Laserpitium in de Drôme en de Alpes de Haute Provençe

De forse schermbloemige Laserpitium is een vertrouwde plant voor mij. In de droge, stenige hellingen van de Franse Drôme kom ik hem regelmatig tegen. En nu hij ook als geneeskrachtige plant herontdekt is kan ik hem als herborist natuurlijk nog meer waarderen. De plant lijkt, oppervlakkig bekeken, wel wat op venkel en ook medicinaal heeft hij mogelijk dezelfde kwaliteiten oa gasverdrijvend en spijsverteringbevorderend, maar ook voor huid bezit de etherische olie verjongende eigenschappen. Tegen rimpels dus. En dat kan ik wel gebruiken.

Verder blijkt uit onderzoek van Tirillini et al. focused our investigation on the antifungal activities of Laserpitium garganicum subsp. garganicum(Ten.) Bertol essential oil. L. garganicum subsp. garganicum (Ten.)Bertol. (=Laserpitium siler L. subsp. garganicum (Ten.) Arcangeli) isa perennial herb belonging to the Apiaceae family. This plant is described as a subspecies of L. siler or a species of Laserpitiumin the Flora Europaea and the Flora d’Italia, respectively. Tirillini etal. tested L. garganicum subsp. garganicum essential oil against some phytopathogens and opportunistic human fungi. A few studieshave reported the biologically a ctive components isolated from L. siler,mainly sesquiterpene lactones, and one refers to sesquiterpene lactonesfrom the roots of L. garganicum. Tirillini et al. [27] identified fifty-sixcompounds in L. garganicum essential oil, representing 92.3% of the total oil.

Tirillini B, Pagiotti R, Angelini P, Pintore G, Chessa Ml, et al. (2009) Chemical composition and fungicidal activity of the essential oil of Laserpitium garganicum from Italy. Chem Nat Comp 45: 103-105.

Fournier says about this herb that its root which is bitter and a bit pungent, and even more the seeds which have a smell of anis mingled with that of coriander, have been reputed as diuretic, emmenagogue and stomachic. the seeds have been used as a substitute to fennel or caraway. In alpine Austria they made with its essential oil, which is of a blue color, an aromatic liqueur. The mountain people sometimes ate the root as a vegetable.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Laserpitium+siler
http://www.google.com/patents/WO2014030117A2?cl=en