Home Ingredients Spiny Restharrow Root (Ononis spinosa)

Spiny Restharrow Root (Ononis spinosa)

Ononis spinosa L., radix
Evidence Level
Preliminary
4 Clinical Trials
6 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

Spiny restharrow (Ononis spinosa) is a thorny plant in the pea family whose dried root is brewed as a tea to flush the urinary tract. In the EU it is registered only as a traditional herbal medicine: regulators accept its use to increase the amount of urine as an add-on in minor urinary complaints, based on long-standing use, and found no clinical study of restharrow root on its own. The human data all come from blends, a placebo-controlled trial of a three-herb tablet and small studies of multi-herb products compared with or added to standard urology drugs, so they cannot show what restharrow adds. Its effects on urine output and on bacteria are known only from rat and lab work. People told to limit fluids because of serious heart or kidney disease, pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under 12 should not use it.

Studied Dose No trial has tested restharrow root alone. EU traditional use: 2 to 3 g dried root in 150 ml boiling water as tea up to 3 to 4 times daily, at most 12 g a day (a 2025 draft revision proposes 2 to 4 g per cup). One three-herb tablet trial gave 160 mg restharrow extract 3 times daily.
Active Compound Whole or cut, dried root of Ononis spinosa L. (Ononidis radix in the European Pharmacopoeia). It contains isoflavonoids, mostly as glucosides and their malonates (formononetin 7-O-glucoside, known as ononin, plus calycosin and pseudobaptigenin glucosides), the pterocarpans medicarpin and maackiain, the isoflavanones onogenin and sativanone, the triterpene alpha-onocerin, triterpenoid saponins, phenolic acids, sterols and 0.02% to 0.2% essential oil with trans-anethole as its main component. The EMA recognizes no constituent with known therapeutic activity.

Benefits

Traditional use to increase urine flow

The European Medicines Agency accepts restharrow root tea as a traditional herbal medicine to increase the amount of urine and flush the urinary tract as an add-on in minor urinary complaints, with adequate fluid intake. That acceptance rests on long-standing use alone: its reviewers found no clinical study of restharrow root on its own, so a well-established use could not be supported.

Supported by Trial 4, Trial 1

Three-herb tablet with Java tea and goldenrod

In a placebo-controlled trial run decades ago in 200 women with an acute lower urinary infection, and reanalyzed later with its sponsor, 7 days of a restharrow root, Java tea and goldenrod tablet gave more women a drop in urine bacterial counts (64.4% vs 25.4% of 122 evaluable women), and fewer needed antibiotics. Restharrow's own share is unknown.

Supported by Trial 1

Five-herb capsule studied for ureteral stent comfort

In an open randomized trial of 60 people fitted with a ureteral stent, one daily capsule of goldenrod, Phyllanthus, willowherb, boldo and restharrow extracts improved stent symptom scores from baseline, but urinary symptoms improved more with the prescription drug tamsulosin at days 7 and 21. Other scores did not differ, and there was no placebo group.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 4

Boldine and Phyllanthus blend used alongside standard urology care

In a retrospective Italian review of 159 adults with a small stone in the lower ureter, those treated earlier with tamsulosin plus a boldine, Phyllanthus niruri and restharrow product passed the stone more often (84.8% vs 52.5%) than those treated later with tamsulosin alone. Groups were set by time period, not by chance, and the product dose was not reported.

Supported by Trial 3

Urine output in animal studies

In rats, a restharrow root infusion raised 5-hour urine output (21.4 ml vs 15.1 ml with water) and sodium excretion, with only 4 rats per group, and older rat and rabbit tests reported similar effects. No controlled study has measured urine output in people taking restharrow alone; an old Polish handbook's report of a rise from about 1.0 to 1.5 liters a day gives no study details.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 3

Bacterial attachment to bladder cells in lab tests

A hot water extract of the root reduced attachment of urinary E. coli to human bladder cells in a dish, more at higher concentrations, without affecting bacterial growth or harming the cells. In lab tests of a German four-herb tea that includes restharrow, the anti-adhesion effect traced to birch leaf compounds instead. Whether any of this happens in the bladder is unknown.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 4

Mechanism of action

1

Isoflavonoid-rich root without a recognized active marker

The root holds isoflavonoid glycosides, mostly formononetin, calycosin and pseudobaptigenin glucosides and their malonates, plus pterocarpans and triterpenes. A detailed analysis of the root extract could not confirm genistein or daidzein, the main soy isoflavones, although older reviews list genistein. The EMA recognizes no constituent with known therapeutic activity, and no pharmacokinetic data exist.

