Filipendula glaberrima
StarFilipendula glaberrima
Synonyms: Filipendula multijuga subsp. koreana, Filipendula yezoensis f. alba, Filipendula camtschatica subsp. glaberrima, Filipendula koreana, Filipendula purpurea, Filipendula angustiloba var. glabra, Filipendula glabra, Filipendula yezoensis var. hispida, Filipendula camtschatica var. glaberrima, Filipendula multijuga subsp. yezoensis, Spiraea digitata var. glabra, Filipendula formosa, Filipendula koreana f. alba, Filipendula koreana var. alba, Filipendula glaberrima f. alba, Filipendula × purpurea f. alba, Filipendula palmata var. glabra, Filipendula multijuga var. koreana, Filipendula yezoensis, Filipendula formosa f. albiflora, Filipendula multijuga var. alba
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Korean folk medicine, Filipendula glaberrima has been used to treat inflammation, pain, and gout, a use supported by modern pharmacological studies demonstrating anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of the plant's extracts (Lee et al., 2022).
Botanical Description
Filipendula glaberrima, known as Korean meadowsweet, is an erect perennial herb of the rose family (Rosaceae) native to the Korean peninsula, where it grows in damp meadows, streamsides, and mountain grasslands. The plant rises from a stout rhizome to about 1 metre tall, bearing smooth, nearly hairless stems. The leaves are pinnately compound with a large, lobed and sharply toothed terminal leaflet and smaller lateral segments, the foliage glabrous as the species name implies. In summer the stems are topped by broad, flat-topped to domed panicles of many tiny five-petalled flowers, white to creamy and lightly fragrant, the massed inflorescence producing a frothy appearance typical of the genus. The small dry fruits are clustered achenes. It is grown as an ornamental and is valued in its homeland for both garden display and traditional use.
Active Constituents
Gallic acid
Phenolic acid (hydroxybenzoic acid)Concentration: Isolated from the leaf extract
A strong antioxidant phenolic contributing to the radical-scavenging and anti-inflammatory activity measured in the leaf extracts of Korean meadowsweet.
(+)-Catechin
Flavan-3-olConcentration: Isolated from the leaf extract
A flavan-3-ol with antioxidant and mild anti-inflammatory activity, part of the polyphenol pool underlying the plant's free-radical scavenging capacity.
Hyperin (hyperoside, quercetin-3-O-galactoside)
Flavonol glycosideConcentration: One of the major flavonol glycosides identified
A quercetin galactoside associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and vascular-protective effects across Filipendula species.
Miquelianin (quercetin-3-O-glucuronide)
Flavonol glycosideConcentration: Identified in the leaf extract
A quercetin glucuronide contributing to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant profile and reported in related plants to have central and mucosal protective activity.
Astragalin (kaempferol-3-O-glucoside)
Flavonol glycosideConcentration: Identified in the leaf extract
A kaempferol glucoside with documented anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activity, consistent with the anti-atopic effects seen for the extracts in keratinocyte models.
Afzelin (kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside)
Flavonol glycosideConcentration: Identified in the leaf extract
A kaempferol rhamnoside contributing antioxidant and skin-protective activity within the flavonoid fraction.
Quercetin
Flavonol aglyconeConcentration: Identified in the leaf extract (aglycone of several of the glycosides above)
A prototypical antioxidant/anti-inflammatory flavonol; its glycosides dominate the polyphenol profile responsible for the extract's ABTS/DPPH radical-scavenging and cytokine-suppressing effects.
Monotropitin (gaultherin, methyl salicylate primeveroside) and salicylate derivatives
Salicylate glycosideConcentration: Reported from Filipendula glaberrima (Korean-endemic phytochemistry)
A methyl-salicylate glycoside characteristic of the meadowsweet genus; on hydrolysis it releases salicylate, underpinning the traditional anti-inflammatory/analgesic character of Filipendula species (the genus that gave salicylic acid, and ultimately aspirin, its name).
⚠ Drug Interactions
Anticoagulant / antiplatelet drugs (warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel)
Meadowsweet species, including F. glaberrima, contain salicylate glycosides (e.g. monotropitin/gaultherin) that release salicylate; salicylates can add to antiplatelet/anticoagulant effects, a concern extrapolated from the genus rather than from trials of this specific species.
Clinical note: Use concentrated extracts cautiously with anticoagulants/antiplatelets; avoid in individuals with salicylate sensitivity or aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease.
Preparation Methods
Aerial-part infusion / herbal tea
Parts: Leaves, Flowers
Like other meadowsweets, the dried flowering aerial parts can be infused as an astringent, antioxidant tea. Documented use for this Korean-endemic species is largely limited to phytochemical and functional-beverage research rather than an established clinical dosage.
Hydroalcoholic / aqueous leaf extract
Parts: Leaves (full-flowering stage preferred for potency)
Solvent extracts of the leaves concentrate the flavonol glycosides and phenolic acids studied for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-atopic activity. Because it contains salicylate glycosides, it should be avoided by people with salicylate/aspirin sensitivity.
Clinical Studies
Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant, Anti-Atopic, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Filipendula glaberrima Nakai at Different Growth Stages
Seven compounds (gallic acid, (+)-catechin, hyperin, miquelianin, astragalin, afzelin and quercetin) were identified in F. glaberrima leaf extracts across growth stages. The full-flowering stage showed the strongest antioxidant activity (ABTS IC50 ~0.16 mg/mL; DPPH IC50 ~0.55 mg/mL). Extracts dose-dependently reduced nitric oxide and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated macrophages and suppressed IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1 in keratinocytes, supporting anti-inflammatory and anti-atopic potential. This is laboratory work; no human trials exist.
References
- Lee HD, Tonog G, Uy NP, Lee Y, Kim KY, Kim H, Lee S. Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant, Anti-Atopic, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Filipendula glaberrima Nakai at Different Growth Stages . Pharmaceuticals (Basel) (2024) [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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