Gentian

Scientific Name(s): Gentiana acaulis L., Gentiana lutea L., Gentiana scabra Bunge.
Common Name(s): Bitter root, Bitterwort, Felwort, Gall weed, Gentian, Gentiana, Radix Gentianae Lutea

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Sep 20, 2021.

Clinical Overview

Use

No clinical trials support traditional use of gentian to stimulate appetite, improve digestion, or treat GI complaints. Gentian has also been used as an emmenagogue and to treat wounds, sore throat, arthritic inflammation, and jaundice.

Dosing

Infusions, decoctions, and macerations of gentian roots and rhizomes have been used as a bitter digestive tonic in doses of 1 to 4 g/day. There are no clinical studies to substantiate this dosage recommendation.

Contraindications

Contraindicated in gastric or duodenal ulcer and hypertension.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Documented adverse effects. Avoid use.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

The extract may cause headache, nausea, and vomiting.

Toxicology

Mutagenicity has been demonstrated for methanolic extracts in Salmonella assays. Acute veratrum alkaloid poisoning has been reported due to accidental contamination of gentian preparations by veratrum.

Scientific Family

• Gentianaceae (gentian)

Botany

Native to the mountains of central and southern Europe, G. lutea is a perennial herb that grows to 1.8 m with erect stems and smooth, oval leaves. The plant produces a cluster of fragrant orange-yellow flowers. The roots and rhizomes are nearly cylindrical, sometimes branched, varying in thickness from 5 to 40 mm. The root and rhizome portions are longitudinally wrinkled. The color of the rhizomes, ranging from dark brown to light tan, appears to be related to the content of bitter principles, because the darker roots have a more persistent, bitter taste. The roots and rhizomes of G. lutea are used medicinally.Meyer 1934, PLANTS 2010, WHO 1999

G. acaulis is a smaller herb with a basal rosette of lance-shaped leaves and generally grows to 10 cm in height. It is native to the European Alps at 914 to 1,524 m above sea level. The entire G. acaulis plant is used medicinally. Numerous species of gentian native to China are used in Chinese traditional medicine. Radix Gentianae Scabrae (known as Chinese or Japanese gentian) is indigenous to Korea, China, and Japan, and contains chemical constituents similar to these of G. lutea.WHO 1999

History

The gentians have been used for centuries as bitters to stimulate the appetite, improve digestion, and treat a variety of GI complaints (eg, diarrhea, heartburn, stomach ache, vomiting). Stemless gentian usually is consumed as a tea or alcoholic extract, such as Angostura bitters. The extracts are used in a variety of foods, cosmetics, and some antismoking products. The plant has been used externally to treat wounds and internally to treat sore throat, arthritic inflammation, and jaundice. Despite the name, the dye gentian violet is not derived from this plant.DerMarderosian 1988, Leung 1996, WHO 1999

Chemistry

The most characteristic aspect of gentian is its bitter taste imparted by a number of iridoid glycosides, primarily amarogentin, gentiopicrin (about 1.5% in fresh roots), gentiopicroside, and swertiamarin. The speed of drying of the roots affects their properties as medicinal bitters. Slow drying permits enzymatic hydrolysis of gentiopicrin into gentiogenin and glucose, therefore reducing bitterness. Gentian extract is used as a bitter in concent...