Significant bitter herbs Gentian

One of the most popular of the bitter tonic herbs is gentian. It represents the dried rhizome and roots (underground parts) of Gentiana lutea L.

(Gentianaceae), a moderately tall perennial herb with clusters of characteristic orange-yellow flowers. The best-quality product is dried quickly and retains its white color. Slowly dried gentian becomes reddish in color and develops a distinctive aroma but contains less of the desired bitter principles. However, even the well-prepared herb darkens and develops the distinctive odor after a period of six to eight months. 26

The useful constituents of gentian are secoiridoid glycosides, princi- pally gentiopicroside (gentiopicrin), swertiamarin, and especially amarogentin, which are primarily responsible for its bitter taste. Amarogentin, which occurs in gentian in a concentration of 0.05 percent, surpasses the bitter value of the more abundant gentiopicroside by a factor of five thousand. These principles are accompanied by a number of xanthones, alkaloids, phenolic acids, and characteristic sugars, such as the bitter gentiobiose.

The bitter taste of gentian is probably best known to most Americans in the form of angostura bitters, a proprietary cocktail flavoring that contains gentian, not angostura. Other vestiges in the United States of the numerous varieties of highly alcoholic stomach bitters that were once sold to stimulate the appetite and facilitate digestion are bitter aperitifs such as Campari and vermouth. However, the former relies on quinine for its bitterness and the latter on a complex mixture of herbal ingredients that varies with the producer but always includes wormwood. Wormwood is GRAS listed in the United States and may be used there as a flavor only if it is free of thujone, a toxic bicyclic terpene. In Europe, gentian aperitifs and liqueurs are both numerous and popular.

The traditional use of gentian as an appetite stimulant in some mal- nourished individuals, especially the elderly, is probably valid. German Commission E has reported that the bitter principles in gentian stimulate the taste buds and increase by reflex action the flow of saliva and stomach

secretions. For this reason, it is said to act as a tonic. 27 Although animal

Chapter three: Digestive system problems

29 studies have shown that gentian and its constituents may be potentially

useful in the treatment of stomach ulcers, 28 that, as well as numerous other reported uses, requires verification. The herb is probably best consumed in the form of a decoction prepared by gently boiling ½ level teaspoonful (ca. 1 g) of coarsely powdered root in ½ cup of water for five minutes. Strain and drink while still warm about thirty minutes before mealtime. If the beverage thus prepared is so strong as to be unpleasant, reduce the amount of herb accordingly. Consumption of gentian may be repeated up to a total of four times daily. The herb may cause headache in certain predisposed individuals.

Centaury Another member of the Gentianaceae very similar to gentian in its constituents and effects is centaury. This herb consists of the dried above- ground parts—leaves, stems, and flowers—of Centaurium erythraea Rafn.,

a plant native to Europe and Asia but naturalized in the United States. Like gentian, it contains amarogentin, gentiopicroside, swertiamarin, and a number of related bitter principles including centapicrin, with a bitterness value fifteen times greater than gentiopicroside. It is used for precisely the same purpose as gentian, but Pahlow recommends that a heaping teaspoonful of the herb be extracted with a cup of cold water for

six to ten hours, stirring occasionally, to prepare the most active beverage. 29 This “tea” should be warmed before drinking. The herb is approved by German Commission E for treatment of appetite loss and indigestion. 30

Significant bitter herbs Gentian