Oat straw
Avena sativa L.Poaceae // green aerial parts · seed
Overview
Plant parts
green aerial parts, seed
Known constituents
avenanthramides, beta-glucans, silica in straw
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include avenanthramides; beta-glucans; silica in straw; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
TRADITIONAL: Oat straw has been used for nervous-system tonic; skin soothing; nutrition; 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 (nervous-system tonic; skin soothing; nutrition), the evidence assessment is insufficient: Insufficient clinical evidence for straw; colloidal oatmeal has better topical eczema evidence but is a different preparation.
LOW · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants
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 green aerial parts; seed; 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 Oat allergy; gluten contamination in celiac disease. Contraindications/cautions include Oat allergy; celiac disease requires certified gluten-free products.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include May affect glucose and oral-drug absorption when fiber-rich.
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: Food use common; medicinal extracts lack data.
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
- Synonym
GBIF resolves Avena orientalis Schreb. as a synonym of Avena sativa. The older name still appears in herbal and taxonomic literature.
HIGH · GBIF Species Match API
Botanical synonym
Avena orientalis Schreb.
Taxonomic identity note
- Oat straw is treated here as Avena sativa L. in the family Poaceae; recorded older names include Avena orientalis Schreb..
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
WHO monograph
EMA monograph
- Plants of the World Online1 claim
botanical taxonomy database
- GBIF Species Match API1 claim
authoritative taxonomic database