Shepherd's Purse

Shepherd’s purse is used in European herbal medicine to stop or slow bleeding. An infusion was described as cooling, diuretic and astringent, and was taken for bloody diarrhoea, piles, heavy periods, dropsy, bladder complaints and coughing up blood ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}. Its liquid extract was used in place of ergot to stop bleeding from the lungs, stomach, uterus and kidneys ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}.

Eclectic physicians in the United States used it for passive bleeding and for heavy, frequent periods ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia lists it for uterine bleeding, heavy periods and blood in the urine, and for cystitis ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}.

Applied externally, it was used for nosebleeds and bleeding wounds ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}. Folk medicine also uses it for painful periods, and it has been used to lower blood pressure ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}.

In China shepherd’s purse (荠, qi) is eaten as a vegetable and used for eye diseases and dysentery ^{25Reference 25CheoY., Lu, L., Yang, G., Al-Shehbaz, I., & Dorofeev, VView study →}. A decoction of the whole plant is taken for high blood pressure and to stop bleeding in the urine ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}.

It is valued for reducing fever, improving eyesight and calming the liver, and the Compendium of Materia Medica records it for cataract ^{12Reference 12Xie LK et al. · 2022In vitroCapsella bursa-pastoris extract alleviates cataract development by regulating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway of lens epithelial cells — rat and in vitroView study →}.

In Tibetan medicine shepherd’s purse is used to stop vomiting, for fluid retention, and for disorders of the kidneys, lungs and nerves ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}.

In Indian medicine it is used for heavy periods and bleeding from the kidneys and urinary tract, for diarrhoea and dysentery, and as a diuretic ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}.

In Anatolia and the Middle East shepherd’s purse is widely used to treat haemorrhoids ^{15Reference 15Apaydin Yildirim B et al. · 2020AnimalAntihemorrhoidal activity of organic acids of Capsella bursa-pastoris on croton-oil-induced hemorrhoid in rats — rat modelView study →}. In Hatay, in southern Turkey, a mixture of shepherd’s purse and Inula viscosa is used as an antiseptic and to stop bleeding ^{16Reference 16Öztürk OU et al. · 2022AnimalHemostatic effects of a traditional Inula viscosa and Capsella bursa-pastoris plant mixture extract on a rat liver parenchymal bleeding model — rat modelView study →}.

A 2018 triple-blind randomised trial (n=84, 42 per arm) tested the herb in women with heavy menstrual bleeding. All took mefenamic acid, plus either a hydroalcoholic Capsella extract capsule or placebo, for up to seven days a cycle over two cycles. Bleeding fell in both groups, and significantly more with Capsella (p<0.001) ^{1Reference 1Naafe M et al. · 2018RCTEffect of hydroalcoholic extracts of Capsella bursa-pastoris on heavy menstrual bleeding — a triple-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trialView study →}.

Because the herb was added to an effective drug rather than tested alone, the trial shows an added benefit but cannot isolate the herb’s own effect, and the authors call for further study ^{1Reference 1Naafe M et al. · 2018RCTEffect of hydroalcoholic extracts of Capsella bursa-pastoris on heavy menstrual bleeding — a triple-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trialView study →}.

The EU monograph accepts shepherd’s purse as a traditional herbal medicine for heavy menstrual bleeding in women with regular cycles, once serious causes have been ruled out ^{23Reference 23European Medicines Agency · 2011ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use; confirmed on periodic review, 2019)View study →}. Well-established use was not accepted, because clinical studies were missing ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}. Germany’s Commission E listed it for mild heavy or irregular uterine bleeding ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}.

In a rat liver-wound model, an extract applied to the cut gave effective bleeding control, higher post-operative haemoglobin and less tissue damage than the comparison products. It was a mixture of shepherd’s purse and Inula viscosa, so the effect cannot be attributed to Capsella alone ^{16Reference 16Öztürk OU et al. · 2022AnimalHemostatic effects of a traditional Inula viscosa and Capsella bursa-pastoris plant mixture extract on a rat liver parenchymal bleeding model — rat modelView study →}.

In an old study on isolated rabbit and guinea-pig uterus, shepherd’s purse infusion raised uterine tone, but it ranked sixth of the seven herbs that had an effect ^{17Reference 17Shipochliev T · 1981Uterotonic action of extracts from a group of medicinal plants — isolated-uterus animal studyView study →}.

Gap: the only human trial is single, small, and adjunctive to a conventional drug; no placebo-alone comparison exists, and the uterine and haemostatic mechanism remains poorly defined.

Methanolic and aqueous extracts scavenge DPPH, peroxyl and hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide. Their flavonoids are glycosides of quercetin, chrysoeriol, kaempferol and isorhamnetin ^{9Reference 9Kubínová R et al. · 2013In vitroAntioxidant activity of extracts and HPLC analysis of flavonoids from Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik — in vitroView study →}.

