Heal-all

Other Names

All-healAllhealBlue curlsBlue LucyBrownwortBrunellaBrunella vulgarisCarpenter grassCarpenter's herbCarpenter's squareCarpenter's weedCarpenter-weedCommon self-healCommon selfhealConsolida minorDatouhuaDragonheadHealallHeart-of-the-earthHerb carpenterHercules woundwortHercules' all-healHook-healHookweedKalyuthLance selfhealNaidongPrunellaPrunella vulgarisSelf-healSelfhealSicklewortSlough-healSpica prunellaeThimble-flowerThimbleweedTiesecaoWild sageWoundwortXia ku caoXiakucaoXijuYanmian夏枯草

Synopsis

Heal-All (Prunella vulgaris L.): A Comprehensive Reference

1. Identity, Botanical Classification, and Common Forms

1.1 Nomenclature and Taxonomy

Botanical name: Prunella vulgaris L. Common names: Self-heal, Heal-all, Heart-of-the-Earth, Allheal, Prunella. Family: Lamiaceae (Mint family). Additional vernacular names documented in the historical and ethnobotanical record include all-heal, carpenter's herb, and hook-heal — names that correspond with self-heal's traditional ability to heal wounds inflicted by sharp-edged tools. In Chinese traditional medicine it is known as xia ku cao (夏枯草).

The genus name Prunella is derived from 'Brunella', itself a derivative from "die Bräune," the German name for diphtheria, for which Prunella was historically used. Vulgaris means 'usual,' 'common,' or 'vulgar.' Self-heal and heal-all refer to the plant's uses in traditional medicine.

1.2 Botanical Description and Distribution

Self-heal is a low-growing perennial herb that typically grows to about 30–60 cm (12–24 inches) in height, with square stems and opposite, lance-shaped leaves. The plant produces dense clusters of tubular, purple to violet flowers, often with a distinctive lip, blooming from mid-summer to fall. Its leaves have a slightly hairy texture and emit a mild, minty aroma when crushed.

Prunella vulgaris is a perennial herb native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, and is common in most temperate climates. It was introduced to many countries in the 1800s and has become invasive in the Pacific Islands, including Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. In China, the plant is widely cultivated and used medicinally; it is the dried fruit spike of the Lamiaceae plant, widely distributed in the Eurasian temperate and tropical regions, Northwest Africa, and North America.

There are two described varieties of Prunella vulgaris: var. vulgaris and var. lanceolata. Prunella vulgaris L. fruits are included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the European Pharmacopoeia.

1.3 Parts Used and Common Preparations

Prunella vulgaris L. has been successfully used as a drug in European and Chinese traditional medicine since ancient times, and was called a "self-healing" or "all-healing" plant. The principal plant parts used medicinally are the aerial parts — leaves, stems, and especially the fruit spikes (dried flower heads). The plant is edible: young leaves and stems can be eaten raw in salads; the plant as a whole can be boiled and eaten as a leaf vegetable; and the aerial parts can be powdered and brewed in a cold infusion to make a beverage.

It is sold in pill and liquid-extract form, as well as in balms and ointments that can be applied directly to the skin. In traditional Chinese medicine, the dried fruit spike (Prunellae Spica) is the pharmacopoeially official form. Other preparations documented in the literature include aqueous decoctions, ethanol extracts, poultices from fresh plant material, and topical creams formulated with semi-purified polysaccharide fractions.

2. Traditional and Historical Use

2.1 Traditional Chinese Medicine

In China, records of Prunella vulgaris L. originated from "Shen Nong's Classic of the Materia Medica" (Shén Nóng Bĕn Căo Jīng), during the Dong Han Dynasty (AD 25–220). In TCM, Prunella vulgaris L. is described as bitter, acrid, and cold in nature; it belongs to the liver and gallbladder meridians; it clears the liver and dissipates fire, improves vision, disperses swelling, and has historically been applied to conditions such as photophobia, dizziness, scrofula, goiter, and breast cancer.

As a folk medicine used for thousands of years in China, it is mainly used for relieving sore throat, as an antipyretic, and for accelerating wound healing. Modern clinical practice in China uses it primarily for the treatment of cancer, hypertension, diabetes, pelvic inflammation, breast hyperplasia, thyroid diseases, and prostate diseases. The Chinese name xia ku cao (literally "grain spike that withers in summer") references the plant's phenological characteristic of flowering in spring and withering after the summer solstice.

