Burdock
Arctium lappa L.Asteraceae // root · seed
Overview
Plant parts
root, seed
Known constituents
inulin, arctiin/arctigenin, polyacetylenes
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include inulin; arctiin/arctigenin; polyacetylenes; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
TRADITIONAL: Burdock has been used for skin complaints; digestion; food; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Modern evidence
EVIDENCE: For the major use set (skin complaints; digestion; food), the evidence assessment is insufficient: Insufficient clinical evidence.
LOW · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Preparation
Forms used traditionally
A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.
PREPARATION: The medicinal material is root; seed; traditional and modern forms include decoction, tincture, powder/capsule, standardized extract, infusion/tea, extract. No dose or potency is specified.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Preparation-specific evidence should not be generalized across extracts, teas, oils, or whole herb.
Safety
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
SAFETY: Major issues include Asteraceae allergy; contamination/adulteration; diuretic effects. Contraindications/cautions include Asteraceae allergy.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Root products have been confused with toxic belladonna contamination; multiple Arctium species are used.
SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include Potential additive glucose-lowering, diuretic and anticoagulant effects.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.
SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Insufficient pregnancy/lactation evidence.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Dogs
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Identity
Botanical synonym
Lappa major Gaertn.
Taxonomic identity note
- Burdock is treated here as Arctium lappa L. in the family Asteraceae; recorded older names include Lappa major Gaertn..
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
EMA monograph
- Plants of the World Online1 claim
botanical taxonomy database
WHO monograph