Calendula
StarCalendula officinalis
Synonyms: Calendula aurantiaca, Calendula eriocarpa, Calendula sinuata var. aurantiaca, Caltha officinalis, Calendula prolifera, Calendula officinalis var. parviflora, Calendula santamariae, Calendula officinalis f. pleniflora, Calendula officinalis var. prolifera, Calendula hydruntina, Calendula ranunculodes, Calendula sinuata
Western Herbalism Properties
Gallery
Botanical Description
Calendula officinalis, the pot marigold or English marigold, is an annual or short-lived perennial herb in the family Asteraceae of probable southern European or Mediterranean origin, long cultivated in herb and cottage gardens throughout temperate regions of the world. The plant produces erect to ascending angular branched stems 20-60 cm tall, clothed throughout in soft glandular hairs and emitting a characteristic resinous-aromatic scent when bruised. Leaves are alternate, oblanceolate to broadly spatulate, 5-15 cm long, entire to obscurely toothed, sessile and partly clasping the stem in the upper portion, light green and softly hairy on both surfaces. The flower heads are showy, solitary, terminal on the stem and side branches, 4-7 cm across, with numerous bright orange to deep golden-yellow ray florets in one to several rows (single, semi-double, or fully double in cultivated forms) surrounding a contrasting orange or brownish disc of fertile tubular florets. The involucre is a single row of narrow lanceolate softly hairy green bracts. The achenes are remarkable for their strong morphological variability within a single head, ranging from curved boat-shaped or beaked outer forms to ridged or strongly hooked spiny inner forms, an adaptation interpreted as dispersing seed by both wind and animal vectors.
Active Constituents
Faradiol monoesters (faradiol-3-O-myristate, faradiol-3-O-palmitate, faradiol-3-O-laurate)
Triterpenoid fatty-acid esters (oleanane monool esters)Concentration: Principal lipophilic anti-inflammatory fraction of the flower heads
The faradiol monoesters are the most potent anti-inflammatory constituents of calendula flowers, reducing oedema in experimental inflammation models comparably to reference anti-inflammatory agents on a molar basis.
Triterpene saponins (calendulosides / oleanolic acid glycosides)
Oleanane-type triterpene saponinsConcentration: Major water-soluble triterpenoids
Oleanolic acid glucuronides contribute anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and wound-supportive activity and are among the analytical markers used to standardise calendula preparations.
Flavonoids (isorhamnetin and quercetin glycosides, narcissin, rutin, isoquercitrin)
Flavonol glycosidesConcentration: 0.3-0.8% of the flowers
Antioxidant and free-radical-scavenging flavonoids that support anti-inflammatory activity and help protect regenerating tissue during wound healing.
Carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, β-carotene, flavoxanthin, luteoxanthin)
Carotenoid pigments (xanthophylls and carotenes)Concentration: High in orange cultivars (main pigments of the ligulate florets)
Give the flowers their orange-yellow colour and act as antioxidants; lutein is the dominant carotenoid and calendula petals are used commercially as a natural carotenoid source.
Immunostimulating polysaccharides (rhamnoarabinogalactans, arabinogalactans)
Acidic and neutral heteropolysaccharidesConcentration: Water-extractable macromolecular fraction
Stimulate phagocytosis and immune-cell activity in vitro and contribute to the mucosa-soothing, tissue-supportive reputation of calendula preparations.
Essential oil and hydroxycinnamic acids (α-cadinol, sesquiterpenes; chlorogenic and caffeic acids)
Sesquiterpene-rich volatile oil and caffeic acid derivativesConcentration: Volatile oil <0.5%
Contribute antimicrobial and antioxidant activity that supports the antiseptic use of calendula on minor wounds and skin inflammation.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Sedatives and CNS depressants (benzodiazepines, barbiturates, alcohol)
Animal data suggest calendula extracts can have mild sedative effects, which could in theory add to those of CNS depressants when taken internally in large amounts.
Clinical note: Not relevant to topical use; a theoretical concern only for high-dose oral preparations. Standard cosmetic/topical calendula has no meaningful interaction.
Antihypertensive and antidiabetic drugs
Extracts have shown mild hypotensive and hypoglycaemic effects in animal models; theoretically these could add to the effect of blood-pressure or glucose-lowering medication with large oral doses.
Clinical note: Theoretical only; monitor if a patient consumes concentrated internal calendula preparations alongside these medicines.
Preparation Methods
Infused oil / ointment (topical)
Parts: Dried ligulate florets (petals) and whole flower heads
Dried flowers are macerated in a vegetable oil (traditionally warm-infused) to extract the lipophilic faradiol esters, then the strained oil is used directly or thickened with beeswax into an ointment for minor wounds, abrasions, chapped skin and inflammatory dermatoses.
Aqueous or hydroalcoholic infusion (compress, mouthwash, wash)
Parts: Dried flowers
1-2 g of dried flowers infused in 150 mL hot water is used as a rinse, gargle or compress for inflammation of the mouth, throat and skin. A tincture (about 1:5 in 40-50% alcohol) is diluted for the same purposes. Calendula is well tolerated topically; contact allergy is uncommon but possible in people sensitive to Asteraceae.
Clinical Studies
Phase III randomized trial of Calendula officinalis compared with trolamine for the prevention of acute dermatitis during irradiation for breast cancer
Among women receiving postoperative breast irradiation, calendula ointment significantly reduced the occurrence of grade 2 or higher acute radiation dermatitis (41% vs 63% with trolamine) and was associated with less radiotherapy-related pain and fewer treatment interruptions.
Efficacy of topical Calendula officinalis on prevalence of radiation-induced dermatitis: a randomised controlled trial
In this trial topical calendula showed no significant difference from standard sorbolene care for preventing radiation-induced dermatitis; the authors noted the study was under-powered because of lower-than-expected recruitment, illustrating that the clinical evidence for calendula in radiation dermatitis remains mixed.
In vitro studies to evaluate the wound healing properties of Calendula officinalis extracts
Calendula extracts stimulated fibroblast proliferation and migration and promoted wound closure in scratch assays, with effects linked partly to the triterpenoid and flavonoid fractions, supporting the traditional topical use of the flowers for wound healing.
Historical Texts
John Gerard, 'The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes'
1597, Elizabethan EnglandNicholas Culpeper, 'The English Physitian / Complete Herbal'
1653, 17th-century English herbalismReferences
- Nicolaus C, Junghanns S, Hartmann A, Murillo R, Ganzera M, Merfort I. In vitro studies to evaluate the wound healing properties of Calendula officinalis extracts . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2017) [DOI]
- Pommier P, Gomez F, Sunyach MP, D'Hombres A, Carrie C, Montbarbon X. Phase III randomized trial of Calendula officinalis compared with trolamine for prevention of acute dermatitis during irradiation for breast cancer . Journal of Clinical Oncology (2004) [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.
📝 Notes
Public notes from the community and your own private notes on Calendula.
No notes yet.