2.2 European Herbal Traditions

Self-heal's long history of use for healing cuts, wounds, and inflamed throats and mouths corresponds well with the Doctrine of Signatures. The Latin name Prunella was originally Brunella, a German name referring to the plant's treatment of die Breuen, an inflammatory mouth and throat condition. European herbalists have long regarded Prunella vulgaris primarily as an herbal remedy for throat ailments, and considered it to be a wound herb above all else.

In Europe, the Celts considered it to be one of the six most useful medicinal plants. Being an astringent plant, it has been used since ancient times for the treatment of minor injuries, wounds, burns, contusions, and tissue repair, administered topically or internally.

2.3 Native American Use

The Cherokee used self-heal as food and as a dermatological aid, employing infused root as a wash for bruises, diabetic sores, cuts, and acne. The Blackfoot Indians made use of infused Prunella vulgaris in a variety of ways, including as an eyewash for both humans and horses. Native Americans also used Prunella vulgaris for topical application as an eyewash or paste believed to be capable of healing wounds, boils, and sores.

2.4 Traditional Preparations

Historically, the herb has been used to treat ailments ranging from sore throats, gastrointestinal disturbances, and skin conditions to fever and eye infections. The herb was often prepared as a tea or poultice for topical application. In Chinese tradition, it has long been an ingredient in herbal teas: it is a main ingredient in several herbal teas in southern China, including commercial beverages such as Wong Lo Kat.

3. Key Constituents and Active Compounds

3.1 Primary Phytochemical Classes

The compounds isolated from Prunella plants mainly constitute triterpenoids and their saponins, phenolic acids, sterols and their glycosides, flavonoids, organic acids, volatile oil, and saccharides. The chemical composition of Prunella vulgaris depends on various factors ranging from the part of the plant to the method of extraction.

3.2 Phenolic Acids

The main active compounds include triterpenes such as ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, and their saponins; flavonoids including rutin, quercetin, and luteolin; and phenolic acids such as caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, and their derivatives, as well as polysaccharides.

Rosmarinic acid is among the most extensively studied compounds in Prunella vulgaris. Ursolic acid was selected as the evaluation index in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2005 edition), while since the 2010 edition, rosmarinic acid has been used as the primary evaluation index. Polyphenol-rich aqueous-ethanolic extract (30% v/v) contains two known constituents with anti-inflammatory activity: rosmarinic acid (RA) and ursolic acid (UA).

3.3 Triterpenoids

Triterpenes such as oleanolic acid and ursolic acid mainly accumulate in early plant development, while betulinic acid accumulates during ripening. P. vulgaris contains triterpenoids, polysaccharides, and flavonoids, with ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, and rosmarinic acid as the predominant compounds. Two triterpenes with antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus type 1 in vitro have been isolated from Prunella vulgaris.

3.4 Polysaccharides

Most of the bioactivities seen in P. vulgaris water extracts are attributed to polysaccharide compounds, though no specific polysaccharide component has been definitively associated with anti-inflammatory activity alone. A partially sulfated polysaccharide known as prunellin has been isolated from aqueous extracts of the dried inflorescence. Prunellin has a minimum inhibitory concentration of 2.2 µg/mL against HIV-1 in vitro and was identified as a partially sulfated polysaccharide with a molecular weight of about 10,000 daltons.

3.5 Other Compounds

Additional phytochemicals include betulinic acid, D-camphor, D-fenchone, cyanidin, delphinidin, hyperoside, lauric acid, myristic acid, rutin, linoleic acid, beta-sitosterol, lupeol, and tannins. Vitamins C and D, carotene, and various alkaloids have also been reported in the whole plant.

4. Mechanisms of Action

4.1 Anti-inflammatory Mechanisms

Rosmarinic acid in Prunella vulgaris ethanol extract inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced prostaglandin E2 and nitric oxide in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages, indicating suppression of key pro-inflammatory mediators. In the context of high-glucose-induced vascular inflammation, aqueous extract of Prunella vulgaris (APV) decreased expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and E-selectin; dose-dependently inhibited monocyte adhesion; and suppressed p65 NF-κB activation, while also significantly inhibiting the formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species. APV induced Akt phosphorylation as well as activation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), eNOS, and nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which may protect against vascular inflammation caused by high glucose.

Salviaflaside, a phenolic compound in Prunellae Spica, is significantly associated with anti-inflammatory activity and may regulate TNF and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways by acting on targets such as CASP7, CASP8, CASP3, NOD2, and CASP1.

