Spreading Pellitory

Spreading Pellitory (Parietaria judaica) belongs to the nettle family (Urticaceae) and is native to Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of South America. This herbaceous plant prefers to grow on walls, in gardens, and on bare ground, where it can form dense carpets. Similar to Upright Glasswort, Spreading Pellitory was also traditionally used as a medicinal herb, above all for the treatment of urinary tract and respiratory complaints.

Potential health benefits

Historically, Spreading Pellitory was used similarly to Upright Glasswort. Just as with its namesake, it is also important with Spreading Pellitory to distinguish between traditional use and actually well-founded knowledge.

  • Diuretic effect: As with Parietaria officinalis, Parietaria judaica was also traditionally used as a remedy to support kidney function and urine excretion. It was used for urinary tract infections and bladder complaints (1,2).
  • Expectorant effect in respiratory diseases: The pellitory was also used for respiratory complaints such as coughs, asthma, and bronchitis. It was meant to loosen mucus and clear the airways.
  • Anti-inflammatory properties: Some of the bioactive constituents of Spreading Pellitory, including flavonoids and phenols, exhibit anti-inflammatory properties that could help relieve inflammation in the body (3,4,5,6).

Active compounds

Spreading Pellitory contains a number of bioactive compounds that contribute to its traditional uses:

  • Flavonoids: These secondary plant compounds are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and could help reduce oxidative damage in the body (7,8).
  • Triterpenes: These compounds are possibly responsible for the plant's diuretic effect (9).
  • Histamine-releasing substances: A special characteristic of Parietaria judaica is its potential to trigger allergies in sensitive individuals (10,11).

Safety and side effects

Spreading Pellitory is known above all for its allergenic potential:

  • Allergic reactions: Parietaria judaica is one of the most common causes of pollen allergies in Mediterranean areas. It can trigger allergic symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, and asthma. Allergies to pellitory pollen can occur all year round, as the plant has long flowering periods (10,11).
  • Skin irritation: With external contact, sensitive individuals can develop skin irritation and itching.

People with known pollen allergies should avoid contact with the plant and its pollen. In addition, a doctor should be consulted before taking pellitory products.

Conclusion

Spreading Pellitory (Parietaria judaica) is a herbaceous plant that was traditionally used for the treatment of urinary tract and respiratory complaints. It contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that could explain its potential health benefits. Due to its strong allergenic potential, especially with regard to pollen allergies, affected individuals should avoid contact with the plant.

Sources

  1. Rivière L. Six Hundred Miseries': The Seventeenth Century Womb: Book 15 of the'Practice of Physick. London: RCOG; 2005.
  2. Fortini P., Di Marzio P., Guarrera P. M., Iorizzi M. Ethnobotanical study on the medicinal plants in the Mainarde Mountains (central-southern Apennine, Italy) Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2016;184:208–218. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.03.010.
  3. Arts I. C., Hollman P. C. Polyphenols and disease risk in epidemiologic studies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2005;81(1):317S–325S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/81.1.317S.
  4. Jaradat N. A., Al-lahham S., Zaid A. N., et al. Carlina curetum plant phytoconstituents, enzymes inhibitory and cytotoxic activity on cervical epithelial carcinoma and colon cancer cell lines. European Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2019;30, article 100933 doi: 10.1016/j.eujim.2019.100933.
  5. Ginwala R, Bhavsar R, Chigbu DI, Jain P, Khan ZK. Potential Role of Flavonoids in Treating Chronic Inflammatory Diseases with a Special Focus on the Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Apigenin. Antioxidants (Basel). 2019 Feb 5;8(2):35. doi: 10.3390/antiox8020035. PMID: 30764536; PMCID: PMC6407021.
  6. Maleki, S. J., Crespo, J. F., & Cabanillas, B. (2019). Anti-inflammatory effects of flavonoids. Food chemistry, 299, 125124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125124
  7. Ferraz, C. R., Carvalho, T. T., Manchope, M. F., Artero, N. A., Rasquel-Oliveira, F. S., Fattori, V., Casagrande, R., & Verri, W. A., Jr (2020). Therapeutic Potential of Flavonoids in Pain and Inflammation: Mechanisms of Action, Pre-Clinical and Clinical Data, and Pharmaceutical Development. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 25(3), 762. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25030762
  8. Arts, I. C., & Hollman, P. C. (2005). Polyphenols and disease risk in epidemiologic studies. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 81(1 Suppl), 317S–325S. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/81.1.317S
  9. Zhang X, Li XY, Lin N, Zhao WL, Huang XQ, Chen Y, Huang MQ, Xu W, Wu SS. Diuretic Activity of Compatible Triterpene Components of Alismatis rhizoma. Molecules. 2017 Sep 6;22(9):1459. doi: 10.3390/molecules22091459. PMID: 28878160; PMCID: PMC6151603.
  10. Ferrer, M & Burches, Enrique & Peláez, A & Muñoz, A & Hernández Fernández de Rojas, Dolores & Basomba, A & Enrique, Ernesto & Alonso, R & Cistero-Bahíma, Ana & Martin, Santiago & Rico, P & Gandarias, B. (2005). Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of immunotherapy with Parietaria judaica: Clinical efficacy and tolerance. Journal of investigational allergology & clinical immunology : official organ of the International Association of Asthmology (INTERASMA) and Sociedad Latinoamericana de Alergia e Inmunología. 15. 283-92.
  11. Colombo, P., Bonura, A., Costa, M., Izzo, V., Passantino, R., Locorotondo, G., Amoroso, S., & Geraci, D. (2003). The allergens of Parietaria. International archives of allergy and immunology, 130(3), 173–179. https://doi.org/10.1159/000069520