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Greater Plantain (Plantago major) and Bronchitis: evidence and sources
inferred from expectorant action
For educational purposes only, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants, especially alongside prescribed medication, during pregnancy, or for a serious condition.
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5 sources supporting Greater Plantain for Bronchitis. Includes scientific publications, books, monographs and traditional-use references.
Mechanistic basis
This use is associated with the plant's expectorant action. Further evidence for that pharmacology:
Plantago major has been used widely since ancient times, to manage a wide range of diseases including constipation, coughs and wounds. The aim of this study is to review the traditional application, botanical characterization, pharmacological activities, phytochemistry effects and toxicity of Plantago major. In this review study, medicinal properties of Plantago major are collected from credible pharmacopeias, textbooks of traditional Persian medicine (TPM) belonging to the 10-18th century AD, such as "The Canon of Medicine", "Makhzan-Al- Advia" and so on. Moreover, electronic databases including Scopus, Medline and Web of science were explored for this purpose. Plantago major has been prescribed in various forms such as roasted seeds, decoction, syrup, liniment, gargle, rectal enema, vaginal suppository, eye and nasal drop for each illness by TPM scholars. Some of its traditional properties including wound healing, antipyretic, antitussive, anti-infective, anti-hemorrhagic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, laxative, astringent and hemostatic have been confirmed in recent researches. Phytochemical investigations showed that Plantago major contains volatile compounds, triterpenoids, phenolic acids and flavonoids. Modern pharmacological studies have proven some of the traditional applications of Plantago major. Nevertheless, more investigations are required on this plant, because it has the potential to be used to produce various natural medications.
This study was conducted to evaluate the possible mechanisms of the relaxant effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Plantago major (P. major) on tracheal smooth muscle (TSM) in rats. The effects of cumulative concentrations of P. major (5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/mL) and theophylline (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mM) were evaluated on pre-contracted TSM with 10 μΜ methacholine or 60 mM KCl. To determine the possible mechanisms, the relaxant effect of the plant was also examined on incubated TSM with atropine, indomethacin, chlorpheniramine, glibenclamide, diltiazem, papaverine, and propranolol. The results indicated concentration-dependent relaxant effects for P. major in non-incubated TSM contracted by methacholine or KCl. There was no statistically significant difference in the relaxant effects of P. major between non-incubated and incubated tissues with indomethacin, papaverine, and propranolol. However, the relaxant effects of P. major in incubated tissues with atropine (p<0.01 to p<0.001), chlorpheniramine (p<0.05 to p<0.001), glibenclamide (p<0.05), or diltiazem (p<0.01) were significantly lower than non-incubated TSM. P. major indicated relatively potent relaxant effects which were lower than those of theophylline. Muscarinic and histamine (H1) receptors inhibition, as well as calcium channel blocking and potassium channel opening effects are suggested to contribute to the TSM relaxant effect of the plant.