Viscum album.   European mistletoe, The Golden bough, Birdlime mistletoe   Family: Loranthaceae  
PART USED: Young leafy twigs collected in spring. N.B. Not the berries.
ODOR: Distinctive
ACTIONS
GROUP: The Circulatory System - Herbs for the Heart and Arteries
1. Hypotensive.[1,2,3]
2. Cardiac tonic.[3] Cardiac regulator. Cardiac depressant.[1]
3. Antispasmodic.[3]
4. Sedative,[1,3] nervine.
5. Antineoplastic.[1,2,3]
6. Immunostimulant.[3]
7. Diuretic.
INDICATIONS
1. High blood pressure.[1,2,3] Nervous tachycardia.[1,2,3] Hypertensive headache.[1] Arteriosclerosis.[1] Angina. Cardiac asthma.
2. Chronic headaches. Hysteria.[1] Anxiety. St. Vitus Dance. Epilepsy. Convulsions. Chorea.[1]
3. Hemoptysis. Asthma. Whooping cough.
4. Cramps. Rheumatism.
5. Gout. Retention of urine. Urinary stones.
6. Dizziness.
7. Mistletoe has been used internally and locally on malignant tumors. Certain cancers.[3]
SPECIFIC INDICATIONS: Arterial hypertension.[1]
COMBINATIONS
CONTRAINDICATIONS-  Large doses are toxic, causing respiratory and cardiac paralysis.
PREPARATIONS  3X /day
Dried leafy twigs 2-6 g,[1,2,3] or by infusion[1] 1:20 in cold water.[1]
Maceration  2-6 g in  40-120 ml.
Fluid extract  1:1 in 25% alcohol  1-3 ml.[1,3]
Tincture (BPC) 1:5 in 45% alcohol  0.5 ml.[1]
         
ORIGIN: Europe.
DESCRIPTION: Hemiparasitic, growing on the branches of deciduous tree, such as fruit trees or poplars. Woody, regularly branched, with elliptical, yellowish-green, leathery leaves in pairs. Flowers: four-petalled, followed by sticky, white, globular berries in winter.
References
Constituents
Similar plants
Research
The cardiotonic activity is thought to be due to the lignans, which show significant cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitory activity.[1] The polysaccharides stimulate the immune response in mice.[2]
The antineoplatic activity of mistletoe is well documented.[3,4,5,6,7] The viscotoxins bind to DNA and viscumin inhibits protein synthesis,[7] and the alkaloids, wher present, have antileukaemic activity in vitro and in mice.[8] A commercial preparation has been used in Europe to treat several types of cancer. In a study of 50 patients with malignant pleural effusions, the exudation disappeared in a remarkable 92% of patients after 3-4 treatments.[9] In another study on the prophylactic, postoperative treament of carinoma of the bronchial tree, patients showed a significant prolongation of survival time.[10] A group of women with advanced carcinoma of the ovary, treated with a mistletoe preparation, showed much better survival times than a similar group treated with a conventional therapy, despite the less favourable prognosis of the group treated with mistletoe. Side effects were said not to be serious.[11]
References
[1] Wagner, H. et al. (1986) Planta Med. (2), 102 
[2] Bloksma, N. et al. (1982) Planta Med. 46, 221 
[3] Franz, H. et al. (1981) Biochem. J. 195, 481
[4] Luther, P. et al. (1980) Int. J. Biochem. 11, 429
[5] Woynarvski, J. M. et al. (1980) Hoppe-Seyglers Z. Physiol. Chem. 361 (10), 1525 and 1535
[6] Franz, H. (1985) Pharmazie 40 (2), 97
[7] Stirpe, F. et al. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257 (22), 13271
[8] Kwaja, T. A. et al. (1980) Experientia 36, 599
[9] Salzer, G. and Muller, H. (1978) Prax. Klin. Pneumol. 32 (11), 721
[10] Salzer, G. and Havelec, L. (1978) Onkologie 1 (6), 264
[11] Hassauer, W. et al. (1979) Onkologie 2 (1), 28