Horse chestnut

Research corpus coverage

Chemistry notes

• CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include aescin (escin); coumarins; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.

Traditional / historical use

Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.

• TRADITIONAL: Horse chestnut has been used for chronic venous insufficiency; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.

  MODERATE · evidence synthesis/fact sheet · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance

Modern evidence

• EVIDENCE: For the major use set (chronic venous insufficiency), the evidence assessment is well-supported: Well-supported short-term symptom improvement in systematic review; long-term evidence is limited.

  HIGH · systematic review/meta-analysis · Cochrane: Horse chestnut seed extract for chronic venous insufficiency

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.

Dogs

• High risk

  Buckeye/horse chestnut (Aesculus spp.; canonical species Aesculus hippocastanum) is described as toxic to dogs. Ingestion of leaves, bark, or seeds/nuts may cause gastrointestinal irritation; whole seeds may cause bowel obstruction, and large ingestions may produce neurologic signs.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Whole plant material, especially leaves, bark, and seeds/nuts; swallowed whole seeds · MODERATE · poison_control_database · Buckeye Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline®

• High risk

  Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) seeds and leaves are toxic to dogs; ingestion may cause vomiting, diarrhea, staggered gait, tremor, collapse, and seizures.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · seeds and leaves · HIGH · poison_control_database · Horse Chestnut Is Toxic To Dogs

Cats & dogs

• High risk

  ASPCA identifies horse chestnut (scientific name Aesculus glabra; common names buckeye, Ohio buckeye, and fetid buckeye) as toxic to cats and dogs.

  Intrinsic toxicity · UNKNOWN · No preparation or concentration distinctions stated · MODERATE · poison_control_database · Horse Chestnut - Toxic and Non-toxic Plants

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 Raw plant causes severe GI, neurologic and bleeding toxicity; processed extract may cause GI effects. Contraindications/cautions include Kidney/liver disease; bleeding disorders.

  HIGH · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements

• SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include Potential additive bleeding and glucose lowering; highly protein-bound drug displacement theoretical.

  MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements

  Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.

• SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Avoid in pregnancy/lactation.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance

  Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.

• ASPCA identifies horse chestnut (scientific name Aesculus glabra; common names buckeye, Ohio buckeye, and fetid buckeye) as toxic to cats and dogs.

  MODERATE · poison_control_database · Horse Chestnut - Toxic and Non-toxic Plants

  The page identifies the plant as Aesculus glabra, whereas the canonical map assigns horse-chestnut to Aesculus hippocastanum; the common-name match supports inclusion but the species identity differs.

• Buckeye/horse chestnut (Aesculus spp.; canonical species Aesculus hippocastanum) is described as toxic to dogs. Ingestion of leaves, bark, or seeds/nuts may cause gastrointestinal irritation; whole seeds may cause bowel obstruction, and large ingestions may produce neurologic signs.

  MODERATE · poison_control_database · Buckeye Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline®

  The page discusses Aesculus spp. and identifies horse chestnut as an alternate name; it does not provide dog-specific clinical signs or establish toxicity specifically for Aesculus hippocastanum.

• Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) seeds and leaves are toxic to dogs; ingestion may cause vomiting, diarrhea, staggered gait, tremor, collapse, and seizures.

  HIGH · poison_control_database · Horse Chestnut Is Toxic To Dogs

  The page specifically identifies toxicity to dogs but does not provide separate cat-specific evidence.

Taxonomic identity note

• Horse chestnut is treated here as Aesculus hippocastanum L. in the family Sapindaceae; recorded older names include Hippocastanum vulgare Gaertn..