Plant Comparison
Greater Burdock vs Catnip
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
Greater Burdock and Catnip: they share 5 indicated uses (arthritis / joint pain, bloating, indigestion, …); 2 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Greater Burdock | Catnip | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthritis / joint pain | 2/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Bloating | 2/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Indigestion | 2/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Inflammation (general) | 2/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Skin irritation | 2/10 | 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
Burdock root is a rich source of prebiotic inulin-type fructans (fructooligosaccharides) along with chlorogenic and caffeic acids, the lignans arctiin and arctigenin, cynarine and quercetin, which underlie its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and gut-supporting activity.
The characteristic volatile iridoid responsible for the cat-attractant effect and studied for sedative, antimicrobial and insect-repellent activity.
Rich in nepetalactone isomers along with other monoterpenes; studied for antimicrobial and antioxidant activity.
Pharmacological Actions
Burdock (Arctium lappa) extracts and the lignan arctigenin inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in colon, breast, lung and gastric cancer cells, attenuate melanoma progression and reduce preneoplastic colon lesions in vivo (preclinical).
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from digestive action
Arctium lappa root reduces diet-induced preneoplastic colon lesions and suppresses melanoma progression; its lignan arctigenin induces apoptosis in colon (HT-29), breast (in vitro/in vivo), lung and gastric cancer cells and chemosensitizes them to doxorubicin (preclinical).
inferred from digestive action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from digestive action
inferred from antimicrobial action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from sedative action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Generally safe as a food plant. Allergic reactions are possible in those sensitive to Asteraceae. Avoid in pregnancy due to uterine-stimulating effects reported in animal studies. The burs (seed heads) can cause mechanical irritation of skin and eyes on contact. Not recommended in biliary obstruction.
Duke (2002) rates burdock as +++ and notes antibacterial, antimutagenic, antitumor, choleretic, diuretic, and prebiotic (bifidogenic) activities at the experimental level (score 1). The root is rich in inulin (a prebiotic fructooligosaccharide), which promotes growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria. Dose: 1–2 g dried root in tea three times daily, or 2–4 ml of tincture. Duke notes burdock's general safety, though it belongs to the Asteraceae family and can trigger reactions in sensitive individuals. It should be distinguished from belladonna and similar plants, which resemble it in early growth (Duke, 2002).
Pregnancy: Do not use (traditional concern around stimulating menstruation/uterus) (Health Canada, n.d.). Breastfeeding: Health Canada advises talk to a healthcare professional first (Health Canada, n.d.). Kids: It’s often described as a “gentle” traditional tea, but large amounts are not a good idea—there’s a published case where a toddler became very sleepy/“slowed down” after consuming a lot. Keep catnip tea away from toddlers unless a clinician advises it (Osterhoudt et al., 1997). Sedatives / alcohol: Catnip can be calming, so don’t stack it with other sedating herbs/sleep meds/alcohol (you could get extra drowsy) (WebMD, n.d.a). Essential oil caution: Catnip essential oil is concentrated. Research notes it may cause mild skin irritation for some people—always dilute, patch test, and never treat it like “tea.” (Reichert et al., 2019)
Duke (2002) describes catnip primarily as a sedative, diaphoretic, and emmenagogue with experimental (score 1) support. It has demonstrated uterotonic and oxytocic activity, making it contraindicated in pregnancy. The active compounds include nepetalactone and iridoids. Catnip is classified as a mild nervine and antispasmodic in traditional North American herbal medicine, though clinical trials are lacking. Due to its emmenagogue and uterotonic properties, medicinal-dose use should be avoided during pregnancy (Duke, 2002).
External Ids
Botanical Description
Robust biennial herb forming a large rosette of huge, heart-shaped (rhubarb-like), long-stalked leaves, dark green above and whitish-woolly beneath, in its first year. In the second year it sends up a tall, branching, grooved flowering stem bearing purple thistle-like flower heads enclosed in a globe of stiff, hooked bracts that ripen into the familiar clinging burrs.[1, 2]
Perennial herb, 30-100 cm tall, with greyish-green, downy, square stems typical of the mint family. Leaves are opposite, triangular-ovate with scalloped or toothed margins, grey-green above and softly felted (whitish) beneath, releasing a minty-lemony aroma when crushed. Small white flowers, spotted with purple or pink, are borne in dense terminal and axillary spikes. Nepetalactone, the volatile compound famous for its effect on cats, is concentrated in glandular hairs on the leaves and stems.[9]
Habitat
A common weed of disturbed ground, waste places, roadsides, field margins and riverbanks on rich, moist soils; native to Europe and temperate Asia and naturalised in North America and elsewhere.[2]
Native to Europe and temperate Asia and widely naturalised in North America; grows on disturbed, sunny ground - roadsides, waste places, hedgebanks and dry, calcareous or well-drained soils.[9]
Harvesting
The root is dug at the end of the first growing season (autumn) or early in the second spring, before the flowering stem develops, when it is at its most tender and richest in inulin; leaves are picked through the first year, and the seed/fruit is collected from the dried burrs in the second autumn. Careful identification against deadly nightshade, whose root can resemble burdock, is essential before digging.[11]
Traditional Uses
Catnip has a long North American and European folk-medicine history as a mild sedative/nervine, diaphoretic (fever-reducing, sweat-promoting) remedy, carminative digestive and traditional emmenagogue; it was also given as a children's tea for colic and restlessness, though large amounts are not advised for young children and it is traditionally avoided in pregnancy.[9]
Preparations
Dried or fresh root simmered in water as a traditional alterative and digestive decoction.
