [mustard oil glucoside], ascorbic acid [vitamin C], and vitamin K. [Jurisson S. 1971. Determination of active substances of Capsella bursa pastoris. Tartu Riiliku Ulikooli Toim 1971; (270); 71-9]. |
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Suggested Amount: |
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The maximum recommended daily dose for internal use of cut shepherd's purse is 10-15 grams. For tea, pour boiling water over 3-5 grams (1 teaspoon = 1.5 grams) of finely chopped shepherd's purse, steep 10-15 minutes, then strain. Drink one cup of infusion 2 to 4 times daily between meals. Fluid extract 1:1 (g/ml), in 25% alcohol: 1-4 ml taken three times per day. For external use add 3-5 grams of the drug to a 150 ml infusion and apply to affected region. Fluid extract: 5-8 grams as a topical. |
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Drug Interactions: |
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None known. |
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Contraindications: |
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Shepherd's purse is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation and for those with a history of kidney stones. Prolonged use of this herb may interfere with existing therapy for hyper- or hypotension, thyroid dysfunction, or cardiac disorder, and may potentiate sedative actions. Shepherd's purse is believed to be an abortifacient, to affect the menstrual cycle, and to be an oxytocic and uteroactive agent. Excessive use should be avoided. |
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Side Effects: |
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Large doses of fluidextract may cause heart palpitations. Extracts of shepherd's purse has been reported to cause low toxicity in mice with the following symptoms sedation, enlargement of the pupils, paralysis of hind limbs, difficulty in respiration and death by respiratory failure or paralysis. Studies have shown that humans injected with shepherd's purse experience a racing heartbeat, uterine contractions, and both an increase and decrease of blood pressure levels. The 50% lethal dose of fumaric acid given through intravenous (based on studies done with mice) was 266 mg/kg. |
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References: |
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Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J 2000. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Copyright American Botanical Council. Publ. by Integrative Medicine Communications, 1029 Chestnut Street, Newton, MA 02464. pp. 350-353.
Kuroda K, Akao M, Kanisawa M, Miyaki K. 1976. Inhibitory effect of Capsella bursa-pastoris extract on growth of Ehrlich solid tumor in mice. Cancer Res 1976 Jun; 36(6): 1900-3.
Kuroda K. Kadu T. Pharmacological and chemical studies on the alcohol extract of Capsella bursa-pastoris. Life Sci 1969; 8: 151-5
Miyazawa M et al. The constituents of the essential oils from Capsella bursa-pastoris Medik. Yakugaku Zasshi 1979; 99: 1041-3
Wichtl M and NG Bisset (eds). 1994. Capsella bursa-pastoris. In Herbal Drugs and Phyto-pharmaceuticals. (English translation by Norman Grainger Bisset). CRC Press, Stuttgart, pp. 112-114.
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