Plant Comparison
Marshmallow Root vs Mallow
A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.
At a glance
Marshmallow Root and Mallow: both belong to the Malvaceae family; they share 4 indicated uses (cancer (anticancer research), cough, skin irritation, …); 2 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Marshmallow Root | Mallow | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer (anticancer research) | 7/10 | 7/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Cough | 7/10 | 1/10 | Stronger for Marshmallow Root |
| Skin irritation | 5/10 | 2/10 | Stronger for Marshmallow Root |
| Sore throat | 1/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
Evidence scores (1–10) are computed from the tier of each cited source. “Comparable” means the two scores are within one point. Follow a score to its detailed sources.
Key Constituents
The principal soothing, film-forming constituents; the isolated rhamnogalacturonan also shows direct antitussive activity in animal models.
The high mucilage content gives the demulcent, soothing action.
The blue-purple pigments and antioxidant constituents.
Phenolic constituents associated with antioxidant and reported antiproliferative (anticancer) activity in cell studies.
Pharmacological Actions
Althaea officinalis root extract and its polysaccharides show chemopreventive/anticancer activity, including protection against chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis (preclinical).
Antitussive (calms dry, irritating cough) - in animal studies the root rhamnogalacturonan suppresses the cough reflex dose-dependently, comparably to codeine, via 5-HT2 receptors rather than bronchodilation
Demulcent for irritation of the mouth or throat and associated dry cough (mucilage coats and soothes); Eases mild stomach and gut discomfort, including heartburn / acid reflux and indigestion (protective mucilage)
Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and wound-healing (preclinical)
Antibacterial / antimicrobial (methanolic leaf extracts; the naphthoquinone Malvone A)
Demulcent for irritation of the mouth or throat and associated dry cough (soothing mucilage); Mild laxative for occasional constipation (mucilage; traditional)
Mild laxative for occasional constipation (mucilage; traditional)
Traditional & Indicated Uses
Eases mild stomach and gut discomfort, including heartburn / acid reflux and indigestion (protective mucilage)
Althaea officinalis extract is chemoprotective against N-diethylnitrosamine-induced liver carcinogenesis, and marshmallow polysaccharides show documented anticancer activity (preclinical/chemopreventive).
Antitussive (calms dry, irritating cough) - in animal studies the root rhamnogalacturonan suppresses the cough reflex dose-dependently, comparably to codeine, via 5-HT2 receptors rather than bronchodilation; Demulcent for irritation of the mouth or throat and associated dry cough (mucilage coats and soothes)
Eases mild stomach and gut discomfort, including heartburn / acid reflux and indigestion (protective mucilage)
Topical soothing for irritated skin
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anticancer action
Mild laxative for occasional constipation (mucilage; traditional)
Demulcent for irritation of the mouth or throat and associated dry cough (soothing mucilage)
inferred from antimicrobial action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from analgesic action
Soothes irritated and inflamed skin and mucous membranes
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Very well tolerated. The mucilage can slow the absorption of other medicines, so take other drugs about an hour before or after marshmallow.
It may mildly lower blood sugar (caution alongside antidiabetic medicines). Use in pregnancy and breastfeeding is not recommended in the absence of adequate data.
Generally very well tolerated. Irritation of the mouth/throat or a cough that persists beyond about a week, or is accompanied by fever or breathlessness, needs medical assessment.
Use in pregnancy and breastfeeding is not recommended in the absence of adequate data.
External Ids
Botanical Description
Soft, downy perennial herb with an erect, branching stem and broad, soft, velvety, greyish-green leaves, shallowly 3-5-lobed and toothed. Pale pink to white five-petalled flowers, typical of the mallow family, are borne singly or in small clusters in the leaf axils. The thick, fleshy, whitish taproot is the main medicinal part, rich in soothing mucilage.[11]
Biennial or short-lived perennial herb, 30-120 cm tall, with erect or sprawling, branched, often reddish stems. Leaves are alternate, long-stalked and palmately lobed with 5-7 shallow rounded lobes and toothed margins. Flowers are pink-purple with darker veining, with five notch-tipped petals borne in small axillary clusters. The fruit is a flattened, disc-shaped schizocarp ('cheese') that splits into a ring of small single-seeded nutlets.[2]
Habitat
Grows in damp meadows, salt marshes, ditches and riverbanks, especially near brackish or coastal wetlands; native to Europe, Western Asia and North Africa.[11]
Common on roadsides, waste ground, hedgebanks and field margins across Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia, and widely naturalised elsewhere; tolerates a wide range of soils, favouring sunny, disturbed, nitrogen-rich sites.[2]
Harvesting
The root is dug in autumn from plants at least two years old, when mucilage content is highest, then washed, peeled and dried quickly to prevent mould, given its high mucilage and sugar content.[11]
Leaves and flowers are gathered during the flowering period (summer) and dried quickly out of direct sun to preserve their mucilage content; fresh material can also be used directly for infusions or poultices.[11]
Traditional Uses
Marshmallow root has an ancient reputation, reflected in its Greek name 'Althaea' (to heal), as a soothing demulcent for irritated mucous membranes: dry cough and sore throat, and mild inflammation and discomfort of the stomach and gut. It has also been applied topically as a soothing poultice for irritated skin.[11]
Mallow leaf and flower have a long ethnobotanical history across Europe as a demulcent for irritated mucous membranes - soothing coughs, sore throat and mouth irritation - and for occasional constipation and skin irritation, reflecting the mucilage-rich leaf and flower. Modern phytochemical and pharmacological work confirms antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and wound-healing activity of its extracts.[2, 11]
Preparations
Dried root macerated in cold water for several hours to extract the maximum mucilage without degrading it, then strained; the classic preparation for cough and digestive demulcent use.