2

Possible routes to higher urine output, from rat and lab work

Rat researchers suspected the root's potassium salts and flavonoid glycosides, because a solution of the root ash also raised urine output. Separately, root isoflavonoids such as sativanone weakly inhibited human hyaluronidase-1, an enzyme the authors linked to kidney function and diuresis, in a test tube. Neither idea has been tested in people.

3

Inflammatory signals in immune cells in the lab

A dichloromethane root extract and two compounds isolated from it, the triterpene alpha-onocerin and clitorienolactone B, reduced release of the inflammatory messengers IL-8 and TNF-alpha from stimulated human white blood cells; in further cell tests the extract blocked Toll-like receptor 4 signaling, partly by binding the bacterial trigger itself, and a water extract also acted on this pathway. These are cell experiments only.

Clinical trials

1
Restharrow, Java Tea and Goldenrod Tablet vs Placebo in Women With Acute Lower Urinary Infection (combination product)
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a fixed combination (Aqualibra) of restharrow root 80 mg, Java tea 90 mg and goldenrod herb 180 mg extracts per tablet, 2 tablets 3 times daily for 7 days; run from October 1991 to March 1992, registered in 2019 (NCT04032574), and reported here as a sponsor-supported secondary analysis. (Vahlensieck et al. 2019, Antibiotics (Basel))

200 women aged 18 to 75 with acute lower uncomplicated urinary tract infection; 122 had evaluable urine cultures.

In the original analysis, bacterial counts fell at least 100-fold (the primary endpoint) in 64.4% on the blend vs 25.4% on placebo (p < 0.0001). The reanalysis of symptom scores favored the blend from day 1, and fewer women on it needed antibiotics (15.3% vs 49.2%). The maker sponsored the trial and the paper, and two authors work for it. The EMA notes that restharrow's contribution to the effect was never measured.

2
Five-Herb Capsule vs Tamsulosin for Ureteral Stent Symptoms: Open-Label RCT (combination product, no placebo)
PubMed

Randomized, open-label comparison of one daily capsule of Solidago virgaurea, Phyllanthus niruri, Epilobium angustifolium, Peumus boldus and Ononis spinosa extracts with tamsulosin 0.4 mg daily for 1 month, scored with the Ureteral Symptom Score Questionnaire. (Gallo et al. 2026, Urologia)

60 patients in Italy who had a double J ureteral stent placed between October 2021 and October 2022, 30 per group.

Both groups improved from baseline in every questionnaire domain. The only significant difference between groups was in urinary symptoms at days 7 and 21, in favor of tamsulosin; pain, general health, work, sexual and other scores did not differ. The authors nonetheless concluded the blend could be as effective as tamsulosin. There was no placebo, no blinding and no restharrow-only arm.

3
Boldine, Phyllanthus and Restharrow Product Added to Tamsulosin for Distal Ureteral Stones: Retrospective Cohort (combination product, not randomized)
PubMed

Single-center retrospective cohort in Bergamo, Italy (March to December 2023): patients treated earlier received tamsulosin 0.4 mg plus a product of boldine, Phyllanthus niruri and Ononis spinosa, and patients treated later received tamsulosin alone, for up to 28 days. (Di Mauro et al. 2024, Medicina (Kaunas))

159 adults with renal colic and a distal ureteral stone of 10 mm or less (79 combination, 80 tamsulosin alone).

Stone passage was 84.8% with the combination vs 52.5% with tamsulosin alone, average time to passage 16.3 vs 19.3 days, and days needing pain relief 2.4 vs 6.3; side effects were similar. Allocation was by time period, the herbal product dose was not reported, and the authors called for randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Restharrow's own role cannot be separated.

