germander

Germander refers primarily to *Teucrium chamaedrys*, a perennial herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae) native to central and southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Its aerial parts have been used historically in traditional medicine for conditions such as gout, diabetes, obesity, digestive complaints, fever, and inflammatory conditions. Mechanistically, germander contains numerous bioactive compounds, most notably furan-containing neoclerodane diterpenoids (e.g., teucrin A, teuchmaedryn A), which are implicated in its marked hepatotoxicity, as they are metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes into reactive metabolites causing liver cell injury via glutathione depletion and protein binding. Despite its historical uses, germander is considered likely unsafe and is banned for oral use in several countries due to its association with severe and sometimes fatal liver injury. Its therapeutic benefit in humans is unproven; current use is extremely limited and generally discouraged[1][4][5].

Other names

Teucrium chamaedryswall germanderteucriumteucrium herbteucrium chamaedrys herb