Agrimony
StarAgrimonia eupatoria
Synonyms: Agrimonia elata, Agrimonia vulgaris, Eupatorium dioscoridis, Agrimonia officinarum, Agrimonia sulcata
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Agrimonia eupatoria, common agrimony, is an erect perennial herb of the rose family, 30 to 100 cm tall, with a single softly hairy, often reddish stem rising from a short rhizome. The leaves are pinnately compound, with several pairs of large coarsely toothed leaflets interspersed with much smaller ones, grey-green and downy beneath, and faintly aromatic. The small, five-petalled, bright yellow flowers are borne in a long, slender, tapering terminal spike, opening in succession from the base upward. The fruit is a small, top-shaped, deeply grooved bur crowned with a ring of hooked bristles that catch on fur and clothing, aiding dispersal. Native to Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, agrimony grows in grassland, hedgerows, field margins, woodland edges, and roadsides on a range of soils.
Active Constituents
Agrimoniin
Ellagitannin (hydrolysable tannin)Concentration: ~0.3-0.5% of dried herb; principal ellagitannin
The characteristic macrocyclic ellagitannin of Agrimonia. Contributes the herb's astringent, antioxidant and immunomodulatory activity, and is regarded as a marker compound for the pharmacopoeial material Agrimoniae herba.
Condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins, incl. procyanidin B3, catechin)
Polyphenol / condensed tanninConcentration: Total tannins ~3-11% of dried aerial parts
Account for the traditional astringent action underlying use in diarrhoea, sore throat and topical wound care. Precipitate proteins on mucosal surfaces, reducing exudation and providing local antimicrobial and haemostatic effects.
Rutin
Flavonol glycosideConcentration: Part of total flavonoids ~0.9%
A quercetin rhamnoglucoside with antioxidant and capillary-stabilising activity that contributes to the free-radical-scavenging profile of agrimony infusions.
Hyperoside and isoquercitrin
Flavonol glycosides (quercetin glycosides)Concentration: Minor flavonoid fraction
Quercetin glycosides that add to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity reported for aqueous extracts and infusions.
Apigenin and luteolin derivatives (incl. isovitexin, cynaroside)
Flavone / flavone glycosidesConcentration: Minor
Flavone aglycones and glycosides associated with anti-inflammatory activity, including modulation of nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in experimental models.
Phenolic acids (chlorogenic, caffeic, p-coumaric, ellagic acid)
Hydroxycinnamic / hydroxybenzoic acidsConcentration: Variable, several mg/g
Water-soluble phenolics that dominate the antioxidant capacity of agrimony teas and have been linked to hepatoprotective and antidiabetic effects in preclinical studies.
Triterpenes (ursolic and euscaphic acids)
Pentacyclic triterpenoidConcentration: Trace to minor
Lipophilic constituents with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity reported for the genus.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Oral drugs, iron supplements and alkaloids taken concurrently
The high tannin content can bind iron, alkaloids and some basic drugs in the gut lumen, forming poorly absorbed complexes.
Clinical note: Separate ingestion of tannin-rich agrimony preparations from iron supplements or narrow-therapeutic-index oral drugs by about 2 hours.
Antidiabetic medicines (insulin, sulfonylureas, metformin)
Agrimony infusions have shown blood-glucose-lowering activity in animal models, which could add to the effect of glucose-lowering drugs.
Clinical note: Monitor blood glucose if used regularly alongside antidiabetic therapy.
Warfarin and other anticoagulants
Agrimony contains vitamin K and has traditional haemostatic (styptic) use, which could theoretically oppose vitamin-K-antagonist anticoagulants.
Clinical note: Caution and INR monitoring in patients on warfarin using large or regular amounts.
Preparation Methods
Infusion (herbal tea)
Parts: aerial parts, leaves, flowering tops
Pour about 150 mL of boiling water over 1.5-4 g of dried aerial parts, cover, and steep 10-15 minutes; strain. Taken up to three times daily as an astringent for mild diarrhoea and as a gargle for sore throat and minor oral inflammation.
Gargle / mouthwash and topical wash
Parts: aerial parts
A stronger, cooled infusion or decoction is used as a gargle for pharyngitis or as a compress/wash for minor wounds and skin inflammation, exploiting the tannin astringency.
Liquid extract / tincture
Parts: aerial parts
Hydroalcoholic tincture (typically 1:5 in ~45% ethanol) taken in small measured doses. Because of the high tannin load, prolonged high-dose use is not advised, and it should be separated from iron and oral medicines.
Clinical Studies
Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Analgesic Activities of Agrimonia eupatoria L. Infusion
An aqueous infusion of agrimony aerial parts showed dose-dependent free-radical scavenging in vitro and reduced carrageenan-induced paw oedema and nociceptive responses in mice, supporting traditional anti-inflammatory and analgesic use.
Agrimonia eupatoria L. and Cynara cardunculus L. Water Infusions: Comparison of Anti-Diabetic Activities
Agrimony water infusion inhibited carbohydrate-digesting enzymes and improved glycaemic and vascular parameters in experimental models, providing mechanistic support for traditional antidiabetic use.
Historical Texts
Dioscorides, De Materia Medica
1st century CEAnglo-Saxon Lacnunga and Leechbooks
10th-11th centuryNicholas Culpeper, The English Physitian / Complete Herbal
1653References
- Muruzović MŽ, et al.. Extracts of Agrimonia eupatoria L. as sources of biologically active compounds and evaluation of their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antibiofilm activities . Journal of Food and Drug Analysis (2016) [DOI]
- Watkins F, et al. (as reviewed in) Paulo D, et al.. Agrimonia eupatoria L.: An integrative perspective on ethnomedicinal use, phenolic composition and pharmacological activity . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2022) [DOI]
- Binns SE, et al.. The phytochemical investigation of Agrimonia eupatoria L. and Agrimonia procera Wallr. as valid sources of Agrimoniae herba . Phytochemistry Letters (2015) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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