4
Five-Herb Supplement (Fluxonorm) Added to Standard Care in Men With Prostate-Related Urinary Symptoms: Uncontrolled Observation (combination product)
PubMed

Uncontrolled clinical observation of one 1,200 mg tablet daily for 30 days of a supplement of water-soluble Solidago virga-aurea, Phyllanthus niruri, Epilobium angustifolium, Peumus boldus and Ononis spinosa extracts, added to standard care, alongside cell-line experiments. (Orlando et al. 2021, Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci)

30 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and lower urinary tract symptoms.

The authors report that all measured clinical parameters, including maximum urine flow, improved after one month. There was no control group, so the change cannot be separated from standard care or time, and the anti-inflammatory findings came from a prostate cancer cell line. Restharrow's own share is unknown.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

No undesirable effects are known, according to the EU monograph, but toxicity data are very limited: the only test was a single dose of an ethanol root extract, which caused no toxicity in rats and mice up to 2 g/kg.
The EMA's 2023 search of EU and WHO safety databases found very few reports: stomach pain, nausea and vomiting in a 74-year-old woman with a past stomach operation, which resolved after stopping, and belching in one person in Korea.
Italian safety monitoring recorded acute hepatitis, thyroid changes and spontaneous bruising in three people taking multi-ingredient supplements that listed restharrow among many other herbs, often with medicines; a causal link to restharrow could not be confirmed.
Not recommended for people told to limit fluids, for example with severe heart or kidney disease, because the traditional use depends on drinking enough liquid.
Do not use if hypersensitive to restharrow; this is the only contraindication in the 2025 draft revision of the EU monograph.
Not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding or for children under 12; reproductive toxicity and cancer tests have not been done.
In one test-tube study, an ethanol root extract raised chromosome damage markers (micronuclei) in human white blood cells up to about 5-fold. The EMA notes the test was nonstandard and never repeated, and adequate genotoxicity tests are still missing.
See a doctor if symptoms last longer than a week or if fever, painful urination, cramping or blood in the urine appears.

Important Drug interactions

The EU monograph lists no reported interactions, and none have been studied in people; no pharmacokinetic data exist for restharrow root.
Prescription diuretics (water pills): any added effect on urine flow is theoretical and unstudied; tell your prescriber before combining them.
Lithium: any increase in urine flow could, in theory, shift lithium levels; a theoretical concern worth raising with the prescriber.
Hormone therapies such as estrogen or tamoxifen: the root contains isoflavonoids, a plant compound group that includes some with mild estrogen-like activity, but restharrow's hormonal effects have never been tested; ask your prescriber.

Frequently asked questions about Spiny Restharrow Root (Ononis spinosa)

Has restharrow root on its own been tested in people?

No. European regulators found no clinical study of restharrow root alone, either in their final 2014 review or in the 2025 draft update. Every human study found tests a blend: a three-herb tablet with Java tea and goldenrod, or multi-herb products that combine restharrow with goldenrod, Phyllanthus, boldo or other ingredients, so none can show what restharrow itself adds.

Does restharrow root contain plant estrogens?

It contains isoflavonoids, the same broad compound family as soy isoflavones, mainly glycosides of formononetin (ononin), calycosin and pseudobaptigenin. The EMA's 2014 review listed genistein, an isoflavone reported to have mild estrogen-like activity, but a detailed 2016 analysis of the root could not confirm genistein or daidzein. No study has tested whether restharrow root has hormonal effects in people.

Why do some sources say to use restharrow tea for only a few days at a time?

A 1986 German standard authorization said the tea's effect wears off after a few days of use and that it can be continued after a break of several days. The EU monograph advises seeing a doctor if symptoms last longer than one week. Neither statement comes from a clinical study.

Does boiling the root change the tea?

Possibly. In rat experiments from the 1930s, a decoction lost diuretic effect the longer the root was boiled, and the researchers suspected volatile compounds; the root holds only 0.02% to 0.2% essential oil, and this was never studied further. The EU monograph describes an infusion, with boiling water poured over the cut root, rather than a long boil.

Is field restharrow (Ononis arvensis) interchangeable with spiny restharrow?

The EU monograph and the European Pharmacopoeia cover only the root of spiny restharrow, Ononis spinosa. A 2021 laboratory comparison found no characteristic difference in the isoflavonoid pattern of the two species, but that does not make the related plant an approved or studied substitute, so check the Latin name on the label.

What is Spiny Restharrow Root?

