Common Name: Common Plantain

General Information

Plantago major is a perennial plant producing one or more basal rosettes of leaves from a mainly fibrous rootstock. It can grow up to 30cm tall, exceptionally to 70cm[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use, especially as a medicine but also as a food. It, is occasionally cultivated as a medicinal herb and is sometimes also traded[]. Although this species is a common garden weed, some named forms have been selected for their ornamental value[].
Common plantain is a widespread weed that has spread all around the world via human activity. Its seeds readily adhere to animals or people through their mucilaginous seed coat which promotes dispersal. They can also be transported by water[].

Known Hazards

Care should be taken when collecting Plantago major from the wild for medicinal or edible purposes, since plants may contain high concentrations of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium where they grow along roads[].

Botanical References

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Range

Most of Europe, including Britain, to northern and central Asia

Habitat

A common garden weed, particularly in lawns[, , ]. Rarely in grassy places[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.12 m
Pollinators	Self, Wind
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Common plantain is a temperate, European plant that has been very successful in moving to new locations via human activity and has now become naturalised in most areas of the world in both temperate and tropical areas[]. In tropical areas it will often flower all year round and, although perennial in the temperate zone, can complete its life cycle in six weeks[].
Succeeds in any moderately fertile soil in a sunny position[]. Plants are tolerant of water-logging, compacted soils and trampling[].
An important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterflies[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - raw or cooked[, , , , , , ]. They are rather bitter and tedious to prepare because the fibrous strands need to be removed before use[]. It is best not to use the leaf-stalk since this is even more fibrous than the leaf[]. Many people blanch the leaves in boiling water before using them in salads in order to make them more tender[]. A Chinese form has more palatable leaves - it contains about 2.7% protein, 0.4% fat, 2.2% ash[].

Seed - raw or cooked[, ]. A nutty flavour[]. Very tedious to harvest[]. The seed can be ground into a meal and mixed with flour[]. It is very rich in vitamin B1[]. The whole seeds can be boiled and used like sago[].
The seed mucilage is an excellent thickener and is used as a stabilizer in the ice-cream industry and in the preparation of chocolate[].

The dried leaves make an acceptable tea[].

Root[]. A sweetish, saline flavour[].

Medicinal

Common plantain is a commonly used traditional medicine. It is a safe and effective treatment for bleeding, it quickly staunches blood flow and encourages the repair of damaged tissue[].
A range of pharmacological activities has been found in tests with Plantago major, including wound healing, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antibiotic, immunomodulatory, diuretic and anti-ulcerogenic activities.
Active compounds include polysaccharides, lipids, caffeic acid derivatives, flavonoids, iridoid glycosides and terpenoids.
Aqueous extracts exhibited dual immunomodulatory effects by enhancing lymphocyte proliferation and by secretion of interferon-gamma at low concentrations, but this effect was inhibited at high concentrations[].
A decoction of dried leaves showed moderate diuretic activity[].
Ethanol and methanol extracts showed significant in-vitro activity against a wide variety of bacteria and fungi. Leaf extracts were also active against Giardia duodenalistrophozoites and the nematode Ditylenchus dipsaci, a pest of garlic[].
Saccharides, a polysaccharide, a galactoarabin and a galactan have been isolated from the leaves. Together these are referred to as ‘plantaglucid’, and is used to treat ulcers. It reduces the development of peptic ulcers and reduces inflammatory oedema, without toxic effects even after prolonged administration[].
The seeds contain mucilaginous matter consisting of hydrophilic polysaccharides, mainly in the seed coat. These swell in contact with water and form mucilage with high viscosity, which increases stool bulk, stimulates peristalsis and facilitates bowel movements[].
A number of fatty acids have been isolated from the seed oil, of which oleic acid (37.5%) and linoleic acid (25.5%) are the main components.
From fresh leaves 0.2% lipids were isolated, with palmitic acid and stearic acid as main components and smaller amounts of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid. The latter 2 compounds showed hepatoprotective, antitumour and antihyperlipidemic effects, whereas ursolic acid also exhibited anti-inflammatory activity[].
The caffeic acid derivatives plantamajoside and acteoside (verbascoside) have been isolated from Plantago major. Plantamajoside showed anti-inflammatory activity and some antibacterial activity. Acteoside has antibacterial, immunosuppressant, analgesic and antihypertensive effects. Both have anti-oxidant activity[].
Among the flavonoids isolated are baicalein, hispidulin, plantaginin and scutellarein. These have free radical scavenging activity and inhibit lipid peroxidation, and the first 3 are anti-oxidants. Baicalein has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and hepatoprotective activities, it showed inhibition of human and rat cancer cell lines, and it is a HIV-reverse transcriptase inhibitor in vitro. Hispidulin also showed anti-inflammatory activitiy and is an inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase, whereas scutellarein has anti-allergic and HIV-reverse transcriptase inhibiting activities[]
The glucosides luteolin-7-glucoside and homoplantaginin are also potent inhibitors of HIV-reverse transcriptase[]
Aucubin is one of the major iridoid glycosides isolated from Plantago major; the content in dried leaves can be up to 1.3%. It showed anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities in tests with mice, spasmolytic properties in rats, and antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus[].
The aglycone of aucubin, aucubigenin, has antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi[].

The leaves are astringent, demulcent, deobstruent, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, haemostatic and refrigerant[, , , , , , , ]. Internally, they are used in the treatment of a wide range of complaints including diarrhoea, gastritis, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, haemorrhage, haemorrhoids, cystitis, bronchitis, catarrh, sinusitis, asthma and hay fever[, ].
They are used externally in treating skin inflammations, malignant ulcers, cuts, stings etc[, ]. The heated leaves are used as a wet dressing for wounds, swellings etc[, ].

The root is astringent and febrifuge[]. A decoction is used to treat coughs[]. As a remedy for the bite of rattlesnakes, it is used in equal portions with Marrubium vulgare[].

The seeds are demulcent, diuretic, stimulant and tonic[]. They are used as a remedy for dysentery and diarrhoea[], and in the treatment of parasitic worms[].
Plantain seeds contain up to 30% mucilage which swells up in the gut, acting as a bulk laxative and soothing irritated membranes[]. Sometimes the seed husks are used without the seeds[].

A distilled water made from the plant makes an excellent eye lotion[].

In the United States, Plantago major has been patented as a natural smoking deterrent product called CIG-NO (available in spray, capsules or drops), which contains no nicotine and is not addictive. Exact cause and effect relationships are not yet fully understood[].

Other Uses

The seed mucilage is an excellent thickener that is used in cosmetics such as lotions and hair wave sets[].
The seeds can be used as a low-cost gelling agent for tissue culture. The quality is comparable to that of agar at only about 10% of its cost[].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.
A sowing can be made outdoors in situ in mid to late spring if you have enough seeds.