© Patrice78500 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Althaea officinalis
Echter Eibisch · (Althaea officinalis)
Mallow family (Malvaceae)
Description
The root of this mallow-family plant, harvested in autumn, is rich in mucilage polysaccharides — up to 20 percent of its weight — that are heat-sensitive and must be extracted cold only, since hot water destroys them. Such a cold macerate traditionally coats irritated mucosal surfaces like a protective film and is used for dry, tickly cough and irritation of the mouth and throat. The cold macerate is also used in folk medicine for mild gastrointestinal complaints and gastritis, and externally as a compress for skin irritation and minor inflammation. The leaves yield a milder infusion used similarly. WARNING: consult a doctor if throat complaints last more than a week or gastrointestinal complaints more than two weeks. Because the mucilage can delay the absorption of other medicines, a gap of 30 to 60 minutes should be observed.
Soothing cold macerate for dry tickly cough and irritation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa. Heat-sensitive mucilage polysaccharides coat irritated mucosal surfaces — traditionally first choice for children's cough.
Preparation & dosage
COLD MACERATE (mandatory — mucilage is heat-sensitive): Soak 0.5–3 g crushed dried marshmallow root in 150 ml cold water 30–90 min, strain. Warm only to drinking temperature (max. 40 °C) — never boil. 3× daily, up to 5× if needed.
- Dry amount
- 0.5–3 g
- Doses per day
- 3×
- Max duration
- 1 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 3 years — Per EMA monograph from 3 years — traditionally used for children's cough.
Cold macerate as gargle and mouth rinse for irritation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa. Mucilage forms a protective coating over the irritated surface.
Preparation & dosage
COLD MACERATE: 0.5–3 g in 150 ml cold water 30–90 min, strain. Lukewarm 2–3× daily as gargle or mouth rinse. Never boil.
- Dry amount
- 0.5–3 g
- Doses per day
- 3×
- Max duration
- 1 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 3 years — From 3 years (children should be supervised while gargling).
Sources: [1]
Traditional use for mild gastrointestinal complaints. Marshmallow root mucilage coats the irritated gastric mucosa — used in folk medicine for gastritis and stomach irritation.
Preparation & dosage
COLD MACERATE: 2–5 g + 150 ml cold water 30–90 min. 3× daily between meals — coating effect on GI mucosa.
- Dry amount
- 2–5 g
- Doses per day
- 3×
- Max duration
- 2 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 12 years — For GI complaints from 12 years per EMA.
Leaf infusion for dry irritated cough and throat irritation — somewhat less mucilage-rich than the root, but traditionally used as an easily accessible alternative. Often combined with flowers.
Preparation & dosage
HOT INFUSION: 1.5–2.5 g dried marshmallow leaves with 150 ml hot (not boiling, ca. 80–90 °C) water, cover, steep 10 min, strain. 2–3× daily. Leaves contain less mucilage than root (ca. 6–9 % vs. 10–20 %) but are suitable as an infusion.
- Dry amount
- 1.5–2.5 g
- Doses per day
- 3×
- Max duration
- 1 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 12 years — Leaf use from 12 years — data for younger children lacking.
Folk medicine compress with marshmallow root for skin irritations, minor inflammations, insect stings and first-degree burns. Mucilage acts cooling and soothing on irritated skin.
Preparation & dosage
COLD MACERATE COMPRESS: 5–10 g finely ground or grated marshmallow root in 200 ml cold water 30–60 min. Soak clean cloth, apply to affected skin 15–20 min. 1–2× daily, freshly prepared. Alternative: marshmallow root paste applied directly to small skin inflammations.
- Dry amount
- 5–10 g
- Doses per day
- 2×
- Max duration
- 1 weeks
Tincture or liquid extract for dry cough and oral mucosal irritation — more convenient than cold macerate but with lower mucilage content. Suitable as a daily alternative for adults.
Preparation & dosage
LIQUID EXTRACT / TINCTURE: Standardised finished preparations from marshmallow root per package leaflet. Tincture typically 2–5 ml per dose, 3× daily. NOTE: Mucilage content in ethanolic extracts is lower than in cold macerate — for maximum mucilage effect, prefer cold macerate.
- Doses per day
- 3×
- Max duration
- 2 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 18 years — Ethanol-containing preparations per EMA only for adults from 18.
Sources: [1]
Folk medicine salve with marshmallow root for dry, irritated or cracked skin, eczema and scabs. Mucilage forms a moisture-retaining protective film.
