Daisy

The main active constituents in daisy are saponins (terpenoids) and polyphenolics (flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides) (16). There is a high correlation between the antioxidant capacity and the total polyphenolic content, indicating that these compounds are the main contributors to the antioxidant action of daisy flowers (17).

Many of the biological activities demonstrated for daisy extracts in the research have been largely attributed to the phenolic constituents. Antimicrobial, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, cytotoxic and vulnerary actions have all be demonstrated for daisy extracts (17,18,19,20,21,22).

Daisy contains terpene saponins, which are composed of a hydrophilic (water soluble) sugar attached to a lipophilic (fat soluble) triterpenoid (23). This makes saponins amphiphilic, which lowers surface tension, having a soap-like, detergent effect on membranes and the skin (23).

Saponins have a haemolytic action by damaging the membrane of red blood cells (RBCs) causing them to rupture (3). This accounts for the bruise healing action, breaking down RBCs which have leaked into the tissue surrounding an injury, so the lymph can clear the debris (2,4). In the case of daisy, the saponins increase phagocytosis by stimulating the white cell macrophages and mononuclear phagocytes to remove waste from the blood and tissues (2).

This has an immune-stimulating effect by enhancing the immune response, boosting the activity of the immune system (2). These triterpene saponins in daisy flowers also promote collagen synthesis in human dermal fibroblasts (skin cells) when applied topically, promoting wound healing (22,24). 

The haemolytic action of saponins on RBCs is potentially harmful, and highly toxic, if these constituents were isolated and directly entered into the bloodstream (1,3).

This is why daisy remedies for this action are in the form of external applications to the skin, affecting the tissues with minimal absorption into the blood stream. When taken orally, saponins are relatively harmless due to the poor absorption across the intestinal membranes, although they can cause digestive irritation (1,3). This mild irritation can have a therapeutic action on the membranes of the digestive tract and kidney, and the lungs via a reflex action communicated by the vagus nerve (2).

The triterpene saponins in daisy have a stimulating expectorant action by mildly irritating the digestive tract, which relays a signal to the mucus membranes in nasal cavity, throat, and lungs (2). This increases the mucociliary activity in response to neurological impulses from the gut, making mucus secretions less viscous and easier to eject (2,25). This irritation of the membranes of tissues in the kidneys also accounts for the mild diuretic action of daisy (2). 

As a flower remedy, daisy supports those with compulsive behaviour patterns, used when repeated patterns of behaviour become problematic (4). Daisy lightens the load and works to ease compulsive behaviours, OCD, melancholia, depression and paranoia (4). Daisy promotes clarity of mind and enhances concentration to bring together information from different sources into a focussed whole (5). Cheerful daisy is a symbol of innocence as children delight in picking the flowers for posies and daisy chains (5). Emotionally, daisy medicine reminds us to lighten, let go of what is weighing us down, and go with the flow (4,26).

Daisy can be used if there is a need to connect people to a time they felt joyful and remind them of their innate ability to be playful, connecting them to their inner child (4). Connecting with daisies helps to address the manic work ethic, worry and anxiety that are prevalent in this modern age (4). By encouraging light-heartedness, daisies provide nourishment for the inner child, restoring enthusiasm when someone needs more joy in their life (4,26). Daisy flowers are survivors, bouncing back when trodden on, and growing back when mowed, supporting us to bounce back from emotional bruising and helping us survive the knocks of life (4,5).

Although present in traditional British herbal references and folk remedies, daisy has never taken a place in modern herbal medicine, and is absent from any official pharmacopoeias. Daisy is widely used as a homeopathic remedy for internal and external bruising, as well as skin problems like acne, boils and varicose veins, or following injury or surgery (5). Homeopathic remedies also extend to vertigo, headache at the back of the head and to help sleep in those who wake early in morning and cannot get to sleep again (30).  

Skin health

This traditional wound herb with strong vulnerary action is often overlooked in modern herbal practice in place of arnica, calendula and witch-hazel. Daisy is a close relative of arnica and is a more sustainable alternative for use as a pain reliever in the dissolution of bruises (5,8).

A bruise indicates the tissues have been damaged and blood has leaked into the surrounding area. The saponins in daisy break down the blood cells in this congealed and coagulated blood and help it to disperse, so the lymph can clear it away (4,5). Apply daisy externally as liniment, balm, compress or lotion to dissipate bruises and promote healing (4,5,13,26). 

As well as the traditional use for the treatment of bruises, daisy is also a vulnerary herb which can speed wound healing, promote collagen synthesis and reduce scar formation (22,24). Infections are the most important cause of disordered healing, resulting in persistent inflammation which may result in excessive collagen deposition (22).

The antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions of daisy all contribute to wound healing by preventing infection, promoting collagen synthesis in the dermal fibroblasts (skin cells), mitigating excessive collagen synthesis, and improved tissue remodelling formation (22,24). This action is similar to calendula, and a daisy balm is a suitable replacement for many skin issues.

