Gentiana lutea L.

G. major Bubani; Swertia lutea Vest ex Rchb.; and others

Gentianaceae

Bitterwort; bitter root; yellow gentian

Gentianae luteae radix

Rhizomes and roots

Bitter terpenes, including the secoiridoids gentiopricroside (gentiomarin/gentiopicrin), amarogentin and swertiamarine; xanthones including gentisin; alkaloids including gentianine (0.6–0.8%). It also contains small amounts of tannins, sugars and essential oil (Aberham et al. 2011; Pharmaceutical Press Editorial Team 2013; WHO 2007).

There are no robust clinical data available for the medicinal uses of gentian. Uncontrolled studies suggest that gentian stimulates secretion of gastric and gall bladder secretions and may be effective at treating dyspepsia, but controlled studies are lacking (Pharmaceutical Press Editorial Team 2013; WHO 2007).

The gastrointestinal effects are closely linked to the very high bitterness of gentian. The ‘minimum bitterness value’ (=10,000) is defined in the European Pharmacopoeia. Amarogentin has a bitterness value of 58,000,000 and is therefore, despite being present in very low concentrations, considered to be the key active constituent. In vitro