Tincture of the dried root, ethanol 45% V/V or 25% V/V, 8-12 ml three times daily per the EU herbal monograph. The monograph states the ethanol strength but no drug-extract ratio, so no 1:5 ratio is claimed here. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
Fresh root peeled and cooked as a root vegetable (gobo), continuing the traditional food-medicine use.
Dosage
The EU herbal monograph on Arctium lappa L., radix gives, for adults and elderly, a single dose of 2-6 g of the comminuted root as an infusion, 3 times daily; a powdered herbal substance at 350 mg 3-5 times daily, a liquid extract at 2-8 mL 3 times daily and a soft extract at 0.2 g per dose (1-2 g daily) are also listed. Not recommended under 18 years, and a practitioner should be consulted if symptoms persist beyond 2 weeks. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
The EU herbal monograph gives 8-12 mL three times daily, for tinctures in either 45% V/V or 25% V/V ethanol, in adults and elderly. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
Health Canada's NNHPD monograph gives 1.2-12 g of dried herb top per day for adults 18 years and older, with infusion among the accepted methods of preparation. Educational reference only, not a prescription. Keep away from toddlers and young children beyond very small amounts, and avoid medicinal-dose use in pregnancy.
References
Lookalikes Review
Dangerous Lookalikes
Not documented
Drug Class Interactions
Not documented
References & Sources
- Chan, Y.S., Cheng, L.N., Wu, J.H., Chan, E., Kwan, Y.W., Lee, S.M.Y., Leung, G.P.H., Yu, P.H.F. and Chan, S.W (2010) 'A review of the pharmacological effects of Arctium lappa (burdock)', Inflammopharmacology, 19(5), pp. 245--254. doi:10.1007/s10787-010-0062-4 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-010-0062-4 - de Souza, A.R.C., de Oliveira, T.L., Fontana, P.D., Carneiro, M.C., Corazza, M.L., de Messias Reason, I.J. and Bavia, L (2022) 'Phytochemicals and Biological Activities of Burdock (Arctium lappa L.) Extracts: A Review', Chemistry and Biodiversity, 19(11). doi:10.1002/cbdv.202200615 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202200615 - Yosri, N., Alsharif, S.M., Xiao, J., Musharraf, S.G., Zhao, C., Saeed, A., Gao, R., Said, N.S., Di Minno, A., Daglia, M., Guo, Z., Khalifa, S.A.M. and El-Seedi, H.R (2023) 'Arctium lappa (burdock): insights from ethnopharmacology potential, chemical constituents, clinical studies, pharmacological utility and nanomedicine', Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 158, pp. 114104. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114104 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114104 - Mondal, S.C. and Eun, J.B (2022) 'Mechanistic insights on burdock (Arctium lappa L.) extract effects on diabetes mellitus', Food Science and Biotechnology, 31(8), pp. 999--1008. doi:10.1007/s10068-022-01091-2 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-022-01091-2 - Shyam, M. and Sabina, E.P (2024) 'Harnessing the power of Arctium lappa root: a review of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic applications', Natural Products and Bioprospecting, 14(1), pp. 49. doi:10.1007/s13659-024-00466-8 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13659-024-00466-8 - Gao, Q., Yang, M. and Zuo, Z (2018) 'Overview of the anti-inflammatory effects, pharmacokinetic properties and clinical efficacies of arctigenin and arctiin from Arctium lappa L', Acta Pharmacologica Sinica, 39(5), pp. 787-801. doi:10.1038/aps.2018.32 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1038/aps.2018.32 - Jin, X., Liu, S., Chen, S., Wang, L., Cui, Y., He, J., Fang, S., Li, J. and Chang, Y (2023) 'A systematic review on botany, ethnopharmacology, quality control, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicity of Arctium lappa L. fruit', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 308, pp. 116223. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2023.116223 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2023.116223 - Shukla, S., Kakade, M., Cherian, S., Alagarasu, K. and Parashar, D (2024) 'Arctigenin from Arctium lappa L. inhibits chikungunya virus by affecting its entry and replication', Phytomedicine, 128, pp. 155491. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155491 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155491 - Nascimento, B.A.C., Gardinassi, L.G., Silveira, I.M.G., Gallucci, M.G., Tome, M.A., Oliveira, J.F.D., Moreira, M.R.A., Meirelles, A.F.G., Faccioli, L.H., Tefe-Silva, C. and Zoccal, K.F (2019) 'Arctium lappa extract suppresses inflammation and inhibits melanoma progression', Medicines, 6(3), pp. 81. doi:10.3390/medicines6030081 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines6030081 - Lu, N., Wei, J., Gong, X., Tang, X., Zhang, X., Xiang, W., Liu, S., Luo, C. and Wang, X (2023) 'Preventive effect of Arctium lappa polysaccharides on acute lung injury through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities', Nutrients, 15(23), pp. 4946. doi:10.3390/nu15234946 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15234946 - Moro, T.M.A. and Clerici, M.T.P.S (2020) 'Burdock (Arctium lappa L) roots as a source of inulin-type fructans and other bioactive compounds: Current knowledge and future perspectives for food and non-food applications', Food Research International. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109889 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109889 - European Medicines Agency (HMPC) (2011) 'Community herbal monograph on Arctium lappa L., radix'. Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-arctium-lappa-l-radix_en.pdf Traditional / reference
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-arctium-lappa-l-radix_en.pdf - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (n.d.). Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org Traditional / reference
https://powo.science.kew.org - World Health Organization (2002) 'WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=WHO%20Monographs%20on%20Selected%20Medicinal%20Plants - Xu, Z., Li, Y., Jiang, D. and Deng, L (2008) 'Arctium lappa L.: A review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology', 121(2), pp. 167--184. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Arctium%20lappa%20L.%3A%20A%20review%20of%20its%20traditional%20uses%2C%20phytochemistry%2C%20and%20pharmacology - Romualdo, G.R., Silva, E.D.A., Da Silva, T.C., Aloia, T.P.A., Nogueira, M.S., De Castro, I.A. and others (2019) 'Burdock (Arctium lappa L.) root attenuates preneoplastic lesion development in a diet and thioacetamide-induced model of steatohepatitis-associated hepatocarcinogenesis', Environmental Toxicology, 35(4), pp. 518--527. doi:10.1002/tox.22887 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.22887 - Chen, Y.-F. and Liu, R.-Z. and Ying, W.-W. and Yang, Y.-N. and Xiang, S.-F. and Shao, X.-J. and Cao, J. and Zhang, Y.-Q. and Yang, B. and He, Q.-J. and Ying, M.-D (2022) 'Arctigenin impairs UBC12 enzyme activity and cullin neddylation to attenuate cancer cells', Acta Pharmacologica Sinica, 44(3), pp. 661-669. doi:10.1038/s41401-022-00992-6 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41401-022-00992-6 - Shi, H. and Zhao, L. and Guo, X. and Fang, R. and Zhang, H. and Dong, G. and Fu, J. and Yan, F. and Zhang, J. and Ning, Z. and Ma, Q. and Li, Z. and Li, C. and Dai, J. and Si, C. and Xiong, H (2020) 'Arctigenin Attenuates Breast Cancer Progression through Decreasing GM-CSF/TSLP/STAT3/beta-Catenin Signaling', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(17), pp. 6357. doi:10.3390/ijms21176357 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21176357 - Li, Q.-C. and Liang, Y. and Tian, Y. and Hu, G.-R (2016) 'Arctigenin induces apoptosis in colon cancer cells through ROS/p38MAPK pathway', Journal of BUON, 21(1), pp. 87-94. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Arctigenin%20induces%20apoptosis%20in%20colon%20cancer%20cells%20through%20ROS/p38MAPK%20pathway - Lee, K.-S. and Lee, M.-G. and Kwon, Y.-S. and Nam, K.-S (2020) 'Arctigenin Enhances the Cytotoxic Effect of Doxorubicin in MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(8), pp. 2997. doi:10.3390/ijms21082997 Preclinical
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https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition - Bryson, P.D. and Watanabe, A.S. and Rumack, B.H. and Murphy, R.C (1978) 'Burdock root tea poisoning. Case report involving a commercial preparation', JAMA, 239(20), pp. 2157. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/642161/ Clinical study
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- Geissler, M., Neubauer, C., Sheludko, Y.V. and Warzecha, H (2024) 'Nepeta cataria L. (catnip) can serve as a chassis for the engineering of secondary metabolic pathways', Biotechnology Letters, 46(5), pp. 843-850. doi:10.1007/s10529-024-03489-w Preclinical
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https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.3c00704 - Reichert, W., Ejercito, J., Guda, T., Dong, X. and others (2019) 'Repellency Assessment of Nepeta cataria Essential Oils and Isolated Nepetalactones on Aedes aegypti', Scientific Reports, 9(1), pp. 1524. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-36814-1 Preclinical
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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.