Spiny restharrow (Ononis spinosa) is a thorny plant in the pea family whose dried root is brewed as a tea to flush the urinary tract. In the EU it is registered only as a traditional herbal medicine: regulators accept its use to increase the amount of urine as an add-on in minor urinary complaints, based on long-standi…

What is Spiny Restharrow Root used for?

NutraSmarts does not list Spiny Restharrow Root under a health category. What the research covers: The European Medicines Agency accepts restharrow root tea as a traditional herbal medicine to increase the amount of urine and flush the urinary tract as an add-on in minor urinary complaints, with adequate fluid intake.

What is the recommended dosage of Spiny Restharrow Root?

No trial has tested restharrow root alone. EU traditional use: 2 to 3 g dried root in 150 ml boiling water as tea up to 3 to 4 times daily, at most 12 g a day (a 2025 draft revision proposes 2 to 4 g per cup). Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Spiny Restharrow Root safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Spiny Restharrow Root include: No undesirable effects are known, according to the EU monograph, but toxicity data are very limited: the only test was a single dose of an ethanol root extract, which caused no toxicity in rats and mice up to 2 g/kg. It may also interact with some medications. Spiny Restharrow Root is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Spiny Restharrow Root interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: The EU monograph lists no reported interactions, and none have been studied in people; no pharmacokinetic data exist for restharrow root. Prescription diuretics (water pills): any added effect on urine flow is theoretical and unstudied; tell your prescriber before combining them. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Spiny Restharrow Root?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Spiny Restharrow Root as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 4 study summaries and 15 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(15 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Community herbal monograph on Ononis spinosa L., radix (EMA/HMPC/138317/2013). European Medicines Agency. 2014;EMA/HMPC/138317/2013. Final, adopted by the HMPC 25 March 2014..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed; official EU monograph, in force. Lists restharrow root only under traditional use: a traditional herbal medicinal product to increase the amount of urine to achieve flushing of the urinary tract as an adjuvant in minor urinary complaints, based exclusively on long-standing use. Herbal tea of 2 to 3 g in 150 ml boiling water up to 3 to 4 times daily, maximum 12 g a day; see a doctor if symptoms last more than 1 week. Contraindications: hypersensitivity and conditions where reduced fluid intake is recommended (for example severe heart or kidney disease). Not for children under 12, not recommended in pregnancy and lactation, no reported interactions, no known undesirable effects, and adequate genotoxicity, reproductive toxicity and carcinogenicity tests not performed.
  2. European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Assessment report on Ononis spinosa L., radix (EMA/HMPC/138316/2013). European Medicines Agency. 2014;EMA/HMPC/138316/2013. Final, 24 March 2014..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed; the EMA's original scientific review. Finds no clinical studies of restharrow root and no human pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic data. Notes that restharrow root is said to contain genistein, an isoflavone reported in the literature to have a mild estrogenic effect, but that no studies of a restharrow root extract itself are available.
  3. European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). European Union herbal monograph on Ononis spinosa L., radix, Draft Revision 1 (EMA/HMPC/584455/2023 Rev 1). European Medicines Agency. 2025;EMA/HMPC/584455/2023 Rev 1. Draft dated 7 May 2025, released for public consultation (consultation closed 31 August 2025); not yet final. Accessed 2026..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed; draft revision of the EU monograph. Rewords the traditional indication as relief of symptoms of minor urinary complaints in addition to sufficient fluid intake to increase the amount of urine, proposes 2 to 4 g per cup (maximum 12 g a day), keeps hypersensitivity as the only contraindication and moves the reduced-fluid-intake advice to a warning, with the same advice on children under 12, pregnancy, lactation and missing toxicity tests.
