Common names  |  Hydrangea
Scientific name  |  Hydrangea arborescens
Used part  |  Root
Known active compounds  |  hydrangenol, coumarin derivatives 

Potential benefits in cosmetics  |  anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory 

Product name  |  Hydrangea Root-ANB

 

 

Plant Story

Hydrangea arborescens is a flowering plant native to and widely distributed across the eastern United States. It is commonly called smooth hydrangea or wild hydrangea. It is also called “seven bark” by Native Americans as its stem bark tends to peel off in several layers with different colors. Hydrangea is often cultivated as an ornamental flower because of its large, snowy flowers occurring May to July. Medicinally, Native Americans used the roots to prepare teas and tonics to treat kidney stones and infections of the urinary tract and bladder. They also used poultice of bark for sore or swollen muscles, while a poultice of scraped bark was used to treat burns.

 

Although there are not many studies performed on H. arborescens, the beneficial effects of H. paniculata, a well-known Chinese traditional medicine, and its constituents were reported. The most abundant compounds found in H. paniculata is skimmin and apiosylskimmin, which are coumarin derivatives. A study showed H. paniculata extract has anti-oxidant activity and anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the production of cytokines and chemokines in kidney tissues and by inhibiting NF-kB in LPS-induced macrophages. This extract also protects against kidney damage by suppressing renal inflammation and apoptosis.