Bleeding Heart

Botanical Name: Dicentra formosa

Family: Fumariaceae

Parts Used: Root, herb.

Constituents: Isoquinoline alkaloids including protopine, bulbocapnine, bicuculline, corydine, and tetrahydropalmitine (tetrahydroprotoberberine) and others. Volatile oil, Flavonoids.

Principal Actions: Bitter, Analgesic, Sedative nervine.

Pharmacy: Tincture of fresh root 1:2 95% alcohol. Dry root tincture 1:5 50% alcohol. Whole dry herb 1:5 50% alcohol. 15-30gtt TID.

Dicentra formosa is commonly known as Bleeding Heart, or more strictly, Western or Pacific Bleeding Heart. The entire genus contains a number of isoquinoline alkaloids, and although little used in western herbalism today, the Dicentras were medicinally used both by the Eclectics and homeopaths, where the remedy was known as Corydalis. Primarily it is used as a remedy for pain of various origins, including neuralgias, dysmenorrhea, and headache. Sufficient confusion surrounds the taxonomic position of the genus as well as the exact species used medicinally to have prompted J R Lloyd to publish a detailed clarification of the subject of the medicinal species used by the Eclectics in 1915. (1)

BOTANY

Many European and some American systematists locate the Fumariaciae as a subfamily of the Papaveraceae but they are quite distinct from the Papaveraceae in floral symmetry, stamen fusion and number, and sap character. There are 19 genera and 450 species within the Fumariaceae, but principal Old World taxa are Corydalis and the Fumaria.

Dicentra formosa was formerly known as Fumaria formosa. There are two Western subspecies, var. breviflora with purplish flowers and the less common var.oregana which has yellowish white flowers. These are distinct from both D. candensis (Turkey Corn) or D. cucullaria (Dutchman's Breeches), both common in the North Eastern states. The latter two tend to be confused by botanists today, and the same confusion obviously affectedthe root-diggers supplying the Eclectic physicians - their remedy of choice was D. canadensis but as JR Lloyd pointed in 1915 the dominant herb of commerce was in fact the inferior D. cucullaria, and gave detailed macroscopic descriptions of the differences in the corms between the two species.(1) D. formosa however differs again from both of these in having a long succulent rhizome rather than a tuberous corm. The western Bleeding Heart grows in moister locations in lower elevation deciduous and coniferous woods from South Western British Columbia southwards on the West side of the Cascades in Oregon and along the coast range to the western slopes of the Sierras in central California. It is a delicate and attractive plant, with pendant purplish flowers appearing from Spring through Fall.

HARVESTING

The roots are gathered in the Summer and Fall, up until the leaves start to turn. Foliage is collected in the Summer after the seeds have formed.

PHARMACOLOGY

The principal active constituents of the species are isoquinoline alkaloids, although flavonoids are also present. Over thirty five alkaloids have been isolated from the Fumariaceae, and they are present in most species. The constituent alkaloids have actions that have been pharmacologically delineated in most cases- their neurotransmitter actions vary. Protopine is spasmolytic, anticholinergic and antiarrythmic and increases GABA receptor binding while bicuculline is a GABA anatagonist. Corydine is a CNS depressant, bulbocapnine is a dopamine antagonist, whilst THP is a selective dopamine receptor antagonist. (4) Studies on Asiatic species used in Chinese herbalism suggest that Tetrahydropalmitine (THP) is outstanding in the picture of Dicentra pharmacology.(3)

THP has an analgesic activity but does not bind to opiate receptors. Tolerance develops, but at half the rate for morphine. THP is also sedative, and anatagonises caffeine and amphetamine. It decreases motor activity via central depressive mechanisms, possibly involving increased cortical dopamine turnover. THP has cardiocascular effects, being hypotensive, antiarryhthmic and protective against experimental MI. THP containing drugs have been used to treat PAT (paroxysmal atrial fibrillation). Pharmocokinetically, the alkaloids are rapidly absorbed, cross the blood brain barrier and are metabolised in a short time. (3)
ETHNOBOTANY

D. formosa root was chewed by the Skagit for toothache, whilst a decoction was used for expelling worms (5)

MEDICINAL USES

The early Eclectics seemed to have used Corydalis primarily as an alterative-tonic remedy, with reference to dermatological conditions. King's gives the Specific Indications as "Syphylitic or scrophulous diathesis; yellow skin with lymphatic enlargements; syphylitic nodes. Increases waste and improves nutrition" (6). It is likened to Berberis aquifolium, and used for diarrhoea with "coated tongue, fetid breath and poor digestion". Ellingwood indicates that the remedy fell into disuse with the later Eclectics, perhaps due to the contamination of suppplies of D. canadensis by D. cucullaria as described earlier. He does however affirm its gynaecological use for dysmennorrhea, but this is the nearest reference among the Eclectics to its anodyne and analgesic qualities (7). Dicentra is used primarily for its analgesic and anodyne properties in western herbalism today. In Asian medicine however, it is also used as a cardiac remedy for arrythmias and hypertension as well as a hypnotic for insomnia (3).

REFERENCES

(1) Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases.
http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/

(2) Moore, M. Medicinal Plants of The Pacific West.Red Crane, New Mexico, 1993.

(3) Bone, K. Clinical Applications of Ayurvedic and Chinese Herbs, Phytotherapy Press, Aus. 1996.

(4) Bruneton, J. Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants,Intercept, London, 1995.

(5) Flora of North America - Fumitory Family.
http://hua.huh.harvard.edu/FNA/

(6) Felter H W, &: Lloyd, J U.King's American Dispensatory, Vol 1, Cincinatti, 1898.
Also at http://ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/intro.html

(7) Ellingwood, F. American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy, Cincinatti, 1924.

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