1. Horse chestnut
Horse Chestnut
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine | 2005 | Schonbeck, Joan
COPYRIGHT 2005 The Gale Group, Inc.
Horse chestnut
Description
The European horse chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum, is the horse chestnut most
frequently used in herbal medicine. It is a member of the Hippocastanaceae family.
Horse chestnuts are in an entirely different botanical family from the well-known
sweet chestnut tree, Castanea vesca. Horse chestnuts exist in nature as both a tree and
a shrub, and are found in all temperate regions of Europe (/topic/Europe.aspx), Asia
(/topic/Asia.aspx), and North America (/topic/North_America.aspx).
There are 15 recognized species of horse chestnut. The European horse chestnut is
believed to have originated in the Balkan region of eastern Europe but is now grown in
every country in the Northern Hemisphere.
The name Aesculus is actually a misnomer, coming originally from the word esca,
meaning food. It was applied by ancient peoples to a certain species of oak; somehow
the name was transferred over the years to the horse chestnut. The name
hippocastanum is thought to refer to the horse chestnut's ability to heal horses and
cattle of respiratory illnesses. Another possibility may be that it is named for the small
horseshoe-like markings that are present on the branches of the horse chestnut tree.
Horse chestnut trees grow in nearly any soil but seem to prefer a sandy loam. They
grow very rapidly into tall straight trees that can reach heights of over 100 ft
(approximately 30 m) tall, with widely spreading branches. The bark is grayish-green
or grayish-brown in color, and the tree limbs are thick and have corky, elongated,
2. wart-like eruptions that appear from a distance like ribbing. The interior of horse
chestnut bark is pinkish-brown, with ๏ฌne lines running its length. It is odorless and
its taste is very bitter and astringent.
The characteristic horseshoe markings found on the branches are actually the scars
from where leaves previously grew. Horse chestnut wood is seldom if ever used for
lumber due to its soft and spongy character. Large leaf and ๏ฌower buds are clearly
visible even during winter months but are encased in a scaly, resinous protective
covering that prevents damage from frost or damp. This thick sticky coating melts
with the beginning of warm weather in spring, and ๏ฌowers and leaves appear with
remarkable rapidity, usually within three to four weeks.
The leaves are dark green, rough in texture, and large, with minutely serrated edges.
Horse chestnut leaves can be nearly 1 ft (0.3 m) in length. They somewhat resemble a
hand with ๏ฌve to nine leaf sections emerging from a palm-like base to form the
๏ฌnger-like projections. European horse chestnuts produce clusters of white ๏ฌowers
with a pale scarlet tinge at the throat or yellow mottling. American horse chestnut
๏ฌowers can be white, pale pink, or yellow, depending upon the species. All types of
horse chestnut trees, with their graceful wide limbs and showy ๏ฌowers, are grown for
their ornamental beauty.
The fruit of the horse chestnut is a dark brown smooth-surfaced nut approximately 2
in (5 cm) in diameter. It has a polished appearance except for the rounded dull tan-
colored scar on the side that was attached to the seed vessel. Horse chestnuts are
encased in a light green spine-covered coating that divides into three parts and drops
away prior to the nut dropping from the tree. Horse chestnut nuts contain mostly
carbohydrates which are generally indigestible until boiled. They also contain
saponins, tannin, ๏ฌavones, two glycosides, aesculin and fraxin, some crude protein, a
fatty oil, ash and water.
Horse chestnuts native to North America are called buckeyes because of their large
seeds which resembling the eye of a buck, or male deer.
American horse chestnuts are divided into four types:
Ohio (/topic/Ohio.aspx) buckeye, or Aesculus glabra, is a medium-sized tree which
grows from the southern United States (/topic/United_States.aspx) to the prairies of
western Canada (/topic/Canada.aspx). It is the state tree of Ohio, hence the state's
nickname of the Buckeye State.