Seed extracts and compounds isolated from them show DPPH and ferric-reducing (FRAP) activity close to or above the trolox control, and several protect HT-22 neuronal cells from H₂O₂ injury ^{8Reference 8Zhou TQ et al. · 2023In vitroPhytochemical constituents from the seeds of Capsella bursa-pastoris and their antioxidant activities — in vitroView study →}.

The effect also appears in animals as raised antioxidant-enzyme activity. In a rat selenite cataract model the flavonoid fraction increased lens GSH-Px and SOD and lowered malondialdehyde ^{12Reference 12Xie LK et al. · 2022In vitroCapsella bursa-pastoris extract alleviates cataract development by regulating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway of lens epithelial cells — rat and in vitroView study →}, and a water extract raised superoxide dismutase and cut reactive oxygen species in cardiomyocytes ^{11Reference 11Jeong Y et al. · 2023In vitroWater extract of Capsella bursa-pastoris mitigates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by upregulating antioxidant enzymes — in vitro and mouseView study →}.

A comparative study identified luteolin, apigenin and phenolic acids in the extracts it tested ^{10Reference 10Mînz SO et al. · 2026In vitroComparative phytochemical profiling and in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of Arnica montana, Melissa officinalis and Capsella bursa-pastoris extracts — in vitroView study →}.

It is all cell- and animal-level: there is no human antioxidant-biomarker data, and activity varies with extract solvent and plant part.

A polyphenol-rich aerial-part extract suppressed nitric oxide, PGE₂, TNF-α and IL-6, upregulated heme oxygenase-1, and blocked p38 MAPK phosphorylation and NF-κB activation in RAW 264.7 macrophages, with confirmation in a carrageenan-induced mouse paw-oedema model ^{5Reference 5Peng J et al. · 2019In vitroShepherd’s purse polyphenols exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects by suppressing MAPK and NF-κB pathways and activating heme oxygenase-1 — in vitro and mouseView study →}.

Sulforaphane isolated from the herb lowered NO, IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS and COX-2 in the same macrophage system ^{4Reference 4Choi WJ et al. · 2014In vitroAnti-inflammatory and anti-superbacterial properties of sulforaphane from shepherd’s purse — in vitroView study →}. Organosulfur compounds from the seeds ^{7Reference 7Wei ZZ et al. · 2023In vitroFour organosulfur compounds from the seeds of Capsella bursa-pastoris and their anti-inflammatory activities — in vitroView study →} and phenolic glycosides from the aerial parts ^{6Reference 6Cha JM et al. · 2017In vitroPhenolic glycosides from Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik and their anti-inflammatory activity — in vitroView study →} also reduced NO release and inflammatory-gene expression in vitro.

All readouts are in vitro or in a single acute rodent model, with no chronic-inflammation or human data and no established anti-inflammatory dose.

A water extract given to high-fructose-fed mice for eight weeks curbed weight gain and liver fat, downregulated the fat-making enzymes FAS and ACC, and eased high blood sugar, oxidative stress and inflammation through NF-κB. It also partly corrected the gut dysbiosis caused by fructose ^{13Reference 13Lu Y et al. · 2021AnimalWater extract of shepherd’s purse prevents high-fructose-induced liver injury by regulating glucolipid metabolism and gut microbiota — mouseView study →}.

Separately, an ethanol extract containing 17.5 mg of icaritin per kg of extract lowered serum total and LDL cholesterol in obese mice. In HepG2 liver cells it suppressed PCSK9 through the SREBP2 and HNF-1α transcription factors, an effect attributed to icaritin, and it added to a statin’s effect on LDL receptors ^{14Reference 14Hwang JT et al. · 2021In vitroThe cholesterol-lowering effect of Capsella bursa-pastoris is mediated via SREBP2- and HNF-1α-regulated PCSK9 inhibition in obese mice and HepG2 cells — mouse and in vitroView study →}.

Gap: the work is rodent and cell only, and the cholesterol effect rests on a minor constituent, icaritin.

One preclinical study tested a hot-water extract against doxorubicin cardiotoxicity in three systems: rat H9c2 cardiomyocytes, C57BL/6 mice, and human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes ^{11Reference 11Jeong Y et al. · 2023In vitroWater extract of Capsella bursa-pastoris mitigates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by upregulating antioxidant enzymes — in vitro and mouseView study →}.

The extract raised superoxide dismutase in a dose-dependent way, cut reactive oxygen species and restored oxygen consumption. In mice it normalised heart rate and QT and ST changes, and reduced collagen build-up and cell death in the heart ^{11Reference 11Jeong Y et al. · 2023In vitroWater extract of Capsella bursa-pastoris mitigates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by upregulating antioxidant enzymes — in vitro and mouseView study →}. It did not protect breast-cancer cells from doxorubicin ^{11Reference 11Jeong Y et al. · 2023In vitroWater extract of Capsella bursa-pastoris mitigates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by upregulating antioxidant enzymes — in vitro and mouseView study →}.

