| Galega officinalis | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Galega officinalis L. | ||||||||||||||||||
Galega officinalis (also known as Goat's Rue, French Lilac, Italian Fitch or Professor-weed) is a plant from the Galega genus of the Faboideae. Its name derives from gale (milk) and ega (to bring on), as Galega has been used as a galactologue in small domestic animals (hence the name "Goat's rue"). Galega bicolor is a synonym. It is a hardy perennial that blooms in the summer months.
Other Galega species are Galega orientalis.
Galega is used as a food plant by the larva of Coleophora vicinella, a species of moth.
Medical use
Galega officinalis has been known since the Middle Ages for relieving the symptoms of diabetes mellitus. Upon analysis, it turned out to contain guanidine, a substance that decreases blood sugar by decreasing insulin resistance.
Chemical derivatives from the biguanide class of medication include metformin (Glucophage, commonly prescribed for diabetics) and the older, withdrawn agent phenformin.
Sources
- Witters LA. The blooming of the French lilac. J Clin Invest 2001;108:1105–1107. DOI 10.1172/JCI200114178.
External links
- Taxonomy on NCBI (National Library of Medicine).
- Noxious Weed USDA Noxious & Invasive Weeds.