4.2 Antioxidant Mechanisms

Flavonoids and phenolic acids in P. vulgaris all contain hydroxyl groups that play a role in scavenging free radicals. These phenolic compounds are metabolized in vivo via various bio-activating enzymes; after oral administration, rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, and metabolites such as ferulic acid can be detected in the serum.

4.3 Antiviral Mechanisms

Mechanism studies showed that the lignin-carbohydrate polysaccharide complex PPS-2b from Prunella vulgaris inactivated HSV-1 directly, blocked HSV-1 binding to Vero cells, and inhibited HSV-1 penetration into Vero cells; a similar inhibition was observed with a gC-deficient strain of HSV-1. Several antiviral effective chemicals have been identified across studies, including polysaccharides, polyphenolics, triterpenes, and a range of essential oils.

4.4 Anti-tumor Mechanisms

The active ingredients of P. vulgaris may exert anti-tumor effects by inducing the apoptosis of cancer cells, inhibiting angiogenesis, inhibiting the migration and invasion of tumor cells, and inhibiting autophagy. Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid are significantly associated with anti-breast cancer activity and may regulate ovarian steroidogenesis and prolactin signaling pathways on targets such as PTGS2, CYP19A1, ESR2, CYP17A1, and MAPK3.

4.5 Cardioprotective Mechanisms

In myocardial infarction models, P. vulgaris and phenolic acids including caffeic acid, ursolic acid, and rosmarinic acid could improve cardiac function and protect cardiomyocytes from ischemia injury, with the mechanism partially related to inhibiting NLRP3 activation.

5. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use

5.1 Antiviral Activity — Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)

A 2022 narrative review identified 24 articles on the antiviral activity of Prunella vulgaris: 10 on HIV, 8 on HSV, and the remainder on other viruses; in vitro experimental designs dominated the methods, while in vivo studies were also noted.

In vitro evidence: Using a plaque reduction assay, an anionic polysaccharide isolated from Prunella vulgaris was active against HSV-1 and HSV-2 at 100 µg/mL; the 50% plaque reduction dose for both HSV-1 and HSV-2 was 10 µg/mL. Clinical isolates and known acyclovir-resistant strains of HSV-1 and HSV-2 were similarly inhibited by the polysaccharide.

The effective concentrations of the polysaccharide fraction PPV with 50% reductions of HSV-1 and HSV-2 antigens were 20.6 and 20.1 µg/mL, respectively. Notably, PPV also reduced the antigen expression of an acyclovir-resistant strain of HSV-1.

Animal/topical evidence: In vivo activity of a Prunella cream formulated with a semi-purified polysaccharide fraction was assessed in a HSV-1 skin lesion model in guinea pigs and an HSV-2 genital infection model in mice. Guinea pigs that received the Prunella cream treatment showed a significant reduction (P<0.01) in skin lesions, and mice showed a significant reduction (P<0.01) in mortality. The anti-HSV compound from P. vulgaris was described as a lignin-polysaccharide complex with potent activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2.

Limited clinical evidence: In one reported clinical application, 78 cases of herpetic keratitis due to HSV-1 were treated with Prunella vulgaris and Pyrrosia lingua eye drops; 38 cases were effectively cured, 37 cases showed improvement, and 3 cases showed no benefit. This report, published in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (1988), was a single-arm series without controls, and must be interpreted with caution.

Evidence strength assessment: The antiviral evidence against HSV is substantial in vitro and supportive in animal models, with one uncontrolled clinical series. There are no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in humans for this indication.

5.2 Antiviral Activity — HIV

An anti-HIV component, prunellin, was isolated and partially characterized from aqueous extracts of dried inflorescence of Prunella vulgaris; prunellin has a minimum inhibitory concentration of 2.2 µg/mL against HIV-1 in vitro. Available research is entirely preclinical (in vitro). No human clinical trials have been conducted or are cited in the available literature.

5.3 Thyroid Disease

Thyroid nodules (clinical RCT meta-analysis): A meta-analysis of 13 RCTs including 1,468 patients found that Prunella vulgaris combined with levothyroxine sodium tablets had a clinical efficacy risk ratio of 1.22 (95% CI [1.11, 1.33]), and the mean difference in thyroid nodule diameter was −0.43 (95% CI [−0.63, −0.22]).

