Calendula Petals 500g - - WAS $32.50 - 20% off
CALENDULA FLOWERS [Calendula officinalis]
The cultivar, calendula officinalis, should only be used, and not the common garden variety. The bright orange petals are used, and have antiseptic and healing properties, helping to prevent the spread of infection and hasten the rate of repair. A wash can be made from the flowers, which won’t sting when applied to the skin. Widely considered a detoxifying herb, it aids in treating toxicity that underlies many fevers, infections and skin disorders. Available also as a cream, proving invaluable for the first aid kit/stable as it can be applied directly to cuts and wounds, without stinging.
Actions: anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, spasmolytic, antihaemorrhagic, styptic, vulnerary, non-tannin astringent.
Uses for horses
Calendula is the herb of choice for wounds and bruising. Traditionally known as ‘the homoeopathic antiseptic’, wounds treated with calendula extracts healed cleanly and rapidly without one drop of pus. In recent times, this has been backed up by research confirming Calendula’s anti-bacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus faecalis both commonly found on the skin and in the nares and throat, using a dry hydroethanolic extract.[1]
Compresses soaked in 90% tincture can be used to staunch bleeding. The 90% tincture is used neat or diluted with an equal part of previously boiled cold water to disinfect wounds and stitching
Ointment containing 5% calendula oil or tincture is used to promote rapid healing with granulation and epithelization of new tissue. This is mainly due to the carotenoid pigments in lutien found only in the deep orange petals of Calendula officinalis, the other garden varieties lack this quality. Recent studies confirm the medicinal activity. Note [4]
Infused calendula oil with added tea tree can be used as a hoof oil to treat infection of the frog, particularly thrush. The anti-fungal properties also make calendula oil, an useful addition to ointments for mud fever.
Decoction: Calendula petals for inflamed gritty and sore eyes . Using a stainless steel pan take 30gms of the petals, add 500mls water, bring to the boil, simmer 10 minutes, strain and cover. Leave to cool. Use cold to bathe the eyes.
Tinctures
a) Herbal Wound Glue" 1:5 90% alcohol using flowerheads and leaves to extract the resinous qualities. The resinous fraction being ‘herbal wound glue’ to mend wounds, seal inflamed surfaces and suffocate bacteria. Use neat on wounds and sores as an antiseptic. Dilute with an equal part of water to use for internal bacteria.
b) Flower petals in 1: 5 25% alcohol. This is used internally as an immune stimulant and anti-oxidant, stimulates the liver into bile production, mild oestrogens help regulate irregular seasons in mares.
[1] Dumenil G et al., Evaluation of antibacterial properties of marigold flowers (Calendula officinalis) and mother homeopathic tinctures of Calendula officinalis Re: Annual Pharm French 1980
[2] The anti-inflammatory activity has been demonstrated in two studies of mice Akihisa et al., 1996 Triterpene alcohols from the flowers of Compositae and their anti-inflammatory effects.
[3] Zitter-Eglseer et al., 1997 Anti-oedematous activities of the main trierpenoid esters of marigold ( Calendula officinalis)
[4] Surgically induced wounds treated with an ointment containing 5% calendula extract showed marked physiological regeneration and epithelialization Klouchek-Popova et al., 1982 Influence on Physiological Regeneration and Epithelization Using Fractions Isolated from Calendula Officinalis
