Gundelia tourenfortii is popular throughout the Middle East including Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Anatolia.
This plant has been noted for its food, healing and health promoting properties it can be found in markets throughout the Middle East.
One popular dish among Palestinian citizens of Israel is to dethorn the heads, cover them in oil and fry them, followed by a light simmering in lemon juice.
Arabs use it for food and healing purposes, and respect and identify with the plant. Sold in markets in
Jerusalem, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, it’s also gathered in the wild in Turkey.
Among Palestinian citizens of Israel in the north of the country, a popular dish using the plant consists of the dethorned heads covered in olive oil and fried, and then simmered with lemon juice
Gundelia tourenfortii contains many polyphenols and other molecules including:
- Cynarin and chlorogenic acid
- Quercetin
- Gallic acid
- Limonene
- Zingiberene
- Saponins
Details about the plant extract:
- Aerial parts of the plant were used collected from Urmia, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
- Ethanol extraction was performed at room temperature for 72 hours
- Each capsule contained 250 mg of hydroalcoholic extract
- Two capsules were taken daily (500 mg of GT extract were taken daily.
Here are the study details:
- 38 angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease patients were enrolled
- 19 subjects received GT extract and 19 subjects received placebo
- Patients had >60% stenosis
- Study design was a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial
- The study lasted 8 weeks
Here are the results after 8 weeks with Gundelia tourenfortii:
- Total cholesterol – decreased from 151 ± 24 mg/dl at baseline to 131 ± 26 mg/dl
- LDL-c – Decreased from 86 ± 26 to 61 ± 30 mg/dl
- BMI (Body Mass Index) – decreased in the GTE group from 26.5 to 25.9
Take away message: This study represents the first clinical trial evaluating Gundelia tourenfortii extract in patients. Reduction in Total Cholesterol, LDL, and BMI were observed in patients with coronary artery disease after 8 weeks. The current mechanism by which Gundelia tourenfortii reduces cholesterol is not known, however, some evidence from other studies using phytochemicals in the extract suggest cholesterol synthesis is disrupted. Additional research is needed, however, the evidence suggests that Gundelia tourenfortii extract could be beneficial for those with coronary artery disease to reduce cholesterol and LDL.
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Plant Medicine
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