  4. European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Assessment report on Ononis spinosa L., radix, Draft Revision 1 (EMA/HMPC/584453/2023). European Medicines Agency. 2025;EMA/HMPC/584453/2023. Draft dated 7 May 2025, published to support the public consultation. Accessed 2026..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed; the EMA's updated scientific review. Lists the constituents (isoflavonoid glucosides and malonates, pterocarpans, alpha-onocerin, saponins, phenolic acids, sterols, 0.02% to 0.2% essential oil). Summarizes rat data (an infusion raised 5-hour urine output to 21.4 ml vs 15.1 ml with water, 4 rats per group, with more sodium excreted), a single-dose toxicity test (no toxicity up to 2 g/kg), the nonstandard micronucleus test, and an old Polish handbook claim of urine output rising from about 1.0 to 1.5 liters a day. States that no clinical studies of mono-preparations exist, that restharrow's share in the three-herb tablet trial was never measured, and that a 1986 German standard authorization said the tea's effect wears off after a few days. Records one EudraVigilance and two VigiBase reports and three Italian supplement reports with unconfirmed causality.
  5. Vahlensieck W, Lorenz H, Schumacher-Stimpfl A, Fischer R, Naber KG. Effect of a Herbal Therapy on Clinical Symptoms of Acute Lower Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections in Women: Secondary Analysis from a Randomized Controlled Trial. Antibiotics (Basel). 2019;8(4):256. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics8040256.PubMedUsed to support: Sponsor-supported secondary analysis of a double-blind trial run in 1991 and 1992 in 200 women with acute lower urinary infection: a restharrow root, Java tea and goldenrod herb tablet (2 tablets 3 times daily for 7 days) lowered urine bacterial counts in more women than placebo (64.4% vs 25.4% of 122 evaluable), improved symptom scores from day 1, and fewer women needed antibiotics (15.3% vs 49.2%). A three-herb product; two authors are employees of the maker.
  6. Gallo G, Cicione A, Nacchia A, Lombardo R, Riolo S, Guercio A, Fiasconaro D, De Nunzio C. A randomized controlled trial comparing alpha-blocker (tamsulosin) and a phyto-complex (Solidago virga-aurea, Phyllantus niruri, Epilobium angustifolium, Peumus boldus and Ononis spinosa) in the treatment of ureteral stent-related symptoms. Urologia. 2026;93(4):753-760. doi: 10.1177/03915603261454171.PubMedUsed to support: Open-label randomized trial in 60 people with a ureteral stent: a daily five-herb capsule including Ononis spinosa and tamsulosin 0.4 mg both improved symptom scores from baseline over 1 month, but urinary symptoms improved more with tamsulosin at days 7 and 21, and other domains did not differ. No placebo.
  7. Di Mauro E, Saldutto P, La Rocca R, Sangiorgi G, Patelli G, Barone B, Verratti V, Castellucci R, Napolitano L, Iacono F, Altieri VM. Efficacy and Safety of Boldine Combined with Phyllanthus niruri and Ononis spinosa in Medical Expulsive Therapy for Distal Ureteral Stones with Renal Colic: A Single-Center, Retrospective Cohort Study. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024;60(9):1455. doi: 10.3390/medicina60091455.PubMedUsed to support: Retrospective single-center cohort of 159 adults with a distal ureteral stone of 10 mm or less: patients treated earlier with tamsulosin plus a boldine, Phyllanthus niruri and Ononis spinosa product passed stones more often (84.8% vs 52.5%), sooner and with fewer pain-relief days than patients treated later with tamsulosin alone; side effects were similar. Not randomized, product dose not reported, and restharrow's share cannot be separated.
  8. Orlando G, Chiavaroli A, Ferrante C, Recinella L, Leone S, Brunetti L, Di Simone SC, Menghini L, Petrucci M, Zengin G, Cesaroni F, Pontarelli G, Cindolo L, Neri F. Protective effects induced by the food supplement Fluxonorm® in the lower urinary tract. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2021;25(7):3074-3082. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202104_25562.PubMedUsed to support: Uncontrolled observation in 30 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and lower urinary tract symptoms: a five-herb supplement including Ononis spinosa (1,200 mg daily for 30 days) added to standard care was followed by improvement in all measured parameters, including maximum urine flow. No control group; the anti-inflammatory findings came from cell-line work.
