Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale

WHAT DOES DANDELION CONTAIN?
Dandelion contains taraxacine-A (1), taraxacine-B (2) and taraxafolin (3) together with twenty-five known compounds, which
include two beta-carboline alkaloids, two indole alkaloids, two chlorophylls, two flavonoids, one coumarin, two triterpenoids, one
monoterpenoid, one ionone, four steroids, eight benzenoids, iron, silicon, magnesium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, and
various B vitamins [1, 2, 7].

Dandelion compounds increase bile production and flow [4]. Some people thought that the increased bile flow might improve
cholesterol metabolism.

DANDELION SIDE EFFECTS
Probably, dandelion is safe; it has been used as supplements for many years. Dandelion is on FDA's GRAS list and approved for
use as a food flavoring in many other countries However, dandelion may have side effect on bile secretion, people with gallstones
or other related diseases should avoid using dandelion leaf and root [5]. Dandelion may cause allergy to certain people [6].People
who are allergic to chamomile, yarrow or other related plants should use dandelion with caution. If you are taking lithium, insulin,
anti-coagulation, anti-diuretic or blood-sugar controlling agents, you should consult with your doctor before using dandelion.

Dandelion may have a serious side effect of male infertility. Aqueous extract of dandelion acts as an anti-fertility agent, as it
decreases male rat fertility in vivo. Experimental groups received the aqueous extract of dandelion orally for 60 days in two
different sublethal doses; 1/10 LD(50) as high dose and 1/20 LD(50) as low dose, whereas the control group received distilled
water. The administration of the aqueous extract of Taraxacum officinale resulted in a significant decrease in testis weight in the
two experimental groups. Also, distortion of morphology of the seminiferous tubules and arrest in spermatogenesis was observed
in the experimental groups. [A1] Clinical studies are needed to confirm this finding.

DANDELION BENEFITS

Dandelion may have benefits on various diseases and conditions, especially cancer.

Dandelion benefits - on water retention
Water Retention Dandelion leaves have been shown to have a mild diuretic effect. Thus, it may benefit people suffered from mild
fluid retention, such as in PMS. [12] However, the related study is very limited.

Dandelion benefits - on cancers
Dandelion extracts have been used in traditional Native American Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treatment
of leukemia and breast cancer. [A3]

Liver cancer Koo HN et al from Kyung Hee University, South Korea, investigated the effect of Taraxacum officinale (TO) on the
cytotoxicity and production of cytokines in human hepatoma cell line, Hep G2. Their results indicated that TO decreased the cell
viability by 26%, and significantly increased the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1alpha production. And
also, they found that TO strongly induced apoptosis of Hep G2 cells. [7]

Leukemia Choi JH et al from Kyung-Hee University, Korea, elucidated the active moiety of a sesquiterpene lactone, taraxinic acid-
1'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1). from Taraxacum coreanum NAKAI on the cytotoxicity of various cancer cells. Based on enzymatic
hydrolysis and various experimental work, they suggested that taraxinic acid induces the differentiation of human leukemia cells to
monocyte/macrophage lineage. Moreover, the expression level of c-myc was down-regulated during taraxinic acid-dependent HL-
60 cell differentiation, whereas p21(CIP1) and p27(KIP1) were up-regulated. Therefore, taraxinic acid may have potential as a
therapeutic agent in human leukemia. [8]

Melanoma Dandelion root extract was shown to specifically and effectively induce apoptosis in human melanoma cells without
inducing toxicity in noncancerous cells. [A2]

Dandelion benefits - on lipid profiles
Lipid Metabolism Cho SY et al from Yeungnam University, South Korea, found that Dandelion water extract lowered the hepatic
malondialdehyde concentration in the diabetic-induced rats. The DWE supplement also lowered the total cholesterol and
triglyceride concentrations in the serum and hepatic tissue, while increasing the serum HDL-cholesterol in the diabetic rats. [9]

Dandelion benefits - on skin conditions
Atopic Dermatits Jovanovic M et al, University of Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro, investigated the value of patch testing with
dandelion (Composite) extract in addition to sesquiterpene lactone (SL) mix in selected patients. Overall prevalence of 4.7% in
their study represents a basal SL mix detection rate of 3.4% reinforced and safely supplemented by testing with the dandelion
extract. [10]

Dandelion benefits - on coagulation
Anti-coagulation Yun SI et al from University of Ulsan, Korea, purified an anti-coagulant from  Taraxacum platycarpum. This anti-
coagulant inhibited thrombin and kallikrein, but did not hydrolyze fibrinogen. The protein bound the anion-binding exosite of
thrombin, competing with the fibrinogen binding site. [11]  WARNING This can be a serious side effects for users who have
coagulation issues. Consult with your doctor before taking it.

