Goldenrod

Western herbalists use goldenrod as a urinary antiseptic, a diuretic that increases water loss, an anti-inflammatory and a mild astringent.

It is given for cystitis, urinary tract infections, kidney gravel, urethral irritation, mild fluid retention and inflammation of the urinary tract. It has also been used for wounds, sore throats and catarrh.

The European Medicines Agency recognises its traditional use to increase the amount of urine, as a support in minor urinary complaints ^{3Reference 3EMA/HMPC · 2008ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Solidago virgaurea L., herba — traditional-use regulatory monographView study →}.

German folk medicine called goldenrod Heydnisch Wundkraut, “heathen woundwort”, for its use in healing wounds ^{2Reference 2Fursenco C et al. · 2020Systematic reviewSolidago virgaurea L.: A Review of Its Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities — systematic reviewView study →}. The 16th-century botanist Tabernaemontanus wrote that it cleanses the kidneys and urinary tract. It was used for urinary retention, kidney stones and haemorrhoids ^{2Reference 2Fursenco C et al. · 2020Systematic reviewSolidago virgaurea L.: A Review of Its Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities — systematic reviewView study →}.

In Poland the infusion of the dried flowering herb is a traditional diuretic and a support for minor urinary complaints. It has also been used as a disinfectant, to speed wound healing, and in skin care ^{2Reference 2Fursenco C et al. · 2020Systematic reviewSolidago virgaurea L.: A Review of Its Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities — systematic reviewView study →}.

Across Europe it is a common ingredient in teas meant to help pass kidney stones, and it is used for urinary tract infections, an overactive bladder and prostate complaints. Infusions are also used as a mouth rinse for inflammation of the mouth and throat ^{2Reference 2Fursenco C et al. · 2020Systematic reviewSolidago virgaurea L.: A Review of Its Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities — systematic reviewView study →}.

Russian folk medicine uses goldenrod for a range of complaints, from gallstones and indigestion to rheumatism and gout. Fresh leaves are applied to abscesses and boils ^{2Reference 2Fursenco C et al. · 2020Systematic reviewSolidago virgaurea L.: A Review of Its Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities — systematic reviewView study →}.

This is goldenrod’s best-mapped activity. A phenolic-rich fraction of the aerial parts, and four caffeoylquinic acids isolated from it, including 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, reduced carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats and lowered TNF-α and IL-1β, at 25–50 mg/kg ^{5Reference 5Abdel Motaal A et al. · 2016AnimalIn vivo anti-inflammatory activity of caffeoylquinic acid derivatives from Solidago virgaurea in rats — carrageenan paw-edema, in vivo animal modelView study →}. The most active was 3,4,5-tri-O-caffeoylquinic acid, which at 50 mg/kg matched 88% of the effect of indometacin at 10 mg/kg ^{5Reference 5Abdel Motaal A et al. · 2016AnimalIn vivo anti-inflammatory activity of caffeoylquinic acid derivatives from Solidago virgaurea in rats — carrageenan paw-edema, in vivo animal modelView study →}.

The phenolic glycoside leiocarposide showed anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving activity in classic animal models ^{6Reference 6Metzner J et al. · 1984AnimalAntiphlogistic and analgesic effects of leiocarposide, a phenolic bisglucoside of Solidago virgaurea L. — in vivo animal modelView study →}.

⚠ An aqueous goldenrod infusion did not significantly change the inflammatory activity of human neutrophils in vitro. Most of its compounds did not cross a model of the gut wall, but the smaller molecules that gut bacteria made from them did ^{10Reference 10Popowski D et al. · 2021In vitroGut microbiota metabolism and the permeability of natural products contained in infusions from herb of European goldenrod Solidago virgaurea L. — in vitro (Caco-2, human/piglet microbiota)View study →}.

Much of the older evidence comes from the fixed combination STW 1 / Phytodolor (aspen, goldenrod and ash). In animals the combination had anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving and fever-reducing effects similar to salicyl alcohol and indometacin, and each extract contributed ^{7Reference 7Okpanyi SN et al. · 1989AnimalAnti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effect of various plant extracts and their combinations in an animal model (STW 1) — in vivo animal modelView study →}.

Gap: No single-herb human trial; the strongest clinical data are for a three-herb product, and one enzyme study found goldenrod alone did not inhibit myeloperoxidase ^{9Reference 9von Kruedener S et al. · 1996In vitroEffects of extracts from Populus tremula L., Solidago virgaurea L. and Fraxinus excelsior L. on various myeloperoxidase systems — in vitro (goldenrod null result)View study →}.