Hyperthyroidism (systematic review and meta-analysis): The addition of Prunella vulgaris preparations to antithyroid drug (ATD) therapy improves clinical efficacy, reduces adverse events, and decreases relapse rates in patients with hyperthyroidism; however, these studies were single-center, small-sample clinical trials. The addition of PVL preparations to ATDs therapy was also more effective in lowering TNF-α levels and elevating IL-10 levels in patients with hyperthyroidism than ATDs alone.

Evidence strength assessment: There is moderate-quality evidence from meta-analyses of RCTs (mostly conducted in China) supporting adjunctive use for thyroid nodules and hyperthyroidism; however, study quality has been noted as mixed, and trials were predominantly single-center and small.

5.4 Anticancer Activity

Breast cancer — clinical trial: In a trial, 424 patients with breast cancer were evenly assigned to an experimental group (oral administration of Prunella vulgaris L. and taxane) and a control group (placebo and taxane); the primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR) evaluated using the Miller and Payne system, and secondary endpoints included adverse events and overall survival. Oral administration of PVL significantly improved the therapeutic efficacy of taxane, preventing the progression of breast cancer and reducing side effects such as anemia and neutrophil-reduced fever, indicating that PVL may be a potential adjuvant for breast cancer chemotherapy.

Preclinical anticancer evidence: The active ingredients of P. vulgaris may exert anti-tumor effects by inducing the apoptosis of cancer cells, inhibiting angiogenesis, inhibiting tumor migration and invasion, and inhibiting autophagy; additionally, P. vulgaris active ingredients inhibit the release of inflammatory factors and macrophages and modulate oxidative stress markers.

The understanding of anticancer mechanisms and pathways is still relatively vague, and most findings are based on clinical efficacy trials. Although there are many studies on the anti-tumor mechanism of PVL, most of them still remain in basic research, and there is no reliable evidence from rigorous clinical research.

Evidence strength assessment: Preclinical (cell-line and animal) evidence is substantial across multiple cancer types. One controlled clinical trial in breast cancer (n=424) showed benefit as a chemotherapy adjuvant, but this requires independent replication. The overall evidence base is preliminary from a clinical standpoint.

5.5 Anti-inflammatory and Wound Healing

The burn-healing potential of P. vulgaris aqueous extracts was investigated in a study on rats, and it was found that the extract had a stronger burn-healing effect than 1% sulfadiazine. The extract was suggested to accelerate various stages of wound healing, reduce lipid peroxidation, increase collagen viability, and reduce inflammation. However, as of the relevant review, no study had been conducted to determine the specific compounds responsible for the wound-healing effect of the species.

Evidence strength assessment: Evidence for wound healing and acute anti-inflammatory effects is based on animal models and cell studies only. No human RCTs on wound healing have been identified.

5.6 Antidiabetic and Antihypertensive Effects

Prunella vulgaris has been documented to exert hypolipidemic, antihypertensive, and hypoglycemic activities among other pharmacological effects. APV exerts anti-inflammatory effects via inhibition of the ROS/NF-κB pathway; separately, the dried flowered fruit-spike of Prunella vulgaris has been used in Oriental medicine to treat hypertension and tuberculosis. These findings are largely from cell-culture and animal studies. In modern clinical practice in China, PVL is used for the treatment of hypertension and diabetes among other conditions, but large, well-designed RCTs confirming efficacy for these indications in humans are not yet published in the English-language literature.

Evidence strength assessment: Preclinical (in vitro, animal) evidence for antidiabetic and antihypertensive effects is convergent and mechanistically plausible, but remains to be confirmed in adequately powered human trials.

5.7 Antibacterial Activity

Extracts of PVL obtained by three different extraction methods exhibited inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Propionibacterium acnes; the antibacterial mechanism is related to the permeability of the cell wall and cell membrane. Triterpenoid saponins of PVL inhibited Escherichia coli, and petroleum ether extracts of PVL roots inhibited Staphylococcus aureus, S. pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, and K. pneumoniae strains.

Evidence strength assessment: Antibacterial activity is supported by multiple in vitro studies but lacks clinical trial evidence in humans.

