Evidence has been found that one of the most common garden and parkland weeds in Britain can help with a range of health conditions.
Dandelions may be able to assist with inflammatory diseases by targeting the AGE–RAGE signalling pathway. Quercetin and caffeic acid have been identified as the two compounds that polity a significant role in this, essentially by reducing cytokine production in immune cells, which in turn lead to inflammation.
Dandelions have long been known to contain a range of bioactive components, including flavonoids, henolic acids, terpenoids, and polysaccharides, all of which offer significant health benefits. These include antioxidant properties and immunomodulatory activities. However, the specific properties that supported these mechanisms has previously been unclear.
Now a team at Shandong Agricultural University have managed to uncover the molecular basis for the humble dandelion’s incredibly beneficial impact on inflammatory disease, which hinge on the effects of quercetin and caffeic acid on the signalling pathway. Or in lay terms, what has long been suspected — that the flowering weed can possible ease conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis — now has a definite explanation.
The UK is home to some 250 species of dandelion, around 40 of which are believed to be endemic. Although often considered to weed and regularly falling victim to gardening activities such as grass mowing and hedge trimming, this particular form of vegetation provides a vital habitat and food for many insects and small mammals, and has historically been used in natural medicine for various ailments, often having been prepared as a tea, tincture or oil.
Image: Natalia Luchanko / Unsplash
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