Water extracts of goldenrod did not inhibit the growth of Candida albicans or of common bacteria including E. coli, but they strongly inhibited Candida’s switch from yeast to hyphae and its biofilms ^{11Reference 11Chevalier M et al. · 2012In vitroInhibition of Candida albicans yeast-hyphal transition and biofilm formation by Solidago virgaurea water extracts — in vitroView study →}. The extracts were chosen for their saponins ^{11Reference 11Chevalier M et al. · 2012In vitroInhibition of Candida albicans yeast-hyphal transition and biofilm formation by Solidago virgaurea water extracts — in vitroView study →}. At the gene level, the extract turned down the adhesion and hyphal genes ALS3, HWP1 and ECE1, and it strengthened the effect of miconazole, nystatin and an antiseptic mouthwash ^{12Reference 12Chevalier M et al. · 2019In vitroInhibition of adhesion-specific genes by Solidago virgaurea extract causes loss of Candida albicans biofilm integrity — in vitro (gene expression)View study →}.

Bioassay-guided work isolated six oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins, four of which inhibited the yeast-to-hypha switch ^{13Reference 13Laurençon L et al. · 2013In vitroTriterpenoid saponins from the aerial parts of Solidago virgaurea alpestris with inhibiting activity of Candida albicans yeast-hyphal conversion — in vitro, bioassay-guided isolationView study →}.

Against uropathogenic E. coli, an extract reduced the survival of free-floating bacteria and 24-hour biofilm. ⚠ Combined with amikacin or ciprofloxacin, it weakened the antibiotics and shortened their post-antibiotic effect ^{16Reference 16Wojnicz D et al. · 2021In vitroIs it Worth Combining Solidago virgaurea Extract and Antibiotics against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli rods? An In Vitro Model Study — in vitro biofilm and antibiotic-synergy studyView study →}. An extract also inhibited biofilm formation and ESBL enzyme activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa ^{15Reference 15Abdulkareem AH et al. · 2023In vitroImpact of Solidago virgaurea Extract on Biofilm Formation for ESBL-Pseudomonas aeruginosa: An In Vitro Model Study — in vitroView study →}.

In a randomised, double-blind trial in 66 healthy adults (33 per group), a fluoride toothpaste containing goldenrod extract was used twice daily for four weeks. Total bacterial load, Streptococcus mutans and C. albicans in dental plaque fell in the goldenrod group, and plaque and gum scores improved in both groups ^{14Reference 14Prêcheur I et al. · 2020RCTSolidago virgaurea LView study →}.

Gap: All bacterial data are in vitro; extracts act on adhesion more than on survival, and goldenrod does not replace antibiotics in a urinary infection.

The diuretic action underpins goldenrod’s traditional urinary use. The German Commission E calls it “irrigation therapy”, and the EMA/HMPC lists it to increase the amount of urine as a support in minor urinary complaints ^{3,4Reference 3EMA/HMPC · 2008ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Solidago virgaurea L., herba — traditional-use regulatory monographView study →Reference 4Blumenthal · 1998ReviewSolidaginis virgaureae herba (European goldenrod herb) — German Commission E approved monograph (irrigation therapy, lower urinary tract) — review}.

Flavonoid fractions from the flowers of four goldenrods (S. virgaurea, S. gigantea and two forms of S. canadensis) were given by mouth to rats. Overnight urine output rose by 57–88% across the fractions, while overnight sodium and potassium excretion fell ^{17Reference 17Chodera A et al. · 1991AnimalEffect of flavonoid fractions of Solidago virgaurea L. on diuresis and levels of electrolytes — in vivo rat studyView study →}. An isolated Solidago glycoside also had a diuretic effect ^{18Reference 18Chodera A et al. · 1985AnimalDiuretic effect of the glycoside from a plant of the Solidago L. genus — in vivo animal studyView study →}.

Gap: The quantitative diuresis data are decades old and rodent-only; no modern controlled human study has measured goldenrod’s diuretic effect or defined an effective dose.

Hydroalcoholic goldenrod extracts inhibit oxidative model reactions, including xanthine oxidase, lipoxygenase and light-driven riboflavin and rose bengal reactions, in vitro ^{8Reference 8Meyer B et al. · 1995In vitroAntioxidative properties of alcoholic extracts from Fraxinus excelsior, Populus tremula and Solidago virgaurea — in vitro enzyme-model studyView study →}.

An LC-MS study of goldenrod herb identified quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin glycosides, with caffeoylquinic and caffeoyl-shikimic acids, as its antioxidant components. The samples in that study were Canadian goldenrod (S. canadensis) ^{25Reference 25Apáti P et al. · 2004In vitroHPLC investigation of antioxidant components in Solidago herba — in vitro analytical/LC-MS studyView study →}. In European goldenrod the main flavonoids are also derived from quercetin and kaempferol ^{2Reference 2Fursenco C et al. · 2020Systematic reviewSolidago virgaurea L.: A Review of Its Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities — systematic reviewView study →}.

These activities are measured entirely in cell-free systems. No study has shown that oral goldenrod raises antioxidant status in a person.

