Crataegus oxyacanthoides, C. monogyna.   Hawthorn, Whitehorn   Family Rosaceae.     
PART USED: Ripe fruits, called the "haws".  Leaves and flowers are also used.
ACTIONS
GROUP: The Circulatory System- Herbs for the Heart and Arteries.
1. Arterial cleanser. Antisclerotic.[3] Cardiac regulator. Cardiac tonic.[3] Coronary vasodilator. Hypotensive.[1,2,3]
2. Anti-inflammatory.
INDICATIONS
1. High blood pressure with myocardial weakness. Angina pectoris. Cardiac hypertrophy. Heart failure. Low blood pressure.  Heart weakness. Arrhythmias. Valvular disorders. Arteriosclerosis. Atherosclerosis. Burger's disease. Paroxysmal tachycardia.
COMBINATIONS
Combines well with Selenicereus grandiflorus, Tilia, Viscum or Scutellaria.
PREPARATIONS:
Dried fruits  0.3-1.0 g, or by decoction.
Fluid extract 1:1 in 25% alcohol   1-2 ml.[2]  0.5-1.[1,3] 1:1 in 45% alcohol.[4]
Tincture  1:5 in 45% alcohol  1-2 ml..[1,2,3]
    
DESCRIPTION: A thorny, deciduous shrub with 3-5 lobed leaves, bearing white, dense clusters of flowers followed by deep red false fruits containing one seed (in monogyna) or two seeds (in oxycanthoides). The flowers appear in early Summer and the berries, in Autumn.
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Constituents
Research
- Tests have shown that hawthorn fruits inhibit all kinds of dysenteric bacilli and also lower blood pressure over a period.
- Animal studies have shown beneficial effects on coronary blood flow, blood pressure and heart rate,[1] thought to be due to the amines present.[2] A study of 80 patients in Japan showed significant improvement in cardiac function, edema and dyspnea in patients treated with a preparation made from the fruit and leaves.[3]
References
[1] Ammon, H. P. T. and Handel, M. (1981) Planta Med. 43, 105, 209 and 313
[2] Wagner, H. and Grevel, J. (1982) Planta med. 45, 98
[3] Iwamoto, M. et al. (1981) Planta Med. 42 (1), 1

Hawthorn extract may be used as an oral treatment option for chronic heart failure
This version published: 2013; Review content assessed as up-to-date: September 19, 2007.
Hawthorn extract (made from the dried leaves, flowers and fruits of the hawthorn bush) may be used as an oral treatment option for chronic heart failure. In this review, 14 double-blind, placebo controlled randomised clinical trials (RCTs) were found. They did not all measure the same outcomes and several did not explain what other heart failure treatments patients were receiving. Those trials that could be included in a meta-analysis showed improvements in heart failure symptoms and in the function of the heart. The results, therefore, are suggestive of a benefit from hawthorn extract used in addition to conventional treatments for chronic heart failure.
Abstract
Background: Hawthorn extract is advocated as an oral treatment option for chronic heart failure. Also, the German Commission E approved the use of extracts of hawthorn leaf with flower in patients suffering from heart failure graded stage II according to the New York Heart Association.
Objectives: To assess the benefits and harms as reported in double-blind randomised clinical trials of hawthorn extract compared with placebo for treating patients with chronic heart failure.
Search methods: We searched CENTRAL on The Cochrane Library (issue 2, 2006), MEDLINE (1951 to June 2006), EMBASE (1974 to June 2006), CINAHL (1982 to June 2006) and AMED (1985 to June 2006). Experts and manufacturers were contacted. Language restrictions were not imposed.
Selection criteria: To be included, studies were required to state that they were randomised, double-blind, and placebo controlled, and used hawthorn leaf and flower extract monopreparations.
Data collection and analysis: Two reviewers independently performed the selection of studies, data extraction, and assessment of methodological quality. Data were entered into RevMan 4.2 software. Results from continuous data were reported as weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Where data were suitable for combining, pooled results were calculated.
Main results: Fourteen trials met all inclusion criteria and were included in this review. In most of the studies, hawthorn was used as an adjunct to conventional treatment. Ten trials including 855 patients with chronic heart failure (New York Heart Association classes I to III) provided data that were suitable for meta-analysis. For the physiologic outcome of maximal workload, treatment with hawthorn extract was more beneficial than placebo (WMD (Watt) 5.35, 95% CI 0.71 to 10.00, P < 0.02, n = 380). Exercise tolerance were significantly increased by hawthorn extract (WMD (Watt x min) 122.76, 95% CI 32.74 to 212.78, n = 98). The pressure-heart rate product, an index of cardiac oxygen consumption, also showed a beneficial decrease with hawthorn treatment (WMD (mmHg/min) -19.22, 95% CI -30.46 to -7.98, n = 264). Symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue improved significantly with hawthorn treatment as compared with placebo (WMD -5.47, 95% CI -8.68 to -2.26, n = 239). No data on relevant mortality and morbidity such as cardiac events were reported, apart from one trial, which reported deaths (three in active, one in control) without providing further details. Reported adverse events were infrequent, mild, and transient; they included nausea, dizziness, and cardiac and gastrointestinal complaints.
Authors' conclusions: These results suggest that there is a significant benefit in symptom control and physiologic outcomes from hawthorn extract as an adjunctive treatment for chronic heart failure. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Hawthorn extract reduces infarct volume and improves neurological score by reducing oxidative stress in rat brain following middle cerebral artery occlusion.
Elango C, Jayachandaran KS, Niranjali Devaraj S.
Abstract
In our present investigation the neuroprotective effect of alcoholic extract of Hawthorn (Crataegus oxycantha) was evaluated against middle cerebral artery occlusion induced ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with 100 mg/kg body weight of the extract by oral gavage for 15 days. The middle cerebral artery was then occluded for 75 min followed by 24 h of reperfusion. The pretreated rats showed significantly improved neurological behavior with reduced brain infarct when compared to vehicle control rats. The glutathione level in brain was found to be significantly (p<0.05) low in vehicle control rats after 24 h of reperfusion when compared to sham operated animals. However, in Hawthorn extract pretreated rats the levels were found to be close to that of sham. Malondialdehyde levels in brain of sham and pretreated group were found to be significantly lower than the non-treated vehicle group (p<0.05). The nitric oxide levels in brain were measured and found to be significantly (p<0.05) higher in vehicle than in sham or extract treated rats.
CONCLUSION:
Our results suggest that Hawthorn extract which is a well known prophylactic for cardiac conditions may very well protect the brain against ischemia-reperfusion. The reduced brain damage and improved neurological behavior after 24 h of reperfusion in Hawthorn extract pretreated group may be attributed to its antioxidant property which restores glutathione levels, circumvents the increase in lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide levels thereby reducing peroxynitrite formation and free radical induced brain damage. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2009 Dec;27(8):799-803. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2009.08.008. Epub 2009 Aug 25. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov