Plant Comparison
Goldenseal vs Field scabious
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
Goldenseal and Field scabious: they share 4 indicated uses (infection (general), inflammation (general), skin irritation, …); 2 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Goldenseal | Field scabious | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infection (general) | 5/10 | 2/10 | Stronger for Goldenseal |
| Inflammation (general) | 5/10 | 7/10 | Stronger for Field scabious |
| Skin irritation | 5/10 | 2/10 | Stronger for Goldenseal |
| Wounds | 5/10 | 2/10 | Stronger for Goldenseal |
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
Berberine is the main antimicrobial, hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic constituent. Notably, whole-leaf extracts are more potent against MRSA than isolated berberine (owing to efflux-pump-inhibitory flavonoids) and show quorum-quenching, anti-virulence activity.
Chlorogenic, cryptochlorogenic and dicaffeoylquinic acids and caffeoylhydrocitric acid (antioxidant).
C-glycosidic flavones such as isovitexin and related flavonoids.
Saponin glycosides (knautiosides) characteristic of the plant and the Caprifoliaceae family.
Pharmacological Actions
Anti-inflammatory and astringent for inflamed mucous membranes (sore-throat gargle, mouth)
Antimicrobial (berberine) - supports skin, mucosal and gastrointestinal infections and sore throat
Anti-inflammatory and astringent for inflamed mucous membranes (sore-throat gargle, mouth)
Traditional 'blood purifier' (depurative) for skin complaints; the classic use of field scabious.
Knautia and related Caprifoliaceae extracts inhibit inflammatory mediators (COX/LOX).
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Digestive / gastrointestinal support (traditional for dyspepsia and ulcers)
Antimicrobial (berberine) - supports skin, mucosal and gastrointestinal infections and sore throat; Topical for skin infections and irritation - whole-leaf extract is active in vitro against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Anti-inflammatory and astringent for inflamed mucous membranes (sore-throat gargle, mouth); Antimicrobial (berberine) - supports skin, mucosal and gastrointestinal infections and sore throat
Traditional remedy for eczema, itching and skin complaints; anti-acne activity of Knautia extracts.
Anti-acne activity of Knautia species extracts (antibacterial, anti-inflammatory).
inferred from traditional external use on cuts and sores
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Contraindicated in pregnancy and breastfeeding: berberine crosses the placenta and into milk and can cause or worsen newborn jaundice (risk of kernicterus); do not give to infants.
Berberine strongly inhibits drug-metabolising enzymes (especially CYP3A4 and CYP2D6), so it can raise the blood levels of many medicines - a significant herb-drug-interaction risk. In a screen of commercial herbal products, goldenseal was among the most potent CYP2D6 inhibitors and also inhibited CYP3A4. High doses have shown possible liver, nerve and photo-toxicity.
Very little is known about the safety of field scabious and there are no clinical data; avoid medicinal doses in pregnancy and breastfeeding and use only modest amounts.
Most pharmacological data come from closely related Caprifoliaceae (genus Knautia, Scabiosa, Dipsacus) rather than Knautia arvensis itself; apply to field scabious with caution.
External Ids
Botanical Description
Low, woodland perennial herb rising from a knotted, bright yellow rhizome with wiry yellow roots. Each stem bears two ragged, palmately lobed, maple-like leaves and a single small, inconspicuous greenish-white flower, followed by a raspberry-like cluster of red berries.[1]
A hairy perennial herb of the honeysuckle family (formerly Dipsacaceae), 25-100 cm tall, growing from a stout rootstock. The stems are roughly hairy and bear opposite leaves that are variable - the lower ones often lyre-shaped or pinnately lobed, the upper deeply cut. The flowers are massed into flat, domed pincushion heads about 3-4 cm across, lilac to bluish-violet, with the outer florets enlarged; the heads are carried on long stalks and, unlike true scabious (Scabiosa), the receptacle is hairy rather than scaly. It flowers through summer and is a favourite of bees and butterflies.[1]
Habitat
Grows in rich, shaded deciduous woodland with humus-rich soil; native to eastern North America, now scarce in the wild due to overharvesting and largely supplied by cultivation.[1]
Dry grassland, meadows, pastures, dry hills, roadside banks, field margins and open woods, on well-drained and often calcareous soils across Europe and into western Asia and parts of Africa. A characteristic plant of unimproved dry meadows.[1]
Harvesting
The rhizome and root are dug in autumn from plants at least three to four years old, when berberine content is highest, then cleaned and dried; because wild populations are depleted, cultivated or sustainably sourced material is strongly preferred, and careful identification against the toxic mayapple and bloodroot, which share its woodland habitat, is essential before any wild-harvesting.[1]
The flowering aerial parts (leaves, stems, flower heads) are gathered in summer while in flower and dried; the root is also used. Best cut from established plants in dry grassland.[1]
Traditional Uses
Goldenseal root has a Native American and, after adoption by Eclectic physicians, wider North American tradition as a bitter tonic and antimicrobial remedy for mucous-membrane infections, sore throat, digestive upset and topical skin infections, directly reflecting its high berberine content.[1]
Field scabious has a European folk-medicine reputation chiefly as a remedy for skin complaints - eczema, itching, scabies (the name 'scabious' comes from its use against 'the scab'), cuts and sores - taken internally as a 'blood purifier' (alterative/depurative) and applied externally as a wash or poultice. It has also been used for coughs and sore throats. The plant is rich in phenolic acids, flavonoids and saponins; the closely related genera Knautia, Scabiosa and Dipsacus in the honeysuckle family share this chemistry and a tradition of use in skin disease and inflammation.[3, 4]
Preparations
Dried rhizome and root simmered in water as a traditional bitter antimicrobial tea, or used as a gargle for sore throat.
Tincture 1:10 in 60% ethanol of the dried rhizome and root, 2-4 ml three times daily per the WHO monograph Rhizoma Hydrastis. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
Extract standardised to berberine/hydrastine content, taken as capsules; whole-leaf extracts have shown stronger antimicrobial activity than isolated berberine in some studies.
Dosage
The WHO monograph on Rhizoma Hydrastis gives a daily dose of 0.5-1.0 g of the dried rhizome and root three times, or taken as a decoction; a 1:1 liquid extract in 60% ethanol at 0.3-1.0 mL three times; or a 1:10 tincture in 60% ethanol at 2-4 mL three times. For short-term use only, given goldenseal's potent CYP-enzyme inhibition and its contraindication in pregnancy. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
Not documented
References
Drug Class Interactions
Not documented
Lookalikes Review
Dangerous Lookalikes
Not documented
Synonyms
Not documented
References & Sources
- Mandal, S.K., Maji, A.K., Mishra, S.K., Ishfaq, P.M., Devkota, H.P., Silva, A.S. and Das, N (2020) 'Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) and its active constituents: A critical review of their efficacy and toxicological issues', Pharmacological Research. doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105085 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105085 - Corn, J., Tibbitts, D., Ito, H., Schafer, M. and Vasilevsky, N (2021) 'Effects of Hydrastis Canadensis, Commiphora Habessinica, Phytolacca Americana, and Echinacea Purpurea on Bacterial Growth', Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 27(4), pp. 24-27. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Effects%20of%20Hydrastis%20Canadensis%2C%20Commiphora%20Habessinica%2C%20Phytolacca%20Americana%2C%20and%20Echinacea%20Purpurea%20on%20Bacterial%20Growth - Ettefagh, K.A., Burns, J.T., Junio, H.A., Kaatz, G.W. and Cech, N.B (2010) 'Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) extracts synergistically enhance the antibacterial activity of berberine via efflux pump inhibition', Planta Medica, 77(8), pp. 835-840. doi:10.1055/s-0030-1250606 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0030-1250606 - Cech, N.B., Junio, H.A., Ackermann, L.W., Kavanaugh, J.S. and Horswill, A.R (2012) 'Quorum quenching and antimicrobial activity of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)', Planta Medica, 78(14), pp. 1556--1561. doi:10.1055/s-0032-1315042 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0032-1315042 - Mahady, G.B., Pendland, S.L., Stoia, A. and Chadwick, L.R (2003) 'In vitro susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to isoquinoline alkaloids from Sanguinaria canadensis and Hydrastis canadensis', Phytotherapy Research, 17(3), pp. 217-221. doi:10.1002/ptr.1108 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1108 - Junio, H.A., Sy-Cordero, A.A., Ettefagh, K.A., Burns, J.T., Micko, K.T., Graf, T.N., Richter, S.J., Cannon, R.E., Oberlies, N.H. and Cech, N.B (2011) 'Synergy-directed fractionation of botanical medicines: a case study with goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)', Journal of Natural Products, 74(7), pp. 1621-1629. doi:10.1021/np200336g Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/np200336g - Britton, E.R., Kellogg, J.J., Kvalheim, O.M. and Cech, N.B (2017) 'Biochemometrics to Identify Synergists and Additives from Botanical Medicines: A Case Study with Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal)', Journal of Natural Products, 81(3), pp. 484-493. doi:10.1021/acs.jnatprod.7b00654 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jnatprod.7b00654 - Leyte-Lugo, M., Britton, E.R., Foil, D.H., Brown, A.R., Todd, D.A., Rivera-Chavez, J., Oberlies, N.H. and Cech, N.B (2017) 'Secondary Metabolites from the Leaves of the Medicinal Plant Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)', Phytochemistry Letters, 20, pp. 54-60. doi:10.1016/j.phytol.2017.03.012 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytol.2017.03.012 - Gurley, B.J., Swain, A., Hubbard, M.A., Hartsfield, F., Thaden, J., Williams, D.K., Gentry, W.B. and Tong, Y (2007) 'Supplementation with goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), but not kava kava (Piper methysticum), inhibits human CYP3A activity in vivo', Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 83(1), pp. 61-69. doi:10.1038/sj.clpt.6100222 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.clpt.6100222 - Wallace, E.D., Oberlies, N.H., Cech, N.B. and Kellogg, J.J (2018) 'Detection of adulteration in Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal) dietary supplements via untargeted mass spectrometry-based metabolomics', Food and Chemical Toxicology, 120, pp. 439-447. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2018.07.033 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2018.07.033 - Douglas, J.A., Follett, J.M., Parmenter, G.A., Sansom, C.E., Perry, N.B. and Littler, R.A (2010) 'Seasonal variation of biomass and bioactive alkaloid content of goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis', Fitoterapia, 81(7), pp. 925-928. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2010.06.006 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2010.06.006 - Singh, S., Pathak, N., Fatima, E. and Negi, A.S (2021) 'Plant isoquinoline alkaloids: Advances in the chemistry and biology of berberine', European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113839 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113839 - World Health Organization (2007) 'Rhizoma Hydrastis'. Available at: https://iris.who.int/items/6418d8af-5200-4e6b-9bf5-004f3aa62a37 Traditional / reference
