Symptom → Plant Sources
Chickweed (Stellaria media) as a tool for helping with Arthritis / joint pain
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
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Extracts of Stellaria media (and Silene vulgaris), Caryophyllaceae weeds, were assessed for in vitro cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitory activity, characterised by LC-MS and studied by molecular docking. Stellaria media showed COX inhibition, providing a mechanistic basis for its traditional anti-inflammatory use.
4 sources supporting Chickweed for Arthritis / joint pain. Includes scientific publications, books, monographs and traditional-use references.
Mechanistic basis
This use is associated with the plant's anti-inflammatory action. Further evidence for that pharmacology:
Stellaria media (chickweed), a Caryophyllaceae plant used as a therapeutic substance since antiquity, contains flavonoids, the oligosaccharide stellariose, anthraquinone derivatives, steroid saponins and phenolic compounds. These constituents display anti-obesity, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antidiabetic and anxiolytic activities.
Stellaria media has traditionally been used for inflammatory and gastrointestinal ailments. A methanolic extract was phytochemically characterised and tested against piroxicam-induced gastric ulcer in Wistar rats, where it exerted a significant gastroprotective and anti-inflammatory effect, reducing ulcer index and gastric damage.
Chickweed (Stellaria media) extracts (ethyl acetate, ethanol, ethanol-water) were profiled chemically and investigated for biological properties using in vitro, in silico and pharmacological network approaches. The extracts were rich in phenolics and showed antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, supporting health-promoting applications of chickweed.