6. Body Systems and Health Areas of Association

Modern pharmacological studies have revealed that Prunella plants possess antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, anti-oxidative, anti-tumor, antihypertensive, and hypoglycemic functions. Organized by body system, the associations documented in peer-reviewed literature are:

Integumentary / Wound Healing: Topical use for wounds, burns, cuts, and sores; traditional and preclinical evidence.
Immune System: Immunoregulatory effects; stimulation of innate immune response via STING-TBK1-IRF3 pathway against HSV-1 documented in vitro.
Endocrine / Thyroid: Adjunctive treatment of thyroid nodules and hyperthyroidism; moderate evidence from RCT meta-analyses.
Oncology: Adjunctive chemotherapy in breast cancer; anticancer activity across multiple cell lines preclinically.
Cardiovascular: Antihypertensive and cardioprotective effects in animal models; suppression of vascular inflammation in cell culture.
Metabolic / Endocrine: Hypoglycemic activity; inhibition of glycogen phosphorylase and improvement of insulin sensitivity documented in cell and animal models.
Respiratory / ENT: Historical and traditional use for sore throat, tonsil inflammation, and respiratory conditions.
Gastrointestinal: Traditional use for diarrhea and gastrointestinal complaints; one animal study reported attenuation of colitis.
Ocular: Traditional use as an eyewash; one clinical series for herpetic keratitis.
Hepatic: Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities reported in animal studies.

7. Dosage Forms and Reported Dosages

According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the medicinal dosage of PVL is generally 9–15 g. This refers to the dried fruit spike preparation used in decoction.

Although Prunella vulgaris is available for use as pills, extracts, ointments, and health supplements, the dosage is not yet well regulated.

In animal cardioprotection studies, the extract (400 mg/kg) administered by intragastric gavage after surgery improved cardiac function and reduced infarct size, inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative damage, and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. Individual phenolic compounds (caffeic acid, ursolic acid, and rosmarinic acid) were each also tested at 400 mg/kg in animal myocardial infarction models.

In the breast cancer adjuvant clinical trial (n=424), the PVL oral solution was purchased from a commercial pharmaceutical source; specific dosage amounts per day were not reported in the accessible abstract and methods sections of that publication.

For the hyperthyroidism systematic review, the PVL dosage forms used in five included RCTs were oral liquids. Specific dosage amounts varied across trials and were not consolidated to a single standard.

8. Safety, Toxicology, and Interactions

8.1 General Safety Profile

Current studies indicate that PVL has a high clinical safety profile for use. Acute toxicity studies showed that during a 14-day observation period, there were no deaths and no apparent signs of toxicity in animals. Rats continuously injected intramuscularly with PVL injection (0.2 mL/100 g) for 4 weeks showed no significant toxicity at the end of administration or within 2 weeks of withdrawal.

8.2 Documented Adverse Reactions

Because of its bitter and cold nature, excessive use may stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, causing diarrhea, abdominal pain, and other discomfort; it is therefore traditionally contraindicated in individuals with deficient cold of the spleen and stomach.

A post-marketing record of adverse reactions spanning 5 years from the PVL oral solution reported that 105 cases of adverse reactions occurred among more than one million patients who used the drug. Specifically, 90 patients experienced gastrointestinal adverse reactions (nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea); 32 patients experienced skin itching and rash; and 14 patients experienced neurological adverse reactions (mainly dizziness). All adverse reactions resolved after discontinuation of the drug.

Reports of adverse reactions to PVL are rare; one case of contact dermatitis caused by PVL has been reported in the literature.

8.3 Limitations of the Current Safety Evidence Base

Although there are many studies on the anti-tumor mechanism of PVL, most of them remain in basic research with no reliable clinical research evidence. Additionally, studies on PVL have almost not addressed toxic and side effects, and the pharmacokinetics and drug interactions of PVL in vivo are not clear. Clinical detection of adverse reactions of PVL should be further strengthened in order to improve its safety and better expand its clinical application.

8.4 Potential Drug Interactions

The pharmacokinetics and drug interactions of PVL in vivo are not yet clear. No specific pharmacokinetic drug interaction studies involving Prunella vulgaris and standard pharmaceuticals have been identified in the peer-reviewed literature. Given its documented immunoregulatory activity, caution in the context of immunosuppressant drug regimens is a theoretical consideration not yet addressed in human studies.

8.5 Pregnancy and Special Populations

The available peer-reviewed literature does not contain controlled data on the safety of Prunella vulgaris in pregnancy, lactation, or pediatric populations. This is consistent with the general observation that pharmacokinetic and safety data for this herb remain incomplete.

References

Health Conditions

Health conditions that Heal-all may help support.

No conditions available.

Body Systems

Body systems that Heal-all may help support.

No body systems available.