山金车种

用途

山金车的花和根部蕴含大量具有消炎效能及抗氧化的物质。在16世纪已有记载，常用于治疗瘀伤、肌肉关节疼痛等。因此，山金车花的萃取物一般会被炼制成外用膏药以治疗瘀伤、扭伤和风湿痛等症状。有临床报告指出，含有山金车的药贴有效减少疼痛或麻痹症状。

医药功效

炎症发生时，发炎的组织内会释出不同的因子并引发炎性反应；而部分因子则同时刺激神经末梢，引起疼痛感觉。山金车含有的活性物质能抑制引起疼痛和发炎的因子，从而达致镇痛和消炎的效果。基础医学研究显示山金车有别于一般以水杨酸盐（Salicylate）为主要成分的镇痛药品，除镇痛消炎外，更有助促进组织愈合。

山金车不但有助消炎镇痛和促进组织愈合，外用山金车膏药的副作用风险亦非常低。因此，山金车是舒缓肌肉和关节疼痛（尤其对一般非类固醇消炎药(NSAID)过敏人士）的理想选择。

将含有山金车的药贴用于因蜂窝组织炎引致疼痛或麻痹的部位，疼痛或麻痹症状于三天后明显减少。

Arnica montana, also known as leopard's bane, mountain tobacco and mountain arnica, is a moderately toxic European flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae that has a large yellow flower head. The names "wolf's bane" and "leopard's bane" are also used for another plant, Aconitum, which is extremely poisonous.

Arnica montana has been used as a herbal medicine, but there is insufficient clinical evidence for its therapeutic use. It is toxic when taken internally or applied to injured skin.

Description

Arnica montana is a flowering plant about 18–60 cm (7.1–23.6 in) tall aromatic fragrant, herbaceous perennial. Its basal green ovate leaves with rounded tips are bright coloured and level to the ground. In addition, they are somewhat downy on their upper surface, veined and aggregated in rosettes. By contrast, the upper leaves are opposed, spear-shaped and smaller which is an exception within the Asteraceae. The chromosome number is 2n=38.

The flowering season is between May and August (Central Europe).

Taxonomy

Arnica montana was given its scientific name in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. It is part of the genus Arnica which is classified in the family Asteraceae. The Latin specific epithet montana refers to mountains or coming from mountains. It has two accepted subspecies.

Arnica montana subsp. atlanticaNative to Portugal, Spain, and France.

Arnica montana subsp. montanaThe more widespread subspecies, found in all parts of its range except for Portugal.

Arnica montana has 16 synonyms of the species or one of its subspecies.

Distribution and habitat

Arnica montana is widespread across most of Europe. It is absent from the Celtic Isles and the Italian and Balkan peninsulas. In addition, it is considered extinct in Hungary and Lithuania. Arnica montana grows in nutrient-poor siliceous meadows or clay soils. It mostly grows on alpine meadows and up to nearly 3,000 m (9,800 ft). In more upland regions, it may also be found on nutrient-poor moors and heaths. Arnica does not grow on lime soil, indicating its use as a bioindicator of nutrient poor and acidic soils. It is rare overall, but may be locally abundant.

Chemical constituents

The main constituents of Arnica montana are essential oils, fatty acids, thymol, pseudoguaianolide sesquiterpene lactones and flavanone glycosides. Pseudoguaianolide sesquiterpenes constitute 0.2–0.8% of the flower head of Arnica montana. They are the toxin helenalin and their fatty esters. 2,5-Dimethoxy-p-cymene and thymol methyl ether are the primary components of essential oils from both the plant's roots and rhizomes. The quality and chemical constitution of the plant substance Arnicae flos can be monitored by near-infrared spectroscopy.

Cultivation

Arnica montana is propagated from seed. Generally, 20% of seeds do not germinate. For large scale planting, it is recommended to raise plants first in a nursery and then to transplant them in the field. Seeds sprout in 14–20 days but germination rate depends highly on the seed quality. Planting density for Arnica montana is of 20 plants/m2 such that the maximum yield density will be achieved in the second flowering season. While Arnica montana has high exigencies of soil quality, analyses should be done before any fertilizer input.

Use in herbal medicine

Arnica montana has been used as a herbal medicine. When used as a topical medication in a gel at 50% concentration, A. montana was found to have the same effectiveness (albeit with possibly worse side effects) as a 5% ibuprofen gel for treating the symptoms of hand osteoarthritis. A 2014 review found that A. montana was ineffective at concentrations of 10% or less for pain, swelling, and bruises. A 1998 review of homeopathic A. montana (all such preparations are so dilute that they contain none of the plant) found it is no more effective than a placebo.

Market

The demand for A. montana is 50 tonnes per year in Europe, but the supply does not cover the demand. The plant is rare; it is protected in Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and in some regions of Switzerland. France and Romania produce A. montana for the international market. Changes in agriculture in Europe during the last decades have led to a decline in the occurrence of A. montana. Extensive agriculture has been replaced by intensive management.