Plantain: use, properties, and tradition

Plantain is an herbaceous botanical species found throughout Italy and is globally ubiquitous.

Its habitat includes grassy areas, uncultivated lands, meadows, pastures from 0 to 2000 meters above sea level.

In dialect, it’s called “lingua di cane” (dog’s tongue), “orecchie di gatto” (cat’s ears), or “cinquenervi” (five-veined). The genus name comes from the Latin “planta = plant” (referring to the feet) due to the leaf resemblance to feet and its ability to thrive in trodden areas.

Plantago lanceolata is a perennial herb with narrow, lanceolate leaves, organized in a basal rosette, more or less erect, with prominent longitudinal veins. The rhizome is short, thick, and fibrous with fasciculate roots. The scapes, emerging at the level of basal leaves, are 20-40 cm tall, with 5 evident edges, ending in a generally cylindrical spike, 2 to 4 cm long, with brown bracts and numerous closely packed flowers. The calyx has 2 free sepals and 2 fused sepals, and the tubular corolla has 4 small lobes of reddish or light brown color. The 4 stamens have white-yellow anthers, long and vibrating for wind pollination. The fruit is a small capsule with 2 compartments, each containing a 2 mm long boat-shaped seed. The flowering period is between May and July.

Plantago major is also a perennial herb with oval leaves, 5-12 cm by 3-8 cm, forming a basal rosette with a winged petiole half the length of the blade. The leaves have undulating margins and parallel veins meeting at the petiole and apex. The stem is erect, without edges, ending in a thin, cylindrical, green-yellow-rust-colored spike at the apex, consisting of numerous tiny hermaphroditic flowers. The calyx is divided into 4 oval sepals fused at the base, and the corolla is membranous, tubular, divided into 4 lobes with 4 stamens and large anthers protruding. The fruit is always a capsule, dehiscent, containing 4-25 dark and wrinkled seeds. Flowering occurs between March and November.

Plantain is extensively used in herbal medicine. The “Flora italiana” describes over twenty Plantago species, all with the same health properties.

The drug includes roots, aerial parts, and seeds.

Roots have astringent properties. Aerial parts contain iridoid glycosides, mucilage, arabinogalactan, a glucomannan, pectin, flavonoids, coumarins, saponins, citric acid, silicic acid, oxalic acid, chlorogenic acid, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and silicon.

Plantain boasts anti-inflammatory and bacteriostatic properties in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary systems. It is beneficial for diarrhea, hemorrhoids, cystitis, bronchitis, catarrh, sinusitis, hay fever, ear infections, and dry cough when used internally. Externally, it aids in wounds, ulcers, burns, and insect stings. In folk medicine, the plant’s juice, combined with rose water, was used to treat eye inflammations, while a decoction of leaves in lime water resolved lower limb ulcers.

Seeds have emollient and refreshing properties.

In particular, the species Plantago psyllium L. has had extensive use in herbal tradition and is still widely used. The drug used is the seeds, which contain mucilage (xylitol, galacturonic acid, arabinose, and rhamnose) and have a high swelling index when immersed in water, giving them laxative effects. The same effect can be achieved with the fluid extract of the seeds (a pharmaceutical form that makes the product more convenient to take).

As a bulk-forming laxative, Psyllium seeds can draw water once in the intestines and swell due to the mucilage they contain. The increased volume stimulates peristalsis and promotes the expulsion of feces in individuals suffering from constipation. Additionally, stools become softer, causing less discomfort for those prone to hemorrhoids or those who have undergone surgery.

They are not only useful for constipation but also for both chronic and acute diarrhea. The anti-diarrheal effects are also due to the action of mucilage, which absorbs excess fluids in the intestines, increases the viscosity of feces, and, consequently, the intestinal transit time, regulating defecation. The same effect can be achieved with the fluid extract of the seeds, a pharmaceutical form that makes the product more practical to consume. The only precaution to follow is to avoid the drug in case of stenosis of the gastrointestinal tract or esophagus and take the product away from the ingestion of other drugs to avoid absorption interference.

In alimurgical terms, all Plantains can be used in salads (young and tender leaves), soups, and even pesto, as indicated in this recipe:

Ingredients:

– 50 grams of young Plantain leaves

– 20-30 grams of olive oil

– 20 grams of finely chopped walnuts

– 10-20 grams of pecorino cheese

Finely chop the Plantain leaves perpendicular to the veins. Crush or blend everything together with oil and salt. Add the chopped nuts and cheese to the pesto, along with plenty of black pepper, and stir with a spoon.

A scientific study from Iran, published on January 14, 2018, demonstrated that a gel based on Aloe vera and Plantago major applied to patients with diabetic foot ulcers could effectively reduce the wound’s extent, if not its depth. Nevertheless, the remedy proved to be effective, economical, and safe.

Fun Fact: Plantain is the protagonist of a painting titled “La zolla,” a watercolor painted in 1503 by the famous Renaissance painter Albrecht Durer (1471-1528). This artwork represents nature from a low perspective, “photographing” some common herbs (plantain, dandelion, grass), portraying Spring in its simplicity and yet expressing its beauty, as if observing the Universe through a detailed microcosm.

ANJA LATINI

Registered Herbalist at RNEP No. GLT0018S