Yellow buckeye, Aesculus octandra, or Aesculus ๏ฌava, is a tree which grows to heights
of 40 ft (12 m) or more. It is fairly common across the central portion of the United
3. States. Its leaves are somewhat smoother than those of other horse chestnuts.
Red buckeye, or Aesculus pavia, is a shrub or small tree that generally is found in the
southern United States. In early summer it develops brilliantly scarlet ๏ฌowers in
large clusters, and has dense foliage. The tree species of red buckeye grows to
heights of between 15โ20 ft (5โ7 m) tall.
California (/topic/California.aspx) buckeye, or Aesculus californica, is a horse chestnut
tree found all along the Paci๏ฌc coast.
General use
Horse chestnuts have been used as fodder for feeding farm animals, and some Native
American peoples have included them in their diet. However, the outer covering of the
horse chestnut nut is toxic, and the nut itself has to be boiled prior to being eaten
safely. Its wood, which is too soft for furniture-making or construction, is used in
building crates and other packing cases.
Both the bark and the fruit from horse chestnut trees are used medicinally to
strengthen and tone the circulatory system, especially the venous system. It is used
both internally and externally to treat varicose veins, phlebitis , and hemorrhoids.
Horse chestnut preparations are particularly effective in treating varicose ulcers. Due
to its ability to improve circulation, it is also helpful for the relief of leg cramps. Its
bark also has narcotic and fever-reducing properties. A compound known as aescin,
which is present in the horse chestnut fruit, is now often added to external creams and
preparations used for the treatment of varicose veins , varicose ulcers, bruises, and
sports injuries.
Horse chestnut preparations using the seed, bark, twigs, and leaves are all utilized in
traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese herbalists consider horse chestnut to be a part
of treatment not only for circulatory problems, but use it as an astringent, as a
diuretic, for reduction of edema or swelling, to reduce in๏ฌammation, as an
expectorant in respiratory problems, and to ๏ฌght viruses.
Preparations
Horse chestnut bark is removed in the spring in strips 4 or 5 in (10โ13 cm) long, about
1 in (2.5 cm) thick and broad. The fruit of the horse chestnut is gathered in the
autumn, when they fall from the tree. Both the bark and the fruit are dried in sunlight
or with arti๏ฌcial heat, and are either kept whole or ground to a powder for storage. A
4. decoction made of 1 or 2 tsp of the dried, pulverized bark or fruit left to simmer for 15
minutes in 1 cup of water can be either taken internally three times a day or used
externally as a lotion. Horse chestnut preparations are also available as tinctures,
extracts, capsules, and external ointments and lotions.
Precautions
The outer husks of the horse chestnut fruit are poisonous. There are also reported
cases of poisoning from eating raw horse chestnuts.
Side effects
There have been reported cases of gastrointestinal irritation, nausea , and vomiting
from taking large doses of horse chestnut. There are also rare reports of rash and
itching , and even rarer cases of kidney problems.
Interactions
Horse chestnut's ability to reduce blood coagulation, or clotting, indicates that it
should not be given to those with bleeding disorders or who are taking anticoagulant
drugs. It is known to add to the action of such blood thinning drugs as warfarin or
aspirin.
Resources
BOOKS
Grieve, M., and C.F. Leyel. A Modern Herbal: The Medical, Culinary, Cosmetic and Economic
Properties, Cultivation and Folklore of Herbs, Grasses, Fungi, Shrubs and Trees With All of Their
Modern Scienti๏ฌc Uses. NY: Barnes and Noble Publishing, 1992.
Hoffman, David, and Linda Quayle. The Complete Illustrated Herbal: A Safe and Practical
Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies. NY: Barnes and Noble Publishing, 1999.
Taber, Clarence Wilbur. Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis
Co., 1997.
5. ยฉ 2016 Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved.
OTHER
Hobbs, Christopher. "Herbal Advisor."http://www2.allherb.com/
(http://www2.allherb.com/). Healing People. http//www.healingpeople.com
(http://www.healingpeople.com). Support@healing people.com.
Joan Schonbeck
