Horsetail
Equisetum arvense L.Equisetaceae // sterile aerial parts
Overview
Plant parts
sterile aerial parts
Known constituents
silica, flavonoids, equisetonin
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include silica; flavonoids; equisetonin; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
TRADITIONAL: Horsetail has been used for diuretic; wound care; mineral support; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants
Modern evidence
EVIDENCE: For the major use set (diuretic; wound care; mineral support), the evidence assessment is limited/mixed: Traditional-use support; insufficient clinical evidence.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants
Mixed findings, product heterogeneity, or indirect evidence are preserved in the detailed profile.
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 sterile aerial parts; traditional and modern forms include infusion/tea, tincture, powder/capsule, 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 Thiamine depletion, hypokalemia, nicotine traces; substitution toxicity. Contraindications/cautions include Kidney disease; thiamine deficiency.
HIGH · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include Diuretics, digoxin, lithium and drugs affected by potassium.
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 · WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants
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
- Dangerous lookalikeMarsh horsetail
Equisetum palustre is listed by EMA as a possible adulterant of medicinal Equisetum arvense.
Why it matters: Contains potentially toxic palustrine/palustrin.
HIGH · Assessment report on Equisetum arvense L., herba
- Possible adulterantScouring rush
Equisetum hyemale is listed by EMA as a possible adulterant of medicinal Equisetum arvense.
HIGH · Assessment report on Equisetum arvense L., herba
- Possible adulterantWater horsetail
Equisetum fluviatile is listed by EMA as a possible adulterant of medicinal Equisetum arvense.
HIGH · Assessment report on Equisetum arvense L., herba
- Possible adulterantWood horsetail
Equisetum sylvaticum is listed by EMA as a possible adulterant of medicinal Equisetum arvense.
HIGH · Assessment report on Equisetum arvense L., herba
Botanical synonym
Equisetum boreale Bong.
Taxonomic identity note
- Horsetail is treated here as Equisetum arvense L. in the family Equisetaceae; recorded older names include Equisetum boreale Bong..
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
WHO monograph
regulatory herbal assessment
NIH LiverTox monograph
- Plants of the World Online1 claim
botanical taxonomy database
EMA monograph