Dried root gently simmered in water; a warmer alternative preparation, though prolonged heat can reduce mucilage yield.
Dosage
The EU herbal monograph describes traditional use of about 0.5-3 g dried root per cup as a cold macerate, taken up to several times daily. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
EMA herbal-monograph guidance suggests roughly 1.5-2 g of dried leaf or flower per cup, taken as an infusion up to 3 times daily. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
References
Lookalikes Review
References & Sources
- Mahboubi, M (2020) 'Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinalis L.) and Its Potency in the Treatment of Cough', Complementary Medicine Research, 27(3), pp. 174-183. doi:10.1159/000503747 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1159/000503747 - Xue, T., Ruan, K., Tang, Z., Duan, J. and others (2023) 'Isolation, structural properties, and bioactivities of polysaccharides from Althaea officinalis Linn.: A review', International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 242(Pt 4), pp. 125098. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125098 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125098 - Mohsenikia, M., Rafiee, S., Rozei, L.S., Ebrahimi, A. and others (2020) 'Althaea officinalis improves wound healing in rats: a stereological study', Drug Discoveries & Therapeutics, 14(5), pp. 239-242. doi:10.5582/ddt.2020.03056 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.5582/ddt.2020.03056 - Wang, Z., Jiang, X., Zhang, L. and Chen, H (2023) 'Protective effects of Althaea officinalis L. extract against N-diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in male Wistar rats through antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, mitochondrial apoptosis and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways', Food Science & Nutrition, 11(8), pp. 4756-4772. doi:10.1002/fsn3.3455 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3455 - Karimi, S., Ghanbarzadeh, B., Roufegarinejad, L. and Falcone, P.M (2021) 'Polysaccharide extracted from Althaea officinalis L. root: New studies of structural, rheological and antioxidant properties', Carbohydrate Research, 510, pp. 108438. doi:10.1016/j.carres.2021.108438 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carres.2021.108438 - Naseri, V., Chavoshzadeh, Z., Mizani, A., Daneshfard, B. and others (2021) 'Effect of topical marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) on atopic dermatitis in children: A pilot double-blind active-controlled clinical trial of an in-silico-analyzed phytomedicine', Phytotherapy Research, 35(3), pp. 1389-1398. doi:10.1002/ptr.6899 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6899 - Bonaterra, G.A., Schmitt, J., Schneider, K., Schwarzbach, H. and others (2022) 'Phytohustil and root extract of Althaea officinalis L. exert anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties and improve the migratory capacity of endothelial cells', Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13, pp. 948248. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.948248 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.948248 - Xue, T.T., Yang, Y.G., Tang, Z.S., Duan, J.A. and others (2022) 'Evaluation of antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, nitric oxide production inhibitory activities and chemical profiles of the active extracts from the medicinal and edible plant: Althaea officinalis', Food Research International, 156, pp. 111166. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111166 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111166 - Amini, F., Namjooyan, F., Zomorodian, K., Zareshahrabadi, Z. and others (2023) 'The efficacy of complementary treatment with marshmallow (Althaea officinalis L.) on vulvovaginal candidiasis: A randomized double-blinded controlled clinical trial', Explore (NY), 19(6), pp. 813-819. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2023.04.005 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2023.04.005 - Berry, J (1884) 'Althaea officinalis', The Hospital, 1(6), pp. 85-86. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Althaea%20officinalis - European Medicines Agency (HMPC) (n.d.) 'European Union herbal monograph on Althaea officinalis L., radix (Althaeae radix)'. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/althaeae-radix Traditional / reference
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/althaeae-radix - Sutovska, M., Nosalova, G., Sutovsky, J., Franova, S., Prisenznakova, L. and Capek, P (2009) 'Possible mechanisms of dose-dependent cough suppressive effect of Althaea officinalis rhamnogalacturonan in guinea pigs test system', International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 45(1), pp. 27--32. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2009.03.008 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2009.03.008 - ESCOP (European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy) (n.d.) 'Althaeae radix (Marshmallow Root) monograph', pp. com. Available at: https://www.escop.com/downloads/althaea-radix-marshmallow-root/ Traditional / reference
