ROSE HIP or DOG ROSE

Description

A thorny, deciduous shrub belonging to the family Rosaceae. Native to Europe, western Asia and northwestern Africa, it is now distributed practically all over the world. It flowers from May to July and produces fruit in late summer or early autumn.

It reaches 1-3 meters in height, has green, hanging stems, with small, curved and strong thorns; alternate leaves composed of 5-7 elliptic-ovate, glabrous and toothed leaflets. The flowers, solitary or grouped in umbels, are pale pink or white and ripen in an ovoid, deep red cinquefoil-like fruit, called rose hip, containing 10-20 hairy achenes.

Part used

The cinquefoil or rose hip, formed by the receptacle and the remains of the dried sepals, with the achenes removed.

Active ingredients

• Vitamin C, up to 1.7%.
• Ellagic tannins: rugosins A-E, telimagrandins I-II.
• Flavonoids: quercetin, catechin and epicatechin.
• Carotenoids: rubixanthin, lycopene, beta-carotene.
• Triterpenes: oleanolic, betulinic and ursolic acids.
• Others: pectin, gallic, coumarinic, malic and citric acids, vitamins B1 and E.

Pharmacological action

• Astringent and antidiarrheal.
• Protective of the vascular wall.
• Mild diuretic.
• Anti-inflammatory and analgesic.

Indications

• Prevention of colds and flu.
• Diarrhea.
• Varicose veins.
• Capillary fragility.
• Hemorrhoids.

Contraindications

Pregnancy and lactation.

Precautions

Gastritis, peptic ulcer: may worsen these conditions.

Drug interactions

They have not been described.

Side effects

May cause constipation and gastrointestinal discomfort.

Bibliographic references

-.Monografía de la SEFIT (Sociedad Española de Fitoterapia).

-.Fitoterapia aplicada. J.B. Peris, G. Stübing, B. Vanaclocha. M.I. Colegio Oficial de Farmacéuticos de Valencia.

-.Farmacognosia. Fitoquímica. Plantas Medicinales. Jean Bruneton. Editorial Acribia S.A. 2ª edición.

-.Francesca Lattanzio,  Emanuela Greco, Donatella Carretta et al. In vivo anti-inflammatory effect of Rosa canina L. extract. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Sep 1;137(1):880-5.

-.Zahra Ayati, Mohammad S Amiri, Mahin Ramezani et al. Phytochemistry, traditional usses and pharmacological profile of rose hip: a review. Curr Pharm Des. 2018;24(35):4101-4124.