  9. Deipenbrock M, Sendker J, Hensel A. Aqueous Root Extract from Ononis spinosa Exerts Anti-adhesive Activity against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Planta Med. 2020;86(4):247-254. doi: 10.1055/a-1089-8645.PubMedUsed to support: Lab study: a hot water restharrow root extract (125 to 1000 micrograms per ml) reduced adhesion of uropathogenic E. coli to human T24 bladder cells in a concentration-dependent way, and so reduced their entry into the cells, without affecting bacterial growth or bladder cell viability; it did not act on FimH-mediated adhesion. Not a human study.
  10. Boertz S, Dey M, Herrmann F, Esch S, Sendker J, Dobrindt U, Hensel A. Complex Standard Formulation as an Example for Synergism and Improved Antibacterial Activity Against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli for Urinary Tract Infections. Planta Med. 2025;91(8):419-429. doi: 10.1055/a-2563-7503.PubMedUsed to support: Lab study of a German four-herb tea formulation (birch leaf, couch grass, giant goldenrod, restharrow): brewing the herbs together reduced type-1 fimbrial activity of uropathogenic E. coli, an effect traced to birch leaf dammarane triterpenes extracted in the presence of goldenrod, not to restharrow; separately brewed extracts did not do this, and no extract affected bacterial growth. Not a human study.
  11. Gampe N, Darcsi A, Lohner S, Béni S, Kursinszki L. Characterization and identification of isoflavonoid glycosides in the root of Spiny restharrow (Ononis spinosa L.) by HPLC-QTOF-MS, HPLC-MS/MS and NMR. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2016;123:74-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2016.01.058.PubMedUsed to support: Chemical analysis of an aqueous-methanolic root extract: 34 isoflavonoids identified, built on the isoflavones formononetin, calycosin and pseudobaptigenin, the pterocarpans maackiain and medicarpin, and the dihydroisoflavones onogenin and sativanone, as glucosides, glucoside malonates, acetates and aglycones. Genistein, daidzein and biochanin A could not be confirmed. No health outcomes were measured.
  12. Gampe N, Nagy E, Kursinszki L, Béni S. Quantitative determination of isoflavonoids in Ononis species by UPLC-UV-DAD. Phytochem Anal. 2021;32(4):474-481. doi: 10.1002/pca.2995.PubMedUsed to support: Analytical method study measuring 12 isoflavones, isoflavanones and pterocarpans (as glucosides and aglycones) in roots of Ononis spinosa and Ononis arvensis; no characteristic difference in isoflavonoid pattern was seen between the two species. No health outcomes were measured.
  13. Addotey JN, Lengers I, Jose J, Gampe N, Béni S, Petereit F, Hensel A. Isoflavonoids with inhibiting effects on human hyaluronidase-1 and norneolignan clitorienolactone B from Ononis spinosa L. root extract. Fitoterapia. 2018;130:169-174. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2018.08.013.PubMedUsed to support: Lab study: hot water and hydroalcoholic root extracts moderately inhibited human hyaluronidase-1 (IC50 1.36 and 0.73 mg/ml), and four isoflavonoids isolated from a dichloromethane extract (onogenin, sativanone, medicarpin, calycosin-D) inhibited it by 22% to 61% at 250 micromolar. The authors offer this as a possible explanation for the diuretic use. Not a human study.
  14. Spiegler V, Gierlikowska B, Saenger T, Addotey JN, Sendker J, Jose J, Kiss AK, Hensel A. Root Extracts From Ononis spinosa Inhibit IL-8 Release via Interactions With Toll-Like Receptor 4 and Lipopolysaccharide. Front Pharmacol. 2020;11:889. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00889.PubMedUsed to support: Cell study: a dichloromethane root extract (25 to 100 micrograms per ml) reduced IL-8 and TNF-alpha release from LPS-stimulated human neutrophils, as did alpha-onocerin and clitorienolactone B isolated from it; in TLR4-expressing cells the extract inhibited LPS-induced IL-8 release, partly by interacting with LPS itself; an aqueous extract also acted on this pathway. Not a human study.
  15. Joksić G, Stanković M, Novak A. Antibacterial medicinal plants Equiseti herba and Ononidis radix modulate micronucleus formation in human lymphocytes in vitro. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2003;22(1):41-8. doi: 10.1615/jenvpathtoxoncol.v22.i1.40.PubMedUsed to support: Test-tube study in cultured human lymphocytes: a restharrow root extract increased micronuclei up to 5-fold in unirradiated cells and up to 1.7-fold the micronuclei caused by radiation, which the authors read as a clastogenic effect. The EMA notes the test is nonstandard and has not been repeated. Not a human study.