Hound’s Tongue
cynoglossum officinale
Medicinal Actions
Analysis pending research update.
Primary Conditions Treated
Safety & Contraindications
Not covered. Hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic, should under no circumstances be taken internally. Use not recommended due to toxic PAs. Though I use the KOM abbreviation, where there is no “2,” the indication was unapproved by Commission E, usually with the boiler plate disavowal, “The effectiveness of the herb for the claimed applications is not documented.” Commission E has rejected therapeutic use of Cynoglossum officinale because PAs are present and because therapeutic usefulness has not been sufficiently documented. PAs are toxic to humans, with liver damage with cirrhosis and ascites, or seneciosis, or veno-occlusive disease, reported in almost all cases of severe or fatal intoxications, from intakes of 0.5 to 3.3 mg/kg. Cynoglossine paralyzes peripheral nerve endings in frogs. Consolicine and consolidine paralyze the CNS, and is three times more potent than cynoglossine.