Humulus lupulus
Part Used: Dried lupulin-rich strobile
Hops (Humulus lupulus) are the climbing plants native to Europe, Asia, and North America. They are perennial vine reaching up to 30 feet long. They are the cone-like, fruiting bodies (strobiles) of the plant and are typically harvested from cultivated female plants. They are most commonly used as a flavoring agent in beer. Hops are high in bitter substances. The two primary bitter principles are known as humulone and lupulone. These bitter principles are thought to be responsible for the appetite stimulating properties of HopsHops were considered soothing to the stomach, an appetite stimulant (due to the bitter taste), slightly sedative, a sleep aid, and diuretic. In European phytomedicine, Hops preparations are used to relieve mood disturbances, such as unrest and anxiety, and for sleep disturbances.
Hops are also prescribed for nervous tension, excitability, restlessness and lack of sleep, and to stimulate appetite. Laboratory studies show that Hops have a wide range of biological activity. The bitter acids in the fruits are antibacterial. Extracts of the fruits strongly reduce smooth-muscle spasms. Hops have a long and proven history of herbal use, where they are employed mainly for their soothing, sedative, tonic and calming effect on the body and the mind. Their strongly bitter flavour largely accounts for their ability to strengthen and stimulate the digestion, increasing gastric and other secretions. The female fruiting body is anodyne, antiseptic, antispasmodic, diuretic, febrifuge, hypnotic, nervine, sedative, stomachic and tonic. They are widely used as a folk remedy to treat a wide range of complaints, including boils, bruises, calculus, cancer, cramps, cough, cystitis, debility, delirium, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, fever, fits, hysteria, inflammation, insomnia, jaundice, nerves, neuralgia, rheumatism, and worms. The hairs on the fruits contain lupulin, a sedative and hypnotic drug. When given to nursing mothers, lupulin increases the flow of milk - recent research has shown that it contains a related hormone that could account for this effect. The female fruiting body contains humulone and lupulone, these are highly bacteriostatic against gram-positive and acid-fast bacteria.
References:
Plants for a Future. http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Humulus+lupulus
All Natural. http://www.allnatural.net/herbpages/hops.shtml
Holistic Online. http://www.holisticonline.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/h23.htm