Preparation & dosage
SALVE: Incorporate marshmallow root extract or finely powdered marshmallow root into a fatty base (beeswax, lanolin, cocoa butter) — typically 5–10 % dry extract. Apply thinly to irritated skin areas. Ready-made marshmallow salves available commercially.
If throat complaints last more than 1 week or GI complaints more than 2 weeks: consult a doctor. Seek immediate medical attention for breathlessness, fever or purulent sputum. IMPORTANT: Mucilage can delay absorption of other medicines — separate by 30–60 min. Cold macerate is mandatory for the root — hot water destroys the heat-sensitive mucilage.
⏱ Max continuous use: 2 weeks
Not recommended in pregnancy and lactation due to lack of sufficient safety data (EMA monograph).
Not recommended due to lack of data.
For dry cough and throat: cold macerate from 3 years (EMA). GI indication from 12 years. Ethanolic preparations only from 18. Solid forms from 6 years.
Drug interactions
Orale Arzneimittel allgemein
Mucilage forms a film on the GI mucosa and can delay absorption of other orally taken medicines. A time interval of 30–60 minutes is recommended.
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to marshmallow or other Malvaceae.
- Children under 3 years (internal use as tea) — lack of data.
Harvested part: root (autumn)
- Time of day:
- Dry autumn day (October/November) after first frost or early spring (March) before budding — mucilage content is highest as the plant stores reserves in the root.
- Drying:
- Dig 2–3 year roots, wash, peel (remove cork layer), cut into 0.5–1 cm slices or strips. IMPORTANT: Dry quickly at max. 40 °C — higher temperatures destroy mucilage. Sufficiently dry when brittle. Alternative: fresh grated root for immediate use.
- Storage:
- 12 months — Airtight, dry, dark at room temperature. Use within 12 months — mucilage can absorb moisture and degrade with poor storage.
- Time of day:
- Dry morning after dew has dried, before midday heat. Leaves with highest mucilage content before and during flowering (June–August).
- Drying:
- Cut young healthy leaves (without damage spots) palm-sized or larger. Dry in single layer in shade at max. 40 °C. Rapid drying prevents browning and mucilage degradation.
- Storage:
- 12 months — Airtight, light-protected, dry. Use within 12 months.
- Schleimstoffe (saure Polysaccharide: Rhamnogalacturonane, Arabinogalactane)MucilageContent: 10–20 %Root
Main active compounds of marshmallow root. Acidic polysaccharides of rhamnose, galactose and uronic acids. Form a viscous protective film on irritated mucous membranes in cold water — heat-sensitive, hence cold macerate mandatory. EMA monograph confirms soothing action.
- Schleimstoffe (saure Polysaccharide)MucilageContent: 6–9 %Leaf
Present in leaves too, but at lower concentration than in the root.
- PektinePolysaccharideContent: ~11 %Root
Contribute alongside mucilage to the coating and protective effect on mucous membranes.
- StärkePolysaccharideContent: 25–35 %Root
High starch content causes the floury-sweet texture of the root — historically the basis for marshmallow confectionery. Pharmacologically not relevant.
- Flavonoide (Hypolaetin-8-glucosid, Hypolaetin-Glykoside)FlavonoidLeaf
Hypolaetin (isoscutellarein) and its glycosides in leaves. Mildly antioxidant; hypolaetin sulfocarbohydrate esters characteristic of Malvaceae. Inhibition of human hyaluronidase-1 in vitro demonstrated (Peschel et al. 2016).
- Saccharose und freie ZuckerOtherContent: ~10 %Root
Sucrose is the dominant free sugar fraction of the root (~10 %), plus mono- and oligomers. Responsible for the sweet taste of the cold macerate.
- Asparagin und freie AminosäurenOtherContent: ~9 % (Gesamt-AS)Root
Asparagine is the quantitatively dominant amino acid in marshmallow root; plus proline, glycine betaine (~8 %). Asparagine is not pharmacologically active but belongs to the phytochemical root profile.
- Phytosterole (β-Sitosterol, Lanosterol)OtherRoot
Phytosterols in traces; β-sitosterol and lanosterol demonstrated in the root. Pharmacologically not relevant at monograph-level doses.
- [1]MonographEMA/HMPC/436679/2015 — European Union herbal monograph on Althaea officinalis L., radix (Final, 12 July 2016)(accessed: 2026-05-18)
- [4]MonographPlants For A Future (PFAF) — Althaea officinalis database entry(accessed: 2026-05-21)
- [2]WikipediaEchter Eibisch (Wikipedia DE)(accessed: 2026-05-21)
- [3]WikipediaAlthaea officinalis (Wikipedia EN)(accessed: 2026-05-21)