Combined with the antimicrobial actions, daisy makes a useful lotion or balm for any inflamed skin conditions, varicose veins, haemorrhoids and cuts (5). The cooling and drying actions ease the heat and pain of bruises, ulcers, skin swellings, and burns (8). 

Astringent properties make daisy useful for inflamed eye conditions, which also fits with the doctrine of signatures, due to the resemblance to an eye (5). This astringency also suits daisy remedies to inflamed skin, varicose veins, haemorrhoids and cuts (5). Daisy is eye-strengthening and soothing when used as a wash for the eyes (4). 

Respiratory

The saponins in daisy have a stimulating-expectorant action on the lungs, increasing the mucus production to reduce viscosity and stimulating the removal of any stuck phlegm (2,4). The saponins have a reflex action via the digestive system, by gently irritating the gut lining and relayed to the lungs via the vagus nerve to expel the mucus (4). For this reason, daisy is taken as an internal remedy to support the lungs.

Stimulating expectorants like daisy are indicated for bronchial congestion where the mucus is thick and stuck, causing an unproductive cough (25). Taken as an infusion or syrup daisy will thin congestion and stimulate a cough, helping to clear mucus and catarrh from the lungs and respiratory tracts (2,8,13). Stimulating expectorants should be avoided for dry, irritable or spasming cough as the neurological stimulation of the cough could worsen symptoms (3). 

Musculoskeletal system

Daisy also has a mild diuretic action, aiding the elimination of toxins from the body, offeringing a remedy to detox the body, treat arthritis, gout, skin problems such as acne and boils (5). The anti-inflammatory, diuretic and lymphatic actions all support the use of daisy for rheumatic conditions (21). Daisy mitigates pain in the joints, gout and inflammation and is suitable for use in arthritis and rheumatism (2,5).

Daisy can be taken internally as a tea or tincture to support the joints or applied as a balm to ease aches and pains (8). Combines well with arnica, chilli, rosemary and peppermint to make a balm to ease aches and pains. 

Immune system

Daisy is supports the lymphatic system to clear inflammation and debris from the site of an inflection, supports immune system (4). Daisy has an antineoplastic (prevents formation or destroys new tumour cells) and anti-proliferative activities against human digestive tract carcinoma cells (19). It should be noted this evidence comes from laboratory research of cell lines using high doses of isolated constituents from daisy extracts, and has not been evaluated by any human clinical trials. 

There is a lack of clinical evidence to support the use of daisy, and the indications for use are based on traditional use, in vitro research to determine the biological activity of the constituents, and in vivo research using animal models. With the exception of two studies investigating homeopathic remedies which combined arnica and daisy, there is no research investigating the effects in humans.

The evaluation of topical administration of Bellis perennis fraction on circular excision wound healing in Wistar albino rats (22)

Karakaş et al. (2012) demonstrated that a daisy ointment (10% daisy extract) accelerated wound-healing and reduced scarring, compared to a control ointment and no treatment, by topical application on rats. Once a day for 30 days each animal had the daisy ointment and control applied to separate 4 mm open wounds, and a third wound left without treatment.

Complete wound closure (100%) was observed after 30 days of treatment with daisy ointment, whereas the wounds treated with the control ointment only closed to 85%, and the non-treated wounds to 87%. The daisy ointment  showed complete wound healing without any hypertrophic (keloid) scar development. However, the control ointment and no-treatment wounds showed healing with hypertrophic fibrous scars.

The authors suggested that the saponins directly accelerate the wound-healing by activating fibroblasts in the extracellular matrix. The flavonoid constituents contribute to the vulnerary activity by antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and astringent actions. The antioxidant potential inhibits lipid peroxidation and prevents cell damage, and increases the viability of collagen fibrils.

Therefore, the complete wound healing with daisy may be attributed to its anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions, preventing wound infection and excessive collagen synthesis, and improved tissue remodelling formation (22).

Oleanane-type triterpene saponins with collagen synthesis-promoting activity from the flowers of Bellis perennis (24)

This in vitro research used human dermal fibroblasts in cell culture to determine the collagen synthesis-promoting activity and cell toxicity of seven triterpene saponins isolated from a daisy flower extract. The daisy extract promoted collagen synthesis activity in normal human dermal fibroblasts, demonstrated by a higher collagen content (147.3%) than the control (100%). All the tested substances displayed collagen synthesis-promoting activity without cell toxicity (24). 

Daisy is largely absent from American Eclectic herbal texts, missing from US herbal practice until the early twentieth century. Daisy appears in European herbal sources including Gerard, Culpeper, Parkinson and Grieve, who all draw heavily on British folk tradition.

There are no official monographs or regulatory guidelines for daisy from European Medicines agency (EMA/ HMPC), European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP), German Commission E, World Health Organisation (WHO), or British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (BHP). Modern use is based on folk medicine and these traditional uses. 

