Calendula (Calendula officinale)

Name: Calendula.
Other names: Pot Marigold, Marigold, Sun’s gold, Solis, Holligold, Gold bloom.
Latin Name: Calendula officinale
Family: Asteracaea (Composite – Daisy Family)

Description
Calendula is an aromatic annual plant that can also be a short lived perennial. It has a pale green angular stem that braches and is covered in glandular hairs, with a woody base, particularly in older plants, that grows to approximately 50cm in height. Calendula has sessile leaves, the lower basal leaves are long thin obovate to elliptic leaves that are slightly hairy. The upper cauline leaves are oblong to lanceolate in shape, some leaves are dentate, these are also often amplexicaul. Generally, the leaves grow up to 20cm in length the upper leaves often being smaller than then basal. The leaves are edible and have a bitter taste. Calendula produces a thick capitulum of yellow to orange shaded disk ray florets, flowering throughout the majority of the year. The flowers are edible and have a spicy flavor. The flowers are between 4-7cm in diameter, these have 2 rows of hairy bracts surrounding them. Calendula has rings of seeds (achene). The inner ring of seeds are the shortest being 4-7mm in diameter and curved in shape, this is surrounded by larger a ring of seeds, the third ring of seeds are the largest being up to 18mm in size, notably curved and can be both glabrous (smooth) or hairy.

Habitat
Calendula originally was native to the Mediterranean area of Europe, it has been linked with Egyptian origin, however now is naturalized in many parts of the world and found in many gardens where is self propagates. Calendula likes to grow in open sunny areas, preferring loamy soils but will tolerate most soil conditions. Calendula likes to receive adequate water, too much water / humidity causes mildew. Dead flower head removals encourages the plant to produce more flowers, often making it a far sturdier plant. Calendula us resistant to drought and frost.

Spiritual connections:
The plant is associated with the Sun gods and is ruled by the Sun. It has correspondences to the element fire. Calendula’s signatory yellow-orange flowers being the correlation of this.

Historical lore:
The name Calendula is related to its flowering throughout the year, the Latin word Calends (Kalendae) meaning first day of the month, this is also the origin of the word Calendar. Calendula was reported to of flowered throughout the year on each calends (month).

Propagation:
Spring is the best time to sow the plant, ideally in its permanent location, planted 30-50cm apart. Once established the plant will self propogate.

Parts used:
Flowers, the orange flowers are thought to have better medicinal qualities. The flowers are best harvested when whole and fully open, after the morning dew. Picking the flowers too late in the morning can result in the plant wilting and being discoloured. The flower heads are best dried in a warm area out of direct sunlight.

The leaves can also be used, there bitter taste being linked with the liver. The leaves are best picked when young.

Dosage
Oral
1-4g infusion, three times a day.
Or
2-4ml tincture (1:3) three times a day.

Topical
The above ingredients can be made into a balm or other topical preparation. The flowers can also be infused into oil whether by a slow cold Sun infusion or a warm bain-marie.

A yellow dye can be extracted by boiling the flowers in water.

Constituents:
Carotenoids (the majority fluvaxanthin and auroxanthing) this account of 1.5-3% of plant, the carotenoids vary dependent on the colour of flowers and their geographical location. Triterpenes in the form of alcohols and esters, an triterpenoid saponons. Calendula flowers also contain, resin, essential oil, sterols, flavonoids, polysaccharides, bitter principle (malic acid), saponins, sterols, mucilage.

Nutrients:
Vitamins A, C, E and CoQ10
Minerals: Potassium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese.

Therapeutic actions
Anti-inflammatory, Antimicribial, Vulnerary, Spasmolytic, Emmenagogue, Antihaemorrhagic, Antiparasitic, Antiseptic, Styptic, Diaphoretic, Circulatory stimulant and Sedative.

Antimicrobial
Calendula taken orally as a tea / food or as a hydroalcoholic extract (tincture / fluid extract) has antiparasitic, anti bacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. Antibacterial properties have been noted against camphylobactor.

Aglycone is an oleanolic acid or type of tripene that has the ability to effect the way gram positive bacteria change shape. A different oleanolic acid glycosylic also has antiparasitic properties, helping to remove these from the digestive tract.

Calendula’s antifungal properties work on a whole number of fungal infections including Candida albicans.

Vulnerary (Used to heal and treat wounds)
Calendula promotes wound healing, this works externally on the body by a topical preparation or internally through taking an Calendula orally. This makes Calendula a powerful herb in healing digestive problems, especially when tissue has been damaged within the tract. Calendula accelerates epithelial (skin) growth, this is thought to be caused by an increase in blood supply and an acceleration of the metabolism of collagen proteins, glycoproteins and nucleoproteins in tissue regeneration.

