European mistletoe species belonging to the genus Viscum have been used for medicinal purposes since the time of the Druids and ancient Greeks. Mistletoe has been used to treat medical conditions such as epilepsy, hypertension, headaches, menopausal symptoms, infertility, arthritis, and rheumatism. There is a lot of recent interest in its application for cancer treatment.
In some European countries, extracts made from European mistletoe are among the most prescribed therapies for cancer patients. The composition and effectiveness of these treatments varies according to the species used, the host tree species and the time of year it is harvested.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of mistletoe as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of mistletoe as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition.
Iscador is a cancer treatment drug made from European mistletoe.
So what about New Zealand's mistletoes? I've been on a bit of a hunt for records of their medicinal use, there really isn't much information available. This likely means that there has not been much use of these plants for medicinal purposes such as rongoa, or the information is not published, or it has been lost. Here is what I found:
- One record of "mistletoe" used as a heart tonic;
- A few records of Ileostylus berries as a food source and this journal article discussing the presence of Cytotoxic (cell-damaging) compounds which are proposed to have been assimilated from the totara host tree (Podocarpus totara);
- Peraxilla tetrapetala was enjoyed as a sort of chewing gum;
- Korthalsella salicornioides has edible fruit
- Some Cassytha species overseas have been used in folk medicine and in traditional teas
Ileostylus micranthus near Dunedin - does it hold medicinal secrets that we are yet to uncover? Photo: C. Kirby.
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