Omnia SanaPlant Comparison
Cleavers vs Oregon Grape
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
Cleavers and Oregon Grape: they share 5 indicated uses (cancer (anticancer research), eczema, infection (general), …); 2 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Cleavers | Oregon Grape | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer (anticancer research) | 2/10 | 2/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Eczema | 1/10 | 7/10 | Stronger for Oregon Grape |
| Infection (general) | 1/10 | 2/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Skin irritation | 1/10 | 8/10 | Stronger for Oregon Grape |
| Wounds | 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
Characteristic Rubiaceae iridoids shared with related bedstraws, contributing to the plant's traditional activity.
Antioxidant constituents supporting the plant's antimicrobial and wound-healing activity.
Astringent constituents contributing to the traditional topical use for skin and wounds.
Pharmacological Actions
Anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative (slows the skin-cell overgrowth of psoriasis)
Anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative (slows the skin-cell overgrowth of psoriasis)
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anticancer action
inferred from antimicrobial action
inferred from emollient action
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from diuretic action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anticancer action
Topical for atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin irritation
Antimicrobial (berberine) - supports skin and mucosal infection
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative (slows the skin-cell overgrowth of psoriasis); Topical treatment of mild-to-moderate psoriasis (reduces plaque severity) - a double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT showed significant improvement in PASI and quality-of-life scores
Topical for atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin irritation
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Duke (2002) describes cleavers as a diuretic, lymph tonic, and depurative with experimental support (score 1). The plant has been used in traditional medicine for swollen lymph nodes, urinary complaints, and skin conditions. Diuretic and anti-inflammatory activities are supported experimentally. No Commission E approval. Safety rating is ++ (relatively safe), with no known significant contraindications at usual herbal doses (Duke, 2002).
Avoid internal use in pregnancy and breastfeeding: like goldenseal, the berberine it contains can cross the placenta and into milk and worsen newborn jaundice (kernicterus risk).
External Ids
Botanical Description
Scrambling, sprawling annual herb covered in tiny hooked bristles on its square stems, leaves and seed capsules, allowing it to cling to clothing, fur and neighbouring plants as it climbs ('stickyweed'). The leaves are narrow and lance-shaped, borne in whorls of six to eight. Tiny white, four-petalled flowers give way to small, round, bristly-hooked twin seed capsules ('goosegrass burrs').[6]
Evergreen shrub, 0.5-2 m tall, spreading by underground rhizomes to form thickets. The pinnate leaves resemble holly, with 5-9 glossy, dark green, spiny-toothed leaflets that often turn bronze-red in winter. Small, bright yellow, six-petalled flowers are borne in dense, upright terminal racemes in early spring, followed by clusters of blue-black, grape-like berries with a waxy bloom. The wood and inner bark of the stem and root are bright yellow when cut, owing to their high content of berberine-type alkaloids.
Habitat
A common scrambling weed of hedgerows, waste ground, gardens and field margins, climbing over other vegetation for support; native to Europe, Asia and North Africa and widely naturalised elsewhere.[6]
Native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, growing in coniferous woodland understorey, forest margins and rocky slopes; widely introduced and naturalised as an ornamental and hedging shrub in temperate regions elsewhere.
Harvesting
The whole aerial plant (leaf, stem and seed) is cut in spring to early summer, before the fruit fully hardens, and used fresh (as juice) or dried.
The root and root bark, the medicinal parts, are dug from established plants - traditionally in autumn - and dried. Because wild populations are slow-growing, cultivated or nursery-sourced material is preferred over wild-harvesting.
Traditional Uses
Cleavers has a long European folk history as a lymphatic and diuretic 'spring tonic' herb, traditionally used to support the urinary system and lymphatic drainage, and topically as a soothing, emollient wash or poultice for skin irritation, wounds and minor swellings.[6]
Oregon grape root has a traditional Native American and Eclectic-medicine history as a bitter tonic and alterative (blood-purifying) remedy and for skin conditions. Its main modern use, supported by clinical trials, is topical application of a standardised bark extract for mild-to-moderate psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (eczema), where its berberine-type alkaloids give anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects on skin cells.[1, 11, 12]
Preparations
References
Lookalikes Review
Dosage
References & Sources
- Laanet, P.R., Saar-Reismaa, P., Jõul, P., Bragina, O. and Vaher, M (2023) 'Phytochemical Screening and Antioxidant Activity of Selected Estonian Galium Species', Molecules, 28(6), pp. 2867. doi:10.3390/molecules28062867 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28062867 - Antoniak, K., Studzińska-Sroka, E., Szymański, M., Dudek-Makuch, M. et al (2023) 'Antiangiogenic, Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties of Bidens tripartita Herb, Galium verum Herb and Rumex hydrolapathum Root', Molecules, 28(13), pp. 4966. doi:10.3390/molecules28134966 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28134966 - Razzivina, V., Vasiljeva, A., Kronberga, A., Skudrins, G. et al (2024) 'Phenolic Content and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Cultivated and Wild-Type Galium odoratum Extracts in Murine Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages', Antioxidants (Basel), 13(12), pp. 1447. doi:10.3390/antiox13121447 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13121447 - Sahin, B., Karabulut, S., Filiz, A.K., Ozkaraca, M., Gezer, A. and Akpulat, H.A (2022) 'Galium aparine L. protects against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in rats', Chemico-Biological Interactions, 366, pp. 110119. doi:10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110119 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110119 - Lee, S.Y., Park, S.Y. and Park, H.J (2024) 'Immuno-Enhancing Effects of Galium aparine L. in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppressed Animal Models', Nutrients, 16(5), pp. 597. doi:10.3390/nu16050597 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050597 - Beirami, A.D., Akhtari, N., Noroozi, R., Hatamabadi, D., Hasan, S.M.F. and Ayatollahi, S.A (2024) 'Bringing back Galium aparine L. from forgotten corners of traditional wound treatment procedures: an antimicrobial, antioxidant, and in-vitro wound healing assay along with HPTLC fingerprinting study', BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 24(1), pp. 279. doi:10.1186/s12906-024-04355-y Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04355-y - Ilina, T., Kashpur, N., Granica, S., Bazylko, A., Shinkovenko, I. and Kovalyova, A (2019) 'Phytochemical Profiles and In Vitro Immunomodulatory Activity of Ethanolic Extracts from Galium aparine L', Plants, 8(12), pp. 541. doi:10.3390/plants8120541 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8120541 - Atmaca, H., Bozkurt, E., Cittan, M. and Dilek Tepe, H (2016) 'Effects of Galium aparine extract on the cell viability, cell cycle and cell death in breast cancer cell lines', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 186, pp. 305-310. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2016.04.007 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2016.04.007 - Bokhari, J., Khan, M.R., Shabbir, M., Rashid, U., Jan, S. and Zai, J.A (2012) 'Evaluation of diverse antioxidant activities of Galium aparine', Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 102, pp. 24-29. doi:10.1016/j.saa.2012.09.056 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2012.09.056 - Shi, G., Liu, J., Zhao, W., Liu, Y. and Tian, X (2016) 'Separation and purification and in vitro anti-proliferative activity of leukemia cell K562 of Galium aparine L. petroleum ether phase', Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, 24(3), pp. 241-247. doi:10.1016/j.jsps.2016.04.005 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2016.04.005 - Quinlan, F.J (1883) 'Galium Aparine as a Remedy for Chronic Ulcers', British Medical Journal, 1(1172), pp. 1173-1174. doi:10.1136/bmj.1.1172.1173 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.1.1172.1173 - British Herbal Medicine Association (1983) 'British Herbal Pharmacopoeia'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=British%20Herbal%20Pharmacopoeia - Hoffmann, D (2003) 'Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Medical%20Herbalism%3A%20The%20Science%20and%20Practice%20of%20Herbal%20Medicine - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (n.d.). Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org Traditional / reference