Antiinflammatory
An hydroalcoholic extract (tincture / fluid extract) has been noted to reduce inflammation, this is thought to be due to the actions of the triterpenoids and glycoprotein metabolism.

Antioxidant
Calendula is rich in phenolic and flavonoids, this makes have high antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity. The effects of antioxidants seem more pronounced with aqueous extracts. Antioxidant effects in the liver have also been noted. Animal research has shown feeding rats calendula petals is equivalent to the effects of vitamin E supplementation in the prevention of lipid peroxidation.

Immunomodulatory
Calendula has been observed to alter the function of the immune system. It increases the rate of phagpcytosis of human granulocytes.

Reduces Oedema
Calendula has been shown to reduce swelling and fluid retention. The acting component is the triterpenes, these were viewed to prevent ascites development in various animal control experiments. The faradiol esters are viewed to be the main triterpendiol esters of calendula, these have been found to inhibit oedema.

Antispasmodic
Calendula’s ability to block calcium channels and cholinergic activity give it antispasmodic activity in the digestive system.

Hypoglycaemic effects
Hypogycaemic and gastroprotective properties have been found from Calendula’s methanolic extracts. The butanol-soluble component and a host of other chemicals were found to have a inhibitory effect of the increase of glucose levels.

Hypolipidaemic effects
Saponin fractions from Calendula have been found to reduce lipid levels.

Hepatoprotective effects.
In vitro and in vivo experiments on rats has shown that Calendula extracts protect liver cells.

CALENDULA (Calendula officinalis) INFUSED OIL (Cold Infusion).

Ingredients:
• Dried Calendula flowers
• Olive oil / Sweet almond oil

Equipment:
• Glass jar
• Chop stick or other wooden stirring implement
• Scales
• Glass jug
• Non metal sieve
• Muslin
• Funnel
• Brown aerosol bottle
• Label

1. First task is to obtain the dried Calendula flowers, they can either be bought, or picked. Ideally they would be from a garden where no pesticides / pollution were affecting them or wild crafted from a similar pollution free location. The flowers would need to be collected in the morning, after the dew has evaporated but before the sun is too hot. These would need to be dried. When drying Calendula, this is done by placing the flower heads upside down on brown paper trays and allowing them to dry in a warm shady place, out of direct sunlight, where warm air can circulate. A quicker method is by either using a dehydrator, drying slowly on the lowest setting. Another method is by placing the herb on a baking tray, putting this on the bottom shelf of the oven and put the over on its lowest setting, leaving the door ajar, thus allowing the herbs to dry.









2. If wishing to make an infused oil quicker then a dried herb can be purchased. Also the infusion can be gently heated to allow the therapeutic properties to infuse into the oil. This however is a cold infusion.

3. Get the glass jar, weigh this then fill the jar with the Calendula, noting its weight for reference.

4. Get the oils that the Calendula is going to be infused into. In this case, Sweet Almond Oil and Olive Oil, due to their skin nurturing properties.

5. Fill the glass with the oils, ensuring all the Calendula is covered in oil and submerged beneath the surface (to prevent spoilage).

6. Cap the glass jar.

7. Place the glass jar containing the Calendula and oils in a dark cupboard away from sunlight – this allows the infusion to take place and lessens the possibility of the Calendula and oils becoming rancid i.e. mouldy.

8. Check the glass jar each day, ensuring the Calendula is submerged under the oils, stir the contents of the jar. This is again checking for possible spoilage. The stirring assists the infusion to be moved evenly throughout the oils, assisting in the process.

9. Leave the Calendula to infuse for 6 weeks, checking each day as described above.

10. After 6 weeks the Calendula has infused into the oil, there will be a distinct change in the colour, smell and texture of the jar.

11. Using a non-metal sieve, glass jar and muslin, separate the oil from the Calendula.

12. Ideally the remaining herbs are pressed through a herb / tincture press in order to gain the most oil with the highest therapeutic actions.

13. The Calendula infused oil.

14. This can be placed into an appropriate bottle, i.e. brown bottle (the brown colour assists in preventing denaturing of the oil), in this case with an aerosol dispenser. Store in a dark place away from sunlight.

15. The remaining oil can be kept in a jar and stored for later usage, either for the same reason or to be used as an ingredient in different products. Store in a dark place away from sunlight.

16. Label
(Painter and Robertson, 2009, p.57)