The extract was flavonoid-rich, with luteolin-7-O-glucoside and isoorientin as its major compounds ^{11Reference 11Jeong Y et al. · 2023In vitroWater extract of Capsella bursa-pastoris mitigates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by upregulating antioxidant enzymes — in vitro and mouseView study →}. This is a single study, with no independent replication and no human data on use alongside chemotherapy.

A sulforaphane-containing fraction inhibited vancomycin-resistant enterococci (MIC 250 µg/mL) and Bacillus anthracis (MIC 1000 µg/mL) ^{4Reference 4Choi WJ et al. · 2014In vitroAnti-inflammatory and anti-superbacterial properties of sulforaphane from shepherd’s purse — in vitroView study →}.

A 2026 comparative study found whole ethanolic extracts only weakly active against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae (MIC above 250 mg/L, far higher than the co-tested Melissa) ^{10Reference 10Mînz SO et al. · 2026In vitroComparative phytochemical profiling and in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of Arnica montana, Melissa officinalis and Capsella bursa-pastoris extracts — in vitroView study →}.

The shepherin peptides are glycine- and histidine-rich antimicrobial peptides that act selectively against Candida, an activity switched on when zinc makes them form fibrils ^{19,20Reference 19Wątły J et al. · 2023In vitroZn(II) induces fibril formation and antifungal activity in shepherin I, an antimicrobial peptide from Capsella bursa-pastoris — in vitroView study →Reference 20Remuzgo C et al. · 2014In vitroChemical synthesis, structure–activity relationship and properties of shepherin I, a fungicidal peptide — in vitroView study →}. They are found in the root, not the flowering tops used medicinally ^{19Reference 19Wątły J et al. · 2023In vitroZn(II) induces fibril formation and antifungal activity in shepherin I, an antimicrobial peptide from Capsella bursa-pastoris — in vitroView study →}.

Gap: whole-herb potency is low, the strongest antimicrobials come from a plant part that isn’t used, and there are no in vivo infection data.

In a rat selenite cataract model the flavonoid fraction slowed cataract development by lowering lens malondialdehyde and raising GSH-Px and SOD. In vitro it protected SRA01/04 lens-epithelial cells from H₂O₂ injury by shifting the Bcl-2/Bax balance and reducing caspase-3 ^{12Reference 12Xie LK et al. · 2022In vitroCapsella bursa-pastoris extract alleviates cataract development by regulating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway of lens epithelial cells — rat and in vitroView study →}.

It rests on one animal-plus-cell study of an induced cataract model, with no clinical eye data and no defined eye preparation or dose.

A 1969 study found diuretic, anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcer effects from an ethanol extract of the herb in rodents ^{18Reference 18Kuroda K · 1969AnimalStudies on Capsella bursa-pastoris II: diuretic, anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcer action of ethanol extracts of the herb — animal modelView study →}.

Gap: there is no dose-response study, no modern confirmation and no human data.

Early work identified a quaternary ammonium compound as the herb’s physiologically active substance ^{2,22Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →Reference 22Kuroda K · 1968In vitroPhysiologically active substance in Capsella bursa-pastoris — animal/in vitroView study →}, and the herb contains the amines choline (about 1%) and acetylcholine ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}. It also contains tyramine, which can raise blood pressure ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}.

Given by injection to animals, extracts had muscarine-like effects, lowering or raising blood pressure depending on the dose ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}.

Gap: no modern study has measured the effect of the whole herb on blood pressure in animals or people.

Side effects. No serious side effects have been reported from documented traditional use, and the EU monograph lists no known side effects or interactions ^{2,23Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →Reference 23European Medicines Agency · 2011ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use; confirmed on periodic review, 2019)View study →}. Large doses of extract may cause heart palpitations ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}.

Medicines. In animal studies, mostly by injection of isolated constituents, the herb has shown effects on blood pressure and the heart, and on thyroid function ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}. Its amines include the pressor amine tyramine ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}. Take care alongside heart, blood-pressure, thyroid and MAOI medication, although no interaction has been seen in people.

Kidney stones. Take care with a history of kidney stones ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}.

Allergy. As a member of the mustard family, it may cause reactions in people sensitive to Brassicaceae.

Heavy metals. Shepherd’s purse takes up lead, cadmium, zinc and copper from the soil and has been used to monitor polluted urban areas ^{2Reference 2European Medicines Agency · 2010ReviewAssessment report on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use)View study →}. Wild material should come from clean ground ^{3Reference 3Łukaszyk A et al. · 2024ReviewTraditional uses, bioactive compounds, and new findings on pharmacological, nutritional, cosmetic and biotechnology utility of Capsella bursa-pastoris — reviewView study →}.

Age. The EU monograph does not recommend it under 18, because heavy bleeding at that age calls for medical advice ^{23Reference 23European Medicines Agency · 2011ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medikus, herba — regulatory monograph (traditional use; confirmed on periodic review, 2019)View study →}.