Aesculus Hippocastanum Q
Gladys Anick
The common name horse chestnut originates from the similarity of the leaves and fruits to sweet chestnuts, Castanea sativa (a tree in a different family, the Fagaceae),[9] together with the alleged observation that the fruit or seeds could help panting or coughing horses.[12][13]
The native distribution of Aesculus hippocastanum given by different sources varies. As of March 2023[update], Plants of the World Online considered it to be native to the Balkans (Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and former Yugoslavia), but also to Turkey and Turkmenistan.[15] A 2017 assessment for the IUCN Red List restricted the native distribution to the Balkan area: Albania, Bulgaria, mainland Greece and North Macedonia.[1] It has been introduced and planted around the world. It can be found in many parts of Europe as far north as Harstad north of the Arctic Circle in Norway,[16] and Gstrikland in Sweden as well as in many parks and cities around the northern United States and Canada such as Edmonton in Canada.[17]
The compact native population of horse chestnut in Bulgaria is distinct from the horse chestnut forests of northern Greece, western North Macedonia and Albania. It is limited to an area of 9 ha in the Preslav Mountain north of the Balkan Mountains, in the valleys of the Dervishka and Lazarska rivers. Bulgaria's relict horse chestnut forests are critically endangered at the national level and protected as part of the Dervisha Managed Nature Reserve.[18]
It is widely cultivated in streets and parks throughout the temperate world, and has been particularly successful in places like Ireland, Great Britain and New Zealand, where they are commonly found in parks, streets and avenues. Cultivation for its spectacular spring flowers is successful in a wide range of temperate climatic conditions provided summers are not too hot, with trees being grown as far north as Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,[19] the Faroe Islands,[20] Reykjavk, Iceland and Harstad, Norway.
In Britain and Ireland, the seeds are used for the popular children's game conkers. During the First World War, there was a campaign to ask for everyone (including children) to collect the seeds and donate them to the government. The conkers were used as a source of starch for fermentation using the Clostridium acetobutylicum method devised by Chaim Weizmann to produce acetone for use as a solvent for the production of cordite, which was then used in military armaments. Weizmann's process could use any source of starch, but the government chose to ask for conkers to avoid causing starvation by depleting food sources. But conkers were found to be a poor source, and the factory only produced acetone for three months; however, they were collected again in the Second World War for the same reason.[21]
The seeds, especially those that are young and fresh, are slightly poisonous, containing alkaloid saponins and glucosides. Although not dangerous to touch, they cause sickness when eaten; consumed by horses, they can cause tremors and lack of coordination.[22]
Aesculus hippocastanum is affected by the leaf-mining moth Cameraria ohridella, whose larvae feed on horse chestnut leaves. The moth was described from North Macedonia where the species was discovered in 1984 but took 18 years to reach Britain.[25]
In Germany, they are commonly planted in beer gardens, particularly in Bavaria. Prior to the advent of mechanical refrigeration, brewers would dig cellars for lagering. To further protect the cellars from the summer heat, they would plant horse chestnut trees, which have spreading, dense canopies but shallow roots which would not intrude on the caverns. The practice of serving beer at these sites evolved into the modern beer garden.[26]
The seed extract standardized to around 20 percent aescin (escin) is possibly useful in traditional medicine for its effect on venous tone.[28][29] A Cochrane Review suggested that horse chestnut seed extract may be an efficacious and safe short-term treatment for chronic venous insufficiency, but definitive randomized controlled trials had not been conducted to confirm the efficacy.[30]
There is risk of acute kidney injury, "when patients, who had undergone cardiac surgery were given high doses of horse chestnut extract i.v. for postoperative oedema. The phenomenon was dose dependent as no alteration in kidney function was recorded with 340 μg/kg, mild kidney function impairment developed with 360 μg/kg and acute kidney injury with 510 μg/kg".[31]
Raw horse chestnut seed, leaf, bark and flower are toxic due to the presence of aesculin and should not be ingested. Horse chestnut seed is classified by the FDA as an unsafe herb.[32] The glycoside and saponin constituents are considered toxic.[32]
A fine specimen of the horse-chestnut was the Anne Frank tree in the centre of Amsterdam, which she mentioned in her diary and which survived until August 2010, when a heavy wind blew it over.[34][35] Eleven young specimens, sprouted from seeds from this tree, were transported to the United States. After a long quarantine in Indianapolis, each tree was shipped off to a new home at a notable museum or institution in the United States, such as the 9/11 Memorial Park, Central H.S. in Little Rock, and two Holocaust Centers. One of them was planted outdoors in March 2013 in front of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, where they were originally quarantined.[36]
Horse chestnut is a plant also known as Aescin, Aesculus hippocastanum, Buckeye, Castao de Indias, Chtaignier de Mer, Chtaignier des Chevaux, Escine, Faux-Chtaignier, Hippocastani, Hippocastanum Vulgare Gaertn, Marron Europeen, Marronnier, Spanish Chestnut, Venostasin Retard, Venostat, White Chestnut, and other names.
