Calendula suffruticosa
StarCalendula suffruticosa
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Mediterranean and North African folk medicine the flowers and aerial parts of Calendula suffruticosa are used for skin complaints, particularly to treat skin ulcers and bruises; an ethnobotanical survey in northeastern Algeria recorded the flower as the most commonly used part (ethnobotanical surveys of Calendula in North Africa).
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Botanical Description
Calendula suffruticosa is a perennial, somewhat woody-based marigold in the family Asteraceae, often called the shrubby or Mediterranean marigold. Unlike the familiar annual pot marigold, it forms a low, branching subshrub with a persistent woody base and softly hairy, slightly sticky stems. The leaves are alternate, oblong to spatulate, entire or finely toothed, and somewhat fleshy. The flower heads are daisy-like, with bright yellow to orange ray florets surrounding a central disk, and are typically smaller than those of Calendula officinalis. After flowering it produces the curved, beaked, often warty achenes characteristic of the genus. Native to the Mediterranean region, including southern Europe, North Africa, and Macaronesia, the species and its several subspecies grow on coastal cliffs, rocky slopes, sandy ground, and open scrubland, and are drought-tolerant once established. It flowers over a long season and is valued both as an ornamental and in regional folk medicine.
Active Constituents
Triterpenoid saponins (calendulosides)
Oleanane-type triterpene glycosidesConcentration: 2-10% in genus, variable by chemotype/harvest
Glycosides based on oleanolic acid-3-O-β-D-glucuronide characterise the genus Calendula. They possess haemolytic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity and contribute to the wound-related folk uses of Mediterranean marigolds.
Triterpene alcohols (faradiol, arnidiol and their fatty-acid esters)
Pentacyclic triterpene monool/diol estersConcentration: Major lipophilic fraction of flower heads
Faradiol monoesters are the principal anti-inflammatory (anti-oedema) constituents of Calendula flower lipid extracts, reducing acute inflammation in classic croton-oil oedema models.
Flavonoids (quercetin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol glycosides)
Flavonol glycosidesConcentration: Present in aerial-part extracts
Flavonol glycosides underlie the strong radical-scavenging (antioxidant) capacity measured in ethanolic and methanolic C. suffruticosa extracts.
Carotenoids (lutein, β-carotene, lycopene)
Tetraterpene pigmentsConcentration: Concentrated in the yellow-orange florets
Carotenoid pigments give the flowers their colour and add to antioxidant activity and traditional use in skin and eye complaints across the genus.
Essential oil (limonene, o-cymene, methyl-cyclohexane)
Volatile mono-/sesqui-/diterpenesConcentration: Aerial-part oil: limonene ~25%, methyl-cyclohexane ~24%, o-cymene ~13%
Species-specific analysis of Algerian C. suffruticosa subsp. boissieri oil found 45 compounds (98% of oil), dominated by limonene, o-cymene and methyl-cyclohexane, with antimicrobial and enzyme-inhibitory activity.
Phenolic acids (chlorogenic and caffeic acid)
Hydroxycinnamic acidsConcentration: Minor phenolic fraction
Hydroxycinnamic acids contribute to antioxidant and mild antimicrobial effects reported for the extracts.
Preparation Methods
Infusion / herbal tea
Parts: Flower heads, Aerial parts
Steep 1-2 g of dried flower heads in a cup of just-boiled water, covered, for 10-15 minutes and strain. Used in Mediterranean folk practice as a mild digestive and anti-inflammatory drink. Note: C. suffruticosa is a wild Mediterranean congener, not the pharmacopoeial pot marigold (C. officinalis); species-specific safety data are limited.
Topical infused oil / compress
Parts: Flower heads
Macerate dried flowers in a vegetable oil (or prepare a strong infusion) and apply to intact skin as a soothing wash or compress for minor irritation and slow-healing skin, mirroring traditional Calendula uses. Avoid on known Asteraceae (daisy-family) allergy; discontinue if contact dermatitis develops.
Clinical Studies
Chemical Composition and in Vitro Antioxidant, Anti-Alzheimer, Anti-Diabetic, Anti-Tyrosinase, and Antimicrobial Properties of Essential Oils and Extracts Derived from Various Parts of the Algerian Calendula suffruticosa Vahl subsp. boissieri Lanza
The only species-focused study of C. suffruticosa: essential oils and 70% ethanol/methanol extracts of flowers, leaves and roots were profiled and screened. Extracts showed strong antioxidant activity and inhibition of cholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase, plus antimicrobial effects, supporting antioxidant and metabolic-enzyme applications.
Historical Texts
North African and Mediterranean folk medicine (Maghreb ethnobotany)
Traditional / pre-modern to presentReferences
- Samai Z, et al.. Chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant, anti-Alzheimer, anti-diabetic, anti-tyrosinase and antimicrobial properties of essential oils and extracts from Calendula suffruticosa subsp. boissieri . Chemistry & Biodiversity (2023) [DOI]
- Muley BP, Khadabadi SS, Banarase NB (and related genus reviews). A review on phytochemistry and ethnopharmacological aspects of genus Calendula . Pharmacognosy Reviews (2013) [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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