https://iris.who.int/items/6418d8af-5200-4e6b-9bf5-004f3aa62a37 - Sevior, D.K., Hokkanen, J., Tolonen, A., Abass, K., Tursas, L., Pelkonen, O. and Ahokas, J.T (2010) 'Rapid screening of commercially available herbal products for the inhibition of major human hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes using the N-in-one cocktail', Xenobiotica, 40(4), pp. 245--254. doi:10.3109/00498251003592683 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3109/00498251003592683 - Gurley, B.J., Gardner, S.F., Hubbard, M.A., Williams, D.K., Gentry, W.B., Khan, I.A. and Shah, A (2005) 'In vivo effects of goldenseal, kava kava, black cohosh, and valerian on human cytochrome P450 1A2, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4/5 phenotypes', Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 77(5), pp. 415-426. doi:10.1016/j.clpt.2005.01.009 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clpt.2005.01.009 - McDonald, M.G., Tian, D.D., Thummel, K.E., Paine, M.F. and Rettie, A.E (2020) 'Modulation of major human liver microsomal cytochromes P450 by component alkaloids of goldenseal: time-dependent inhibition and allosteric effects', Drug Metabolism and Disposition, 48(10), pp. 1018-1027. doi:10.1124/dmd.120.091041 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1124/dmd.120.091041 - Guo, J., Chen, H., Zhang, X., Lou, W., Zhang, P., Qiu, Y., Zhang, C., Wang, Y. and Liu, W.J (2021) 'The effect of berberine on metabolic profiles in type 2 diabetic patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials', Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2021, pp. 2074610. doi:10.1155/2021/2074610 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/2074610 - Forest Farming (Cooperative Extension) 'Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.)'. Available at: https://forest-farming.extension.org/goldenseal-hydrastis-canadensis-l/ Traditional / reference
https://forest-farming.extension.org/goldenseal-hydrastis-canadensis-l/ - Frasca, T. and Brett, A.S. and Yoo, S.D (1997) 'Mandrake toxicity. A case of mistaken identity', Archives of Internal Medicine, 157(17), pp. 2007-9. doi:10.1001/archinte.157.17.2007 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.157.17.2007 - North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox 'Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot)'. Available at: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sanguinaria-canadensis/ Traditional / reference
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sanguinaria-canadensis/
- Karalija, E. and Muratovic, E. and Tarkowski, P. and Zeljkovic, S.C (2017) 'Variation in Phenolic Composition of Knautia arvensis in Correlation with Geographic Area and Plant Organ', Natural Product Communications, 12(4), pp. 545-548. doi:10.1177/1934578x1701200421 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578x1701200421 - Moldoch, J. and Szajwaj, B. and Masullo, M. and Pecio, L. and Oleszek, W. and Piacente, S. and Stochmal, A (2011) 'Phenolic constituents of Knautia arvensis aerial parts', Natural Product Communications, 6(11), pp. 1627-1630. doi:10.1177/1934578x1100601117 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578x1100601117 - Plouvier, V (1971) 'Research on heterosides: knautioside and saponosides from Knautia arvensis and related glycosides', Comptes Rendus de l'Academie des Sciences, Serie D, 272(10), pp. 1443-1446. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Research%20on%20heterosides%3A%20knautioside%20and%20saponosides%20from%20Knautia%20arvensis%20and%20related%20glycosides - Chrzaszcz, M. and Miazga-Karska, M. and Klimek, K. and Dybowski, M.P. and Typek, R. and Tchorzewska, D. and Dos Santos Szewczyk, K (2023) 'The Anti-Acne Potential and Chemical Composition of Knautia Species (Caprifoliaceae) Extracts', International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(11), pp. 9188. doi:10.3390/ijms24119188 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119188 - Skala, E. and Szopa, A (2023) 'Dipsacus and Scabiosa Species - The Source of Specialized Metabolites with High Biological Relevance: A Review', Molecules, 28(9), pp. 3754. doi:10.3390/molecules28093754 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28093754 - Pinto, D.C.G.A. and Rahmouni, N. and Beghidja, N. and Silva, A.M.S (2018) 'Scabiosa Genus: A Rich Source of Bioactive Metabolites', Medicines (Basel), 5(4), pp. 110. doi:10.3390/medicines5040110 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines5040110 - Albayrak, S. and Aksoy, A. and Yilmaz, M.A. and Beyzi, E (2024) 'Investigation of Phytochemical, Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Potentials of Scabiosa L. (Caprifoliaceae) Species with Chemometric Methods', Chemistry and Biodiversity, 21(2), pp. e202301652. doi:10.1002/cbdv.202301652 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202301652 - Saar-Reismaa, P. and Koel, M. and Tarto, R. and Vaher, M (2022) 'Extraction of bioactive compounds from Dipsacus fullonum leaves using deep eutectic solvents', Journal of Chromatography A, 1677, pp. 463330. doi:10.1016/j.chroma.2022.463330 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2022.463330
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.