Horse chestnut has been used in alternative medicine and is likely effective in treating some symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency (decreased blood flow return from the feet and legs back to the heart). These symptoms include leg pain or tenderness, varicose veins, itching or swelling in the legs, and fluid retention (puffy or swollen ankles or feet).
It is not certain whether horse chestnut is effective in treating any medical condition. Medicinal use of this product has not been approved by the FDA. Horse chestnut should not be used in place of medication prescribed for you by your doctor.
Horse chestnut is often sold as an herbal supplement. There are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for many herbal compounds and some marketed supplements have been found to be contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination.
If you choose to use horse chestnut, use it as directed on the package or as directed by your doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider. Do not use more of this product than is recommended on the label.
Signs of horse chestnut poisoning may include weakness, depressed mood, loss of coordination, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, little or no urinating, muscle twitching, or loss of movement in any part of the body.
Avoid using horse chestnut together with other herbal/health supplements that can lower blood sugar, such as alpha-lipoic acid, chromium, devil's claw, fenugreek, garlic, guar gum, Panax ginseng, psyllium, Siberian ginseng, and others.
Avoid using horse chestnut together with herbal/health supplements that can also affect blood-clotting. This includes angelica (dong quai), capsicum, clove, danshen, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, panax ginseng, poplar, red clover, turmeric, and willow.
This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with horse chestnut, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this product guide.
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Respiratory viruses can cause life-threatening illnesses. The focus of treatment is on supportive therapies and direct antivirals. However, antivirals may cause resistance by exerting selective pressure. Modulating the host response has emerged as a viable therapeutic approach for treating respiratory infections. Additionally, considering the probable future respiratory virus outbreaks emphasizes the need for broad-spectrum therapies to be prepared for the next pandemics. One of the principal bioactive constituents found in the seed extract of Aesculus hippocastanum L. (AH) is β-escin. The clinical therapeutic role of β-escin and AH has been associated with their anti-inflammatory effects. Regarding their mechanism of action, we and others have shown that β-escin and AH affect NF-κB signaling. Furthermore, we have reported the virucidal and broad-spectrum antiviral properties of β-escin and AH against enveloped viruses such as RSV, in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we demonstrate that β-escin and AH have antiviral and virucidal activities against SARS-CoV-2 and CCoV, revealing broad-spectrum antiviral activity against coronaviruses. Likewise, they exhibited NF-κB and cytokine modulating activities in epithelial and macrophage cell lines infected with coronaviruses in vitro. Hence, β-escin and AH are promising broad-spectrum antiviral, immunomodulatory, and virucidal drugs against coronaviruses and respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.
Respiratory viruses can cause severe, life-threatening illnesses, such as sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The focus of treatment for such viruses is on supportive therapies and direct antivirals to prevent virus replication and dissemination in the host. In the management of influenza, effective antiviral options include neuraminidase inhibitors, namely oseltamivir, zanamivir, and peramivir. Meanwhile, for SARS-CoV-2, therapeutic agents include ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir (Paxlovid), remdesivir, and molnupiravir. However, antiviral drugs may cause resistance by exerting selective pressure on the pathogen1,2. Despite the differences in host response to viral infections, the downstream effects are often the same, resulting in excessive inflammation and a loss of lung barrier integrity, which can lead to oedema and tissue damage1. Modulating the host response has emerged as a viable therapeutic approach for treating respiratory infections. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that this approach may be valuable, as treatment with corticosteroids such as dexamethasone has a significant impact on outcomes1,3.
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