https://www.escop.com/downloads/althaea-radix-marshmallow-root/ - Sutovska, M., Capek, P., Franova, S., Joskova, M., Sutovsky, J., Marcinek, J. and Kalman, M (2011) 'Antitussive activity of Althaea officinalis L. polysaccharide rhamnogalacturonan and its changes in guinea pigs with ovalbumine-induced airways inflammation', Bratislavske Lekarske Listy, 112(12), pp. 670--675. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Antitussive%20activity%20of%20Althaea%20officinalis%20L.%20polysaccharide%20rhamnogalacturonan%20and%20its%20changes%20in%20guinea%20pigs%20with%20ovalbumine-induced%20airways%20inflammation
- Mousavi, S.M., Hashemi, S.A., Behbudi, G., Mazraedoost, S. and others (2021) 'A Review on Health Benefits of Malva sylvestris L. Nutritional Compounds for Metabolites, Antioxidants, and Anti-Inflammatory, Anticancer, and Antimicrobial Applications', Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2021, pp. 5548404. doi:10.1155/2021/5548404 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5548404 - Gasparetto, J.C., Martins, C.A., Hayashi, S.S., Otuky, M.F. and others (2012) 'Ethnobotanical and scientific aspects of Malva sylvestris L.: a millennial herbal medicine', Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 64(2), pp. 172-189. doi:10.1111/j.2042-7158.2011.01383.x Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-7158.2011.01383.x - Wu, Y., Qiu, A., Yang, Z., Wu, J. and others (2019) 'Malva sylvestris extract alleviates the astrogliosis and inflammatory stress in LPS-induced depression mice', Journal of Neuroimmunology, 336, pp. 577029. doi:10.1016/j.jneuroim.2019.577029 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroim.2019.577029 - Ben Saad, A., Rjeibi, I., Brahmi, D., Smida, A. and others (2016) 'Malva sylvestris extract protects upon lithium carbonate-induced kidney damages in male rat', Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 84, pp. 1099-1107. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2016.10.026 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2016.10.026 - Zuo, H., Li, Y., Cui, Y. and An, Y (2017) 'Cardioprotective effect of Malva sylvestris L. in myocardial ischemic/reperfused rats', Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 95, pp. 679-684. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2017.08.111 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2017.08.111 - Benso, B., Rosalen, P.L., Alencar, S.M. and Murata, R.M (2015) 'Malva sylvestris Inhibits Inflammatory Response in Oral Human Cells. An In Vitro Infection Model', PLoS One, 10(10), pp. e0140331. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140331 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140331 - Prudente, A.S., Sponchiado, G., Mendes, D.A.G.B., Soley, B.S. and others (2017) 'Pre-clinical efficacy assessment of Malva sylvestris on chronic skin inflammation', Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 93, pp. 852-860. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2017.06.083 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2017.06.083 - Mohaghegh, Z., Golfakhrabadi, F., Faal Siahkal, S., Dastoorpoor, M. and others (2022) 'The Effect of Malva sylvestris Cream on Episiotomy Pain and Healing: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial', International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery, 10(4), pp. 248-258. doi:10.30476/IJCBNM.2022.95772.2082 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.30476/IJCBNM.2022.95772.2082 - Areesanan, A., Nicolay, S., Keller, M., Zimmermann-Klemd, A.M. and others (2023) 'Potential benefits of Malva sylvestris in dry-eye disease pathology in vitro based on antioxidant, wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties', Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 168, pp. 115782. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115782 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115782 - Martins, C.A., Weffort-Santos, A.M., Gasparetto, J.C., Trindade, A.C. and others (2014) 'Malva sylvestris L. extract suppresses desferrioxamine-induced PGE2 and PGD2 release in differentiated U937 cells', Biomedical Chromatography, 28(7), pp. 986-993. doi:10.1002/bmc.3106 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/bmc.3106 - European Medicines Agency (HMPC) (n.d.) 'European Union herbal monograph on Malva sylvestris L., folium and flos (Malvae folium / Malvae sylvestris flos)'. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/malvae-folium Traditional / reference
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/malvae-folium - Paul, Z.A. and Malla, A.T. and Dar, M.A. and Masoodi, M.H (2024) 'Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activity of Malva sylvestris L.: A Detailed Insight', Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening, 27(16), pp. 2309--2322. doi:10.2174/0113862073269336231009110313 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.2174/0113862073269336231009110313 - Batiha, G.E. and Tene, S.T. and Teibo, J.O. and Shaheen, H.M. and Oluwatoba, O.S. and Teibo, T.K.A. and Al-Kuraishy, H.M. and Al-Garbee, A.I. and Alexiou, A. and Papadakis, M (2022) 'The phytochemical profiling, pharmacological activities, and safety of Malva sylvestris: a review', Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, 396(3), pp. 421--440. doi:10.1007/s00210-022-02329-w Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-022-02329-w
Generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and its cited sources. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.