Pelargonium sidoides

Umckaloabo
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Geraniales
Family: Geraniaceae
Genus: Pelargonium
Species: P. sidoides
Binomial name
Pelargonium sidoides
DC.

Pelargonium sidoides is a medicinal plant native to South Africa. Its common names include umckaloabo and South African geranium. Root extract of Pelargonium sidoides is used as cold and flu medicine under various brand names including Kaloba, Umcka and Zucol. Evidence to support its use is low to very low.[1]

Medicinal uses

A 2013 Cochrane review found tentative evidence of benefit with Pelargonium sidoides for the symptoms of the acute bronchitis, the common cold and acute rhinosinusitis; however, the quality of the evidence was low to very low.[1]

A summary of this review found that all studies were "from the same investigator (the manufacturer) and performed in the same region (Ukraine and Russia)."[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Timmer, A; Günther, J; Motschall, E; Rücker, G; Antes, G; Kern, WV (22 October 2013). "Pelargonium sidoides extract for treating acute respiratory tract infections.". The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 10: CD006323. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006323.pub3. PMID 24146345.
  2. ↑ http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD006323/pelargonium-sidoides-umckaloabo-a-herbal-remedy-for-treating-acute-respiratory-tract-infections cochrane 2013.

Further reading

Rezaizadehnajafi, Leila; Wink, Micchael (17 October 2013). "Pelargonium sidoides increases stress resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans probably via the DAF-16/FOXO pathway". Elsevier. 21 (4): 547–550. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2013.10.027. 


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