Goldenrod extract, at 0.01–0.1%, reduced carbachol-induced contraction of both rat and human bladder strips in a concentration-dependent way ^{19Reference 19Borchert VE et al. · 2004In vitroExtracts from Rhois aromatica and Solidaginis virgaurea inhibit rat and human bladder contraction — in vitro tissue-bath and muscarinic receptor studyView study →}. Studies on cloned M2 and M3 muscarinic receptors showed a direct but non-competitive effect, and at higher concentrations part of the effect did not involve the receptors at all ^{19Reference 19Borchert VE et al. · 2004In vitroExtracts from Rhois aromatica and Solidaginis virgaurea inhibit rat and human bladder contraction — in vitro tissue-bath and muscarinic receptor studyView study →}.

Muscarinic receptors are the target of drugs for an overactive bladder. The finding comes from one research group working in isolated tissue and cells, and the authors noted that a benefit in patients remains to be shown ^{19Reference 19Borchert VE et al. · 2004In vitroExtracts from Rhois aromatica and Solidaginis virgaurea inhibit rat and human bladder contraction — in vitro tissue-bath and muscarinic receptor studyView study →}.

Goldenrod extracts inhibited the enzymes α-glucosidase and PTP1B, reduced advanced glycation end-products, and increased GLUT4-mediated glucose uptake in rat muscle cells. In diabetic mice, 100 mg/kg of a methanolic extract injected daily for 24 days lowered blood glucose after meals, comparably to glibenclamide ^{20Reference 20Zehra SA et al. · 2023In vitroIn Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of the Antidiabetic Activity of Solidago virgaurea Extracts — in vitro enzyme/cell and in vivo animal studyView study →}.

In alloxan-diabetic rats, 250 mg/kg by mouth for 15 days lowered blood glucose, serum amylase, TNF-α and pancreatic lipid peroxidation, and raised insulin, liver glycogen and antioxidant enzymes ^{21Reference 21Sanad FA et al. · 2022AnimalAntidiabetic and hypolipidemic potentials of Solidago virgaurea extract in alloxan-induced diabetes type 1 — in vivo rat studyView study →}.

Gap: two rodent and cell studies with no human data, in a direction unrelated to goldenrod’s urinary use.

A water-soluble fraction of about 40 kDa, found mostly in the leaves, was toxic to human prostate, breast, melanoma and lung cancer cell lines. Given by injection every three days at 5 mg/kg, it slowed the growth of rat prostate tumours implanted in SCID mice ^{22Reference 22Gross SC et al. · 2002AnimalAntineoplastic activity of Solidago virgaurea on prostatic tumor cells in an SCID mouse model — in vivo animal modelView study →}.

Goldenrod essential oils, rich in germacrene D, α-pinene and bornyl acetate, slowed the growth of breast, melanoma and colon cancer cell lines ^{23Reference 23Nkuimi Wandjou JG et al. · 2020In vitroChemical Composition and Antiproliferative Effect of Essential Oils of Four Solidago Species — in vitro cell-line studyView study →}.

Gap: the essential-oil data use a volatile preparation goldenrod is not taken as, and the tumour work is a single mouse study using injection.

In a single rat study, 5 weeks of pre-treatment with 250 mg/kg of goldenrod extract prevented the heart damage caused by isoproterenol. It limited the rise in cardiac enzymes (LDH, CPK), blood lipids, malondialdehyde and nitric oxide, and preserved glutathione and superoxide dismutase ^{24Reference 24El-Tantawy WH · 2014AnimalBiochemical effects of Solidago virgaurea extract on experimental cardiotoxicity — in vivo rat studyView study →}. The finding has not been repeated.

Side effects. Hypersensitivity reactions and stomach and bowel upsets may occur, and their frequency is not known ^{3Reference 3EMA/HMPC · 2008ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Solidago virgaurea L., herba — traditional-use regulatory monographView study →}. Contact dermatitis from goldenrod has been reviewed among the skin reactions to European herbal medicines ^{28Reference 28Minciullo PL et al. · 2017ReviewContact dermatitis as an adverse reaction to some topically used European herbal medicinal products - part 4: Solidago virgaurea-Vitis vinifera — review of adverse reactionsView study →}.

Who should not take it. The European monograph lists allergy to goldenrod or other daisy-family (Asteraceae) plants as a contraindication. It also rules out conditions where a reduced fluid intake is recommended, such as severe heart or kidney disease ^{3Reference 3EMA/HMPC · 2008ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Solidago virgaurea L., herba — traditional-use regulatory monographView study →}.

Diuretics. Taking goldenrod alongside synthetic diuretics is not recommended ^{3Reference 3EMA/HMPC · 2008ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Solidago virgaurea L., herba — traditional-use regulatory monographView study →}. No other drug interactions have been reported ^{3Reference 3EMA/HMPC · 2008ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Solidago virgaurea L., herba — traditional-use regulatory monographView study →}.

Children. It is not recommended under 12 years of age, for lack of experience ^{3Reference 3EMA/HMPC · 2008ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Solidago virgaurea L., herba — traditional-use regulatory monographView study →}.

When to see a doctor. Fever, painful urination, spasms or blood in the urine during use need a doctor’s assessment, as do symptoms that persist ^{3Reference 3EMA/HMPC · 2008ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Solidago virgaurea L., herba — traditional-use regulatory monographView study →}.