Without much scientific supports, dandelion root is considered as a "liver tonic", i.e. a substance to support the liver, or even a
"detoxifier" to clean out the liver and gallbladder. [13] Based on this hypothesis, people believe that it can reduce the side effects
of certain medications on liver. And some authors claim that dandelion root can stimulate the bile flow in some studies. [14-16]
And, some suppliers suggest that it improves appetite and treat minor digestive disorders and constipation.

A recent report of twenty eight male rabbits has shown that dandelion may have health benefits on mammals at risk of high
cholesterol. In the study, the rabbits were divided into four groups: a normal diet group, a high-cholesterol diet group, a high-
cholesterol diet with 1% (w/w) dandelion leaf group, and a high-cholesterol diet with 1% (w/w) dandelion root group. Treatment with
dandelion root and leaf positively changed plasma antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid profiles in cholesterol-fed rabbits, and
thus may have potential hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects. [17]

Dandelion hair
There is no report about dandelion and hair. (as of August 20, 2011)

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References

1. Wichtl M. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1994, 486-9. 2. Bradley PR (ed). British Herbal Compendium, Vol 1. Bournemouth, Dorset, UK: British Herbal
Medicine Association, 1992, 73-5. 3. Racz-Kotilla E, Racz G, Solomon A. Planta Med 1974:26:212-7. 4. Böhm K. Arzneimittelforschung 1959;9:376-8.
5. Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, et al. (eds). The Complete Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Boston, MA:
Integrative Medicine Communications, 1998, 118-20. 6. Gay-Crosier F, Schreiber G, Hauser C. N Engl J Med 2000;342:1372 [letter]. 7. Leu YL, Shi LS,
Damu AG, Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2003 May;51(5):599-601[7] Life Sci. 2004 Jan 16;74(9):1149-57.] [8] Biol Pharm Bull. 2002 Nov;25(11):1446-50][9]
Clin Chim Acta. 2002 Mar;317(1-2):109-17]. [10] Contact Dermatitis. 2004 Sep;51(3):101-10]. [11] [Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2002 Sep;66(9):1859-64]
[12] Racz-Kotilla E et al, The action of Taraxacum officinale extracts on the body weight and diureses of laboratory animals. Planta Med 1974;26:212-
217. [13] Murray MT. The Healing Power of Herbs: The Enlightened Person's Guide to the Wonders of Medicinal Plants. 2nd ed. Rocklin, Calif: Prima
Publishing; 1995. [14-16] Susnik F The present state of knowledge about the medicinal plant Taraxacum officinale Weber Med Razgl 1982;21:323-328.
European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy. Taraxaci radix (dandelion) Exeter, UK: ESCOP; 1996-1997:2. Mongraphs on the Medicinal Uses of
Plant Drugs, Fascicule 2. Bohm VK Studies on the choleretic action of some drugs Arzneimittelforschung 1959;9:376-378. [17] Ung-Kyu Choi et al
Hypolipidemic and Antioxidant Effects of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Root and Leaf on Cholesterol-Fed Rabbits Int J Mol Sci. 2010 January; 11(1):
67–78. [A1] Tahtamouni LH, Alqurna NM, Al-Hudhud MY, Al-Hajj HA. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) decreases male rat fertility in vivo. J
Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Apr 26;135(1):102-9. Epub 2011 Feb 24. [A2] Chatterjee SJ, Ovadje P, Mousa M, Hamm C, Pandey S. The efficacy of dandelion
root extract in inducing apoptosis in drug-resistant human melanoma cells. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:129045. [A3] Ovadje P,
Chatterjee S, Griffin C, Tran C, Hamm C, Pandey S. Selective induction of apoptosis through activation of caspase-8 in human leukemia cells (Jurkat)
by dandelion root extract. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Jan 7;133(1):86-91
dandelion benefits and side effects
dandelion benefits skin, liver, hair              
What are the health benefits of dandelion? Dandelion is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Its leaves and root may have
health benefits on liver, gallbladder, kidney and joint. Some suppliers promote it as a blood purifier.
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