Herbal Pharmacy Lecture 1 PDF

BOT MED TERM 1 CLASS 2: HERBAL PHARMACY AUTHOR: DR. FIONA SMULDERS ND LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of this lesion, students will be able to: 1. Discuss considerations for harvesting, drying and processing herbs for formulation 2. Differentiate between the different types of herbal preparations...

BOT MED TERM 1 CLASS 2: HERBAL PHARMACY AUTHOR: DR. FIONA SMULDERS ND LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of this lesion, students will be able to: 1. Discuss considerations for harvesting, drying and processing herbs for formulation 2. Differentiate between the different types of herbal preparations and explain why one formulation may be preferred over another based on case presentation and selected botanicals 3. Demonstrate the ability to make a range of herbal remedies including infusions and decoctions, topical preparations, tinctures, vinegars, capsules and syrups, and identify when they are most indicated for use CHOOSING YOUR HERBS Herbs can be harvested or purchased and can be used fresh or dried When harvesting your own herbs, many factors must be taken into consideration: • Consider the environmental, sociological and ethnobotanical impact this may have (to be covered in class 4) • Time of year to harvest certain plant parts • Quality - the quality of your medicine depends on the quality of the plants you use • How to dry and process the herb • How to store the herb HERBAL PREPARATIONS Internal • Infusions & Decoctions • Tinctures & Glycerites • Vinegars and Oxymels • Gargles • Steam Inhalations • Syrups & Honeys • Wild Food • Capsule External • Herbal Baths • Compresses and Poultices • Oils and Salves • Creams and Lotions • Washes • Liniments • Clays & Pastes INFUSIONS • Infusions are water-based extractions that are prepared from delicate plant parts such as leaves, flowers or green stems. • Infusions are typically steeped in hot water for 10-20 mins • Note that some herbs (like marshmallow root) require cold water for extraction and some nutritive herbs are best steeped for long periods overnight. HOW TO MAKE AN INFUSION 1. Add approx. 2-8g (or or 1-3 tsp) dried herb to your mug (the exact amount depends on which herb is chosen)* 2. Pour 1 cup of nearly boiling water over the herb (temp will differ for certain herbs) 3. Cover cup (or pot) with a lid and let steep for 10-20 minutes 4. Generally drinking 3 cups daily is recommended HERBS FOR INFUSION Chamomile Peppermint Lemon Balm Nettle Cleavers Lavender Raspberry leaf Dandelion leaf Saint John’s Wort Calendula Rose Green/Black/White tea Any flower, leaf or stem AERIAL PARTS When: • Early Spring to late Summer • Leaves are harvested just before or as the herb flowers • Flowers are harvested within a couple days of opening – before wilting or turning to fruit/seed How: • Flower – Pick the petals or whole buds of flowers • Leaf – pick healthy robust leaves from different areas of the plant from the stem Processing: • Dry herbs on a drying rack or tie bunches together to hang upside down • Wait until plants become “crunchy” before storing Storage: • Store whole herbs in airtight containers out of direct light • Will keep for up to 1 year – the more aromatic the shorter the shelf life DECOCTIONS • Are for hard & woody parts of plants such as roots, wood, bark, nuts & seeds. • More heat is needed than for infusions, and the herb has to be simmered for a longer period of time. HOW TO MAKE A DECOCTION • Add approx. 2-8g (1-3 tsp) dried herb to a pot on the stove. Herbs should be broken into small pieces (the exact amount depends on which herb is chosen )* • The container used should be glass, ceramic or earthenware (not aluminum or other metals, stainless steel is also ok) • Add 1 cup of water and cover with a lid • Bring water to a boil and simmer for 10-15 min (or longer) • Strain the tea while still hot • Generally drinking 3 cups daily is recommended HERBS FOR DECOCTION Licorice Dandelion root Astragalus Schisandra Willow bark Ashwagandha Ginseng Any root, bark, berry or seed* ROOTS When: • Best harvested in the Autumn as the nutrients settle back down for the dormant season How: • Harvest most roots after 1 year of growth • Dig deep into the earth to gather all roots • Replant the “crown” just below the stem or replant bits of thick root to regrow for next year Processing: • Wash/scrub the roots and peel off the outer later • Cut into equal pieces and dry on drying rack, dehydrator or low-temp oven Storage: • Stored for up to 2 years in airtight container in cool, dark place BARK When: • Early Spring when the sap rises • Autumn when the sap settles How: • Never harvest bark from the main trunk • Never harvest in a ring • More sustainable to collect bark from branches or saplings that are at least 2 years old (finger thickness) • Prune branches in long stripes Processing: • Using a knife or peeler, strip bark away from you along the length of the branch like peeling a vegetable • Cut into equal sized pieces and dry on drying rack, dehydrator or low-temp oven Storage: • Will keep for up to 2 years in airtight container in cool, dark place FRUIT & SEED When: • Ripen from end of Summer to Autumn (but can be found earlier or later) How: • Make sure fruit is ripe and not bruised or eaten by critters • Pick seeds when they are ripe and brown • Although some are gathered when fresh and green (like nettle) Processing: • Slice larger fruits and lay out in single layers • Lay whole small fruits out in single layers • Can use dehydrator or low-heat oven Storage: • Once dried, store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place • Last up to 2 years FOMENTATION (COMPRESS) Topical application of cloth steeped in either an herbal infusion or decoction applied directly to desired area Can be cooling or warming Useful in sprains, strains, skin irritations, infections (e.g pink eye or styes), muscle cramping or spasms Often contain vulneraries, astringents, rubefacients and circulatory stimulants HOW TO MAKE A COMPRESS 1. Make a hot infusion or decoction (this will depend on herbal part chosen – ex. root vs flower) 2. Allow to cool briefly and add a clean cloth to the infusion/decoction 3. Once cloth is still warm but not uncomfortable to touch, squeeze out the liquid and apply it to the affected area 4. Once the cloth cools, repeat steps 2 and 3 as desired POULTICE Applying fresh, dried or powdered herb directly to the body. Can be hot or cold. Typically used to ease nerve or muscle pains, sprains, or broken bones, heal damaged skin, reduce skin irritation and to draw pus from infected wounds, boils or ulcers Common herbs used: comfrey leaf & root, chickweed, plantain, calendula, witch hazel HOW TO MAKE A POULTICE 1. Choose the amount of herb to use (this will depend on the size of the area you are applying it to) 2. Chop your herbs into small pieces and place in a mortar and pestle (or blender) to turn herb into a thick paste or mash (dried/powdered herb requires the addition of hot/cold water) 3. Spread the herbal paste over the desired area and wrap with a layer of gauze or cheesecloth. You may also wrap the area in plastic to avoid liquid from escaping. 4. Leave on for desired period of time (30 min to 3 hours) TINCTURES • Tincture are alcohol-based preparations. • In general, alcohol is a better solvent than water for extracting most plant constituents (vinegar or glycerine can also be used). • It also acts as a preservative allowing the medicine to have a much longer shelf life (up to 10 years!) • Tinctures are much stronger than infusions or decoctions, therefore the dosage to be taken is much smaller depending on the herb • Tinctures can be made via 3 methods: 1. 2. 3. Folk Method Maceration (Mathematical) method Percolation HOW TO MAKE A TINCTURE: FOLK METHOD 1. Fill the jar half-way with dried herbal material (fill the jar ¾ full with fresh plant material) 2. Cover the plant material with 40% alcohol spirit like vodka/brandy 3. Leave at least 1 inch of extra vodka over the top of herb material 4. Cover the jar with a lid 5. Store in a cool dark place for 4-6 weeks and shake / agitate daily 6. Strain out all herb material with a cheesecloth 7. Poor liquid tincture into amber tincture bottles for later use HOW TO MAKE A TINCTURE: MACERATION METHOD First, we must identify what the herb requires for: 1. The ratio of herb material to liquid (alcohol) used 2. Percentage of alcohol required to extract most constituents This is often given in the following presentation: 1:5 in 40% BUT both the ratio and the alcohol percentage can change depending on the plant being used. You must reference herbal texts and resources to find the right ratio and percentage. HOW TO MAKE A TINCTURE: MACERATION METHOD Mark = Plant Material in grams Menstruum = Liquid Solvent (Alcohol & Water) in mL Dried Plant weight X ratio strength = menstruum volume 1:5 1 gram plant material to 5mL liquid 5 grams plant material to 25 mL liquid 25 grams plant material to 125mL liquid 50 grams plant material to 250mL liquid 100 grams plant material to 500mL liquid … etc… APPROX. ALCOHOL PERCENTAGES Resins and oils need > 70% alcohol Calendula Myrrh Poplar gum Alkaloids need 45-70% Comfrey Berberines (hydrastis, berberis aquifolium) Bitters need 25-45% Gentian Century Artemesia Glycosides need 25-60% Mucilage extracted in water is best, or in 25-30% Slippery elm Marshmallow Aloe Symphytum off Saponins need 25-60% Licorice Lavender Tannins need 25-60% Oak bark Witch hazel Red raspberry HOW TO MAKE A TINCTURE: PERCOLATION Percolation involves moving a solvent (alcohol) through powdered herb material slowly, letting the solvent drip through a filter into a collecting container Benefits of percolation: • fast processing time (approx 1-2 days) • more concentrated end-product (it is easier to make 1:2 extracts) Drawbacks of percolation: • requires specialized equipment • fresh plants and plants with high mucilage or resin content cannot be used Image retrieved from https://youarethehealer.org HOW ND’S USE TINCTURES Naturopathic doctors typically work with single herb tinctures that are already made This way, we can add single herb tinctures together to formulate a remedy to address our patient’s needs right away POWDERS, CAPSULES & TABLETS Powdered herbs can be stirred into food/drink, encapsulated or pressed into tablets Professional-line capsules are often standardized to contain a certain percentage an active constituent How to make Herbal Capsules: • Acquire gelatin capsules • Powder your herbs as finely as possible, either in a processor or with a mortar & pestle. • Place the powdered herbs in a flat dish and take the halves of the capsules apart. • Move the halves of the capsules through the powder, filling them in the process (you can also purchase an encapsulator) VINEGARS, OXYMELS & HONEY • Vinegars are often used to promote digestion & support liver health. • Vinegar is about 4% acetic acid, which will extract a certain amount of fat-soluble constituents. • Is a useful alternative to tinctures if you do not want to give any alcohol to a client, however, it will not keep as long (about 3 months), and does not extract as many constituents. • When honey is added it is called an oxymel • You can also infuse herbs directly into honey to make an herbal honey SYRUPS • Herbal syrups are saturated solutions of sugar (or honey) in water, where sugar acts as the preservative component. The water used is a strong infusion or decoction of desired herb. • When used responsibly (and in moderation) it can actually help the absorption and therapeutic effect of some of our medicines, and as a carbohydrate can act as a form of quick energy for the body. LOZENGES & PASTILLES • Are used to treat the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, and upper respiratory tract. • Are usually a small flattened disc that can be sucked on slowly, often imparting the medicinal actions of a demulcent, soothing expectorant, or antimicrobial effect. • They will often contain finely powdered herbs rich in mucilage, an emulsifier, water, volatile oils, and a sweetener of some kind such as honey. STEAM INHALATIONS Delivers herbal constituents right into the respiratory tract - can be useful for sinusitis, congestion, hay fever and URTI 1. Half fill a fairly wide bowl with boiling water 2. Add 5 ggt EO (or can stir in fresh herb) 3. Immediately place a towel over head and bowl 4. Breathe in through nose and out through mouth for 10-15 minutes Make sure towel is large enough to fall below sides of the bowl so steam is trapped EO evaporate readily so use quickly. HERBS AS FOOD • Soups, stocks, broths • Infused oils for dressings or cooking • Infused vinegars & honeys • Jams • Smoothies • Gruels/Porridge • Spices & Seasoning • Fresh in salads INFUSED OILS Herbs can be added to infused into oils to be used topically (added to lotions/salves) or internally (in cooking!) Oil infusion can be done with or without heat (adding heat speeds up infusion time) There are many carrier oil options including: • Olive oil • Almond oil • Coconut oil and Shea butter • Sunflower oil • Castor oil • Grapeseed oil • Jojoba oil SALVES & LIP BALMS Are semi-solid preparation containing the plants medicinal properties using oil & beeswax Act mainly on the surface of skin being also occlusive and protective. Suitable herbs would be vulnerary & emollients Are healing to chapped lips, and used on bites, stings, cuts, diaper rash, skin conditions or other wounds as needed. CREAMS & LOTIONS Are emulsions of oil & water, with the medicinal phases being in either or both bases. They are absorbed by the body as well as working on the surface of the skin Are used to soothe and moisten inflamed or irritated skin Vegan Cream - combination of aloe gel, oils, tinctures and essential oils LINIMENTS Are liquids intended for external use only Usually contain anodyne & rubefacient herbs in oil or rubbing alcohol and should be applied with friction Useful in sprains, strains and sore muscles Should only be applied to unbroken skin A simple liniment can be made by mixing 2 parts of any tincture with 1 part almond oil or alcohol SUMMARY OF HERBAL APPLICATIONS Medicine Type General Description General Method Tincture Herbs steeped in alcohol or vinegar Finely chop or grind herbs, add in correct ratio to correct % alcohol or vinegar. Store out of direct sunlight. Shake daily for 2 - 6 weeks. Strain. Liniment An alcohol or vinegar tincture that is applied directly to the skin. Used primarily for muscular issues. Use the same method for making tinctures. Normally a base of Cayenne is used. Do not apply on broken or damaged skin. Glycerite Herbs steeped in glycerine Finely chop or grind herbs, add in correct ratio to glycerine. Store out of direct sunlight. Shake daily for 2 - 6 weeks. Strain. Infusion Non-woody herbs steeped in water Finely chop or grind herbs. And correct amount to boiling water. Cover the container. Steep for 15 minutes to overnight. Decoction Woody herbs simmered in water Finely chop or grind herbs. Add correct amount to cold water and ring to a boil. Cover the container. Simmer for 15 minutes. Inhalation An infusion or decoction is inhaled as steam An infusion or decoction is made and while hot is poured into a bowl. Using a towel to cover the head and bowl, inhale the steam Bath A strong infusion or decoction is added to bath water. Primarily used for skin and genital/anal issues Follow directions for making an infusion or decoction. Either use by pouring into a small amount of bath water or sitz bath, or have patient sit in bath water and apply directly with a wash cloth. Medicine Type General Description General Method Poultice A paste of plants is applied directly to the skin Primarily used for skin and muscle issues, and inflammation. A paste of well bruised fresh plants, or dried plants and water or vinegar is applied directly to the skin. The poultice is the covered with plastic wrap or cloth an a heat pack/hot water bottle to retain heat. Flax meal or oat meal is sometimes used as a base for a poultice with other herbs added. Compress An infusion or decoction is applied to the skin Primarily used for skin and muscle issues, and inflammation. A cloth (gauze, cotton, linen, towelling) is soaked in an infusion or decoction and applied to the skin. plastic wrap can be used to cover the cloth and a heat pack/hot water bottle placed over it to retain heat. Oil Herbs are steeped in warm or cool oil. Primarily used for skin and muscle issues, and inflammation. Finely chopped fresh herbs are steeped in oil. Olive, almond and castor are often used. Warm oil – steep for 2 -4 hours Cool oil – steep for 2-6 weeks Oil is then strained and used as a massage oil or as a topical application for skin issues Salve Beeswax or another thickening agent is added to a herbal oil to produce a solid product that can be applied to the skin for skin and muscle issues The herbal oil is heated and the correct amount of beeswax is added. When the wax has melted, the mixture is poured into containers and allowed to solidify. Essential oils can be added. APPROXIMATE SHELF LIFE OF HERBAL PREPARATIONS • • • • • • • • • Infused oils: 6-12 months Creams & lotions: 1-2 weeks, refrigerated Salves: 6-12 months Glycerites: 1 year Vinegars: 6 months Tinctures: 2+ years Decoctions: 48 hours, refrigerated Infusions: 24 hours, refrigerated Syrups: up to 1 year depending on amount of honey/sugar added POSOLOGY CONSIDERATIONS When to take it: • On an empty stomach – cleansing and detoxifying, generally best for most internal herbal preparations • Before a meal - for nervous conditions and to help stimulate digestion • After a meal - for indigestion and gas • Taken with food – to lower the strength of the preparation (ex: for elderly, or those with chronic health conditions) POSOLOGY CONSIDERATIONS General Guidelines (Adult Dosing): • Syrups and Elixirs: ½-1 tsp, 3 times daily • Tea: 1 tsp dried herb per cup water, drink 1 cup 3 times daily • Tinctures: 30-60 drops or ½-1 tsp, 3 times daily • Topical applications: apply 2-3 times daily or as needed • Higher and more frequent dosing for acute conditions and/or stronger vitality • Lower and less frequent dosing for chronic conditions and/or lower vitality