Chelidonium majus
Greater celandine
Chelidonium majus, commonly known as Greater Celandine, is a perennial herb renowned for its bright yellow, latex-rich sap. Historically utilized in traditional medicine, it is primarily recognized for its cholagogue properties, supporting liver and gallbladder health. While potent, its bioactive alkaloids require careful handling and precise medicinal application.
- Scientific name: Chelidonium majus
- Family: Papaveraceae
- Native range: Europe
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is further organized under the order Ranunculales and the family Papaveraceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Chelidonium.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Ranunculales | WCVP |
| Family | Papaveraceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Chelidonium | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Chelidonium majus, is referred to by various common names across different linguistic regions. In Simplified Chinese, it is known as 白屈菜 (zh-cn), 白屈莱 (zh-hans), or 白屈莱属 (zh-sg), while in Traditional Chinese contexts, it is identified as 白屈萊屬 (zh-hant) and 白屈萊屬 (zh-hk).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 白屈莱 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 白屈萊屬 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 白屈萊屬 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 白屈菜 | Wikidata |
| zh-sg | 白屈莱属 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 白屈菜 | Wikidata |
| pl | Glistnik jaskółcze ziele | Wikidata |
| eu | Zaran-belar | Wikidata |
| ko | 애기똥풀 | Wikidata |
| hu | vérehulló fecskefű | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several regions in Northern Europe. It can be found growing within the borders of Denmark and Finland. Furthermore, its presence extends to the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. The species is also documented as occurring in Norway. Together, these locations define its northern European habitat.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | Denmark | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Finland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Great Britain | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Ireland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Norway | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Sweden | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Austria | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Belgium | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Czechia-Slovakia | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Germany | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as Greater Celandine, is highly valued in herbal medicine for various components found throughout its structure. The aerial parts, including the leaves and stems, are frequently harvested for their therapeutic properties. A distinguishing characteristic of this species is the presence of a bright, yellow-colored latex that oozes from the stems and leaves when they are damaged. This potent plant sap contains the active alkaloids necessary for its medicinal effects. While the roots are also utilized in traditional preparations, many modern applications rely on a whole plant extract to ensure a comprehensive profile of its bioactive constituents.- Total parts
- 8
- Scientific sources
- 9
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| aerial parts | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| yellow-colored latex | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| whole plant extract | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| roots | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| plant sap | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| latex | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| herb | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Latex | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Chelidonium majus has 57 reported phytochemicals identified across 113 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include chelidonine, sanguinarine, chelerythrine, coptisine, protopine.
- Total chemicals
- 57
- Scientific sources
- 113
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| chelidonine | 12 | ★★★★★ |
| sanguinarine | 12 | ★★★★★ |
| chelerythrine | 11 | ★★★★★ |
| coptisine | 7 | ★★★★☆ |
| protopine | 6 | ★★★☆☆ |
| berberine | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| allocryptopine | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| 8-hydroxydihydrochelerythrine | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 8-hydroxydihydrosanguinarine | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Sanguinarine | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Chelidonium majus has 18 reported activities identified across 28 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimicrobial, Anticancer, Antioxidant, Analgesic, Antiviral.
- Total activities
- 18
- Scientific sources
- 28
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antimicrobial | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| Anticancer | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Analgesic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiviral | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antineoplastic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiproliferative | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antispasmodic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antitussive | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Chelidonium majus has 44 reported medicinal uses identified across 52 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, analgesic, irritable bowel syndrome, tumor, Bacillus subtilis.
- Total uses
- 44
- Scientific sources
- 52
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| cancer | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| analgesic | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| irritable bowel syndrome | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tumor | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Bacillus subtilis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Endometriosis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Fusarium | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Melanoma | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| antineoplastic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |