Medical plants
Sorrel
- Aloe vera
- Black cohosh
- Black elder
- Blue cohosh
- Chamomile
- Common centaury
- Common horsetail
- Cowslip
- Cyclamen
- Dandelion
- Eucalyptus
- Hop
- Ignatius bean
- Iris
- Ivy
- Lovage
- Marshmallow
- Medicinal paprika
- Monk’s pepper
- Oak
- Pockwood
- Pokeweed
- Rosemary
- Sorrel
- Thyme
- Tiger lily
- Valerian
- Vervain
- Walnut
- Yarrow
- Yellow gentian
Sorrel
Sorrel or bitter dock (Rumex) belongs to the family of the Polygonaceae. The herb can grow up to a height of one metre and has a short rhizome, an upright stem and fleshy, dark green, arrow-shaped leaves. In May and June, the plant produces tiny green or red flowers that have a sour taste. Bitter dock is distributed across the globe and is common in nutrient-rich meadows, arable land and along the edges of paths.
Bitter dock takes its name from its sour, bitter taste. The plant was used in the treatment of inflammations of the upper respiratory tract and skin diseases as early as the Middle Ages and was regarded as an effective agent against scurvy, due to its high vitamin C content. In addition, a blood-cleansing and antihaemorrhagic effect is attributed to bitter dock.
Sorrel is also used in modern herbal medicine for the treatment of inflammations of the respiratory tract. The highly effective compounds are obtained from the dried leaves and upper sections of the stem of sorrel. They loosen the thick mucus, exhibit an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action and also have a positive effect on immune defence. Together with cowslip flowers, gentian root, vervain and elder flowers, sorrel is one of the five medicinal plants contained in Sinupret® and this combination is effective in the treatment of acute or chronic inflammations of the paranasal sinuses.
