Benefits
Traditional herbal tea for mild skin complaints
The European Medicines Agency lists wild pansy as a traditional herbal medicine for symptomatic relief of mild seborrheic skin conditions, using 3 g of the dried herb as a tea 1 to 3 times a day. This rests on long-standing use, not trials: the agency found no clinical studies of wild pansy alone and advises seeing a doctor if symptoms last beyond 4 weeks.
Cough and sputum scores in a three-herb capsule trial
In a 6-month placebo-controlled trial in 60 men who smoked and had moderate COPD, capsules with 165 mg each of wild pansy herb, elderberry and calendula (3 a day) lowered cough and sputum scores and raised lung function (FEV1) within the herb group; breathlessness did not change, and placebo showed no significant changes. Results are within-group only, the product's developers ran the trial, and the herbs cannot be separated.
Immune cell activity in laboratory tests (lab study)
Water extracts and hot-water decoctions of wild pansy reduced the multiplication of activated human T cells and their release of signaling proteins such as IL-2 and interferon gamma in test tubes, without triggering programmed cell death in one study. Ring-shaped peptides called cyclotides were identified as active components. These are cell experiments, not effects measured in people.
Airway inflammation markers in mice given the extract by mouth (animal study)
In mice sensitized to an egg protein (ovalbumin) to model allergic airway inflammation, a wild pansy flower extract given by mouth for 7 days lowered the signaling protein IL-4 in lung fluid and, at 200 mg/kg, reduced eosinophil infiltration and inflammation around the airways. This is one animal study of a flower extract, not the herb tea, and has not been tested in people.
Activity against skin bacteria and yeast in test tubes (lab study)
In laboratory tests, a wild pansy infusion, decoction and ethanol extract inhibited Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus cereus and the yeast Candida albicans, with weaker action against E. coli and other gram-negative bacteria. The EMA assessment called the effect relatively weak compared with standard antibiotics, and it says nothing about drinking the tea.
Mechanism of action
Flavonoids: rutin and violanthin
The European Pharmacopoeia requires at least 1.5% flavonoids, expressed as violanthin, in the dried herb. Violanthin and rutin are the two main flavonoids, and 16 flavonoid glycosides built on six aglycones, including quercetin, luteolin and apigenin, have been characterized. Rutin showed the highest electron-donor capacity in antioxidant assays; absorption from the tea has not been measured.
Mucilage and salicylates
The dried herb contains mucilage (about 10% in the EMA assessment, 16.5 to 21.5% in Viola arvensis batches tested in France) and about 0.06 to 0.3% salicylic acid and its derivatives, such as methyl salicylate and violutoside. The salicylates are why the EU monograph lists salicylate hypersensitivity as a contraindication. Saponins were not detected in one analysis.
Cyclotides (lab work)
Cyclotides are ring-shaped peptides of about 30 amino acids held in a knotted shape by three disulfide bonds, which makes them unusually stable. More than a dozen have been isolated from wild pansy; several were toxic to human cancer cell lines in the lab, and they are present in hot-water decoctions. Whether they survive digestion and act in people is unknown.
Clinical trials
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 6-month substudy of a larger carotid atherosclerosis trial (NCT01743404) testing Inflaminat, a Russian dietary supplement capsule with 165 mg each of black elder berries, wild pansy herb and calendula flowers, 3 capsules a day. (Kirichenko et al. 2020, Biology (Basel))
60 men aged 42 to 67, all smokers with moderate (stage II) COPD and not on regular anti-inflammatory medicines; 30 per group.
In the herb group the breathlessness, cough and sputum score fell from 3.0 to 1.9 (p = 0.002) and FEV1 rose from 66% to 73% of normal (p = 0.042); exacerbations and the FEV1/FVC ratio did not change significantly, and placebo showed no significant changes. Results are reported as changes within each group. No side effects linked to the capsules were found. The capsule was developed by the authors' research group, one author cofounded the maker (INAT-Farma) and left it in 2003, and funding came from the Russian Science Foundation. The cough and sputum items drove the score drop; breathlessness alone did not change. Wild pansy's own share cannot be isolated.
Laboratory study: an aqueous Viola tricolor extract was tested on activated lymphocytes, followed by bioactivity-guided fractionation and mass spectrometry to find the active compounds. (Hellinger et al. 2014, J Ethnopharmacol)
No human or animal participants; lymphocytes isolated from the blood of healthy adult donors.
At 10 to 300 µg/mL the extract inhibited proliferation of activated lymphocytes by reducing IL-2 secretion without changing IL-2 receptor expression, and lowered IFN-γ and TNF-α production. It did not induce apoptosis; necrosis rose slightly at higher concentrations. Cyclotides were identified as the active components. The authors said clinical potency and risks still need study.
Laboratory study comparing hot-water decoctions, a cyclotide-enriched dichloromethane/methanol extract and the isolated cyclotide kalata S on primary human T cells and monocyte-derived macrophages. (Retzl et al. 2023, Planta Med)
No human or animal participants; immune cells from human donors.
Hot-water decoctions suppressed T-cell proliferation and IFN-γ and IL-21 secretion more than the solvent extract, and longer boiling increased the effect; kalata S appeared to be one active component. The solvent extract was better at lowering IL-6, IL-12, IL-23, TNF-α and CXCL10 from macrophages. No dosing in animals or people.
Animal study: BALB/c mice sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin received a hydroethanolic flower extract by mouth (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg) or dexamethasone (3 mg/kg) during the last 7 days of challenge. (Harati et al. 2018, Iran J Allergy Asthma Immunol)
BALB/c mice in six groups; no human participants.
At 200 mg/kg the extract lowered IL-4 in lung lavage fluid and reduced leukocyte, especially eosinophil, infiltration and inflammation around the airways, with little effect on IFN-γ. The 100 mg/kg dose gave the largest IL-4 drop and raised IFN-γ. A flower extract, not the herb tea, and not tested in people.