https://powo.science.kew.org - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition
- Gulliver, W.P. and Donsky, H.J (2005) 'A report on three recent clinical trials using Mahonia aquifolium 10% topical cream and a review of the worldwide clinical experience with Mahonia aquifolium for the treatment of plaque psoriasis', American Journal of Therapeutics, 12(5), pp. 398-406. doi:10.1097/01.mjt.0000174350.82270.da Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mjt.0000174350.82270.da - Cernakova, M. and Kostalova, D (2002) 'Antimicrobial activity of berberine--a constituent of Mahonia aquifolium', Folia Microbiologica, 47(4), pp. 375-378. doi:10.1007/BF02818693 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02818693 - Damjanovic, A., Kolundzija, B., Matic, I.Z., Krivokuca, A. and others (2020) 'Mahonia aquifolium Extracts Promote Doxorubicin Effects against Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells In Vitro', Molecules, 25(22), pp. 5233. doi:10.3390/molecules25225233 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25225233 - Cernakova, M., Kostalova, D., Kettmann, V., Plodova, M. and others (2002) 'Potential antimutagenic activity of berberine, a constituent of Mahonia aquifolium', BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2, pp. 2. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-2-2 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-2-2 - Slobodnikova, L., Kostalova, D., Labudova, D., Kotulova, D. and Kettmann, V (2004) 'Antimicrobial activity of Mahonia aquifolium crude extract and its major isolated alkaloids', Phytotherapy Research, 18(8), pp. 674-676. doi:10.1002/ptr.1517 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1517 - Godjevac, D., Damjanovic, A., Stanojkovic, T.P., Andjelkovic, B. and Zdunic, G (2018) 'Identification of cytotoxic metabolites from Mahonia aquifolium using 1H NMR-based metabolomics approach', Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 150, pp. 9-14. doi:10.1016/j.jpba.2017.11.075 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpba.2017.11.075 - Muller, K. and Ziereis, K (1994) 'The antipsoriatic Mahonia aquifolium and its active constituents; I. Pro- and antioxidant properties and inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase', Planta Medica, 60(5), pp. 421-424. doi:10.1055/s-2006-959523 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-959523 - Rohrer, U., Kunz, E.M.K., Lenkeit, K., Schaffner, W. and Meyer, J (2007) 'Antimicrobial activity of Mahonia aquifolium and two of its alkaloids against oral bacteria', Schweizer Monatsschrift fur Zahnmedizin, 117(11), pp. 1126-1131. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Antimicrobial%20activity%20of%20Mahonia%20aquifolium%20and%20two%20of%20its%20alkaloids%20against%20oral%20bacteria - Vollekova, A., Kostalova, D., Kettmann, V. and Toth, J (2003) 'Antifungal activity of Mahonia aquifolium extract and its major protoberberine alkaloids', Phytotherapy Research, 17(7), pp. 834-837. doi:10.1002/ptr.1256 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1256 - Hajnicka, V., Kostalova, D., Svecova, D., Sochorova, R. and others (2002) 'Effect of Mahonia aquifolium active compounds on interleukin-8 production in the human monocytic cell line THP-1', Planta Medica, 68(3), pp. 266-268. doi:10.1055/s-2002-23126 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2002-23126 - Gulliver, W.P. and colleagues (2018) 'Review of the Efficacy and Safety of Topical Mahonia aquifolium for the Treatment of Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis', Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334833/ Meta-analysis / review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334833/ - Herbal Reality (n.d.) 'Oregon Grape Root (Berberis aquifolium): Benefits, Uses, Safety'. Available at: https://www.herbalreality.com/herb/oregon-grape/ Traditional / reference
https://www.herbalreality.com/herb/oregon-grape/ - Bernstein, S., Donsky, H., Gulliver, W., Hamilton, D., Nobel, S. and Norman, R (2006) 'Treatment of mild to moderate psoriasis with Relieva, a Mahonia aquifolium extract - a double-blind, placebo-controlled study', American Journal of Therapeutics, 13(2), pp. 121--126. doi:10.1097/00045391-200603000-00007 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1097/00045391-200603000-00007
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.