British herbalist John Gerard (1597) advocated daisies to mitigate all kinds of pain, especially of the joints and pain arising from hot and dry conditions such as gout (27). He suggested crushed daisies mixed with butter and applied to the painful place, being more effective if mallows are added (27). He refers to the name “bruise-wort” when describing the remedy of applying crushed leaves to bruises and swellings (27). 

Daisy was a highly respected wound-herb, and Parkinson commented that it was seldom left out of drinks and salves for all kinds of wounds (7). Daisies were used on the battlefield to staunch bleeding wounds, and bandages soaked in the extracted juice were used to treat sword and spear injuries (8). Culpeper included daisies in his Complete Herbal in 1643, as a wound herb used inward or outwardly in drinks or salves (28). A decoction was “drunk to cure all ulcers and pustules of the mouth, tongue and privies, and the crushed leaves applied directly to these parts to reduce swelling and heat” (28).

Topically, a decoction combined with agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) was recommended to dissolve bruises, and applied for sciatica and gout (7,28). An ointment was recommended to heal all wounds, especially those with excessive moisture or inflammation (7). Parkinson wrote in 1640, “an ointment made thereof doth wonderfully help all wounds that have inflammations about them” (7). And Culpeper stated it to be “excellently good for wounds in the breast, and very fitting to be kept in oils, ointment, plasters or syrup” (28). Daisy was also recommended as a juice or distilled water to refresh the liver, and expel the heat of cholera (28).

Internally, the leaf as a juice or decoction was indicated to support the digestive system and make the “belly soluble” (27). It was used for inflammation in the intestines, hot and inflamed conditions of the liver, and as a liver cleanse (7,9,27). The flowers and leaves added to salad, mixed with oil and vinegar was said to “loosen a belly that is bound” (7). The juice of the leaf and root injected into the nostrils was used to “purge the head” and help with migraines (27).

In 1812 Hill described daisy as a pretty plant that is common and wild, but too much neglected for its virtues (29). One of the lesser known uses was to gather the fresh roots and make a strong decoction as an excellent against the scurvy, although the intake was required for an extended period to see any effect (29). Hill also referred to an infusion of daisy leaves as “excellent against hectic fevers” (29). 

By the early 1900s daisy was known to act upon the muscular fibres of the blood vessels, working well for venous congestion, due to mechanical causes (30). It was taken as an internal remedy (tincture) for injuries to the deeper tissues, after major surgical work or as a result of injuries to nerves with intense soreness (30).

An excellent remedy for sprains and bruises, muscular soreness, and gout, comparable to arnica and witch hazel (Hammamelis virginiana) (30). Externally, daisy was applied to moles, birthmarks, pigmented skin lesions, acne, boils, sores, bruises, varicose veins with bruising, exudations and swellings, and rheumatic symptoms (30). Other traditional topical applications were to treat burns, skin complaints, like whitlows, chilblains, ringworm, as well as an eye irritations, as a wash (6). 

The emotional and energetic virtues of daisy were also apparent in the traditional uses. Anne Pratt, a Victorian botanical writer and illustrator, wrote in 1866 “perhaps there is scarcely another flower which has power to awaken so fully the memories of early life… it is truly a bairnwort, the child’s flower” (8).

The common daisy is known throughout the world for its cheerful flower-head — a favourite with children (5). Daisy was used for a variety of internal and external remedies in traditional and folk medicine, but is somewhat neglected and less commonly included in modern herbalism (6,7,8). Yet, more recently daisy has been making a revival as it offers an excellent, sustainable alternative to arnica (Arnica montana) — a herb facing threats to its wild populations.

Daisy makes an excellent external preparation, in fact this is where it excels as a herbal remedy for modern use. It has a great reputation as a vulnerary, used to cure fresh wounds, as well as ulcers and abscesses (6,9). The external application has cleansing and healing effects by promoting cell repair (10). It works well on any conditions resulting in bruises, such as from a blow, injury or sprain (10).

Daisy is similar to arnica as a bruise healer, and is sometimes referred to as “poor-mans arnica”. However, daisy has the advantage of being widely available and without the toxicity of arnica (4,8). The common daisy can easily be made into a family first-aid remedy as a type of local arnica, by infusing in oil and turning into an ointment or balm (see recipe, below) (11. An infusion can be used as a wash or compress from bruises, and a decoction of the root can ease the irritation of eczema (12,13). An insect repellent spray can be made from an infusion of the leaves (12). 

Fresh or dried daisies can be infused in boiling water to make tea, which works as a mild expectorant, combining well with other herbs for a cough or cold. A tincture made from daisy flowers can be used as a mouthwash for sore throats and chewing the leaves can relieve mouth ulcers (14). The herbal constituents and nutritional compounds in daisy, including vitamin C, can be extracted into vinegar or honey for culinary use (15). Fresh daisies are edible and can be added to salads or desserts, or a joyful garnish to any meal (13, 14). 

The name bairnwort means “child’s flower” attesting the joy of children gathering it to make daisy chains (6,9). The tradition of making and wearing daisy chains is to protect children from being stolen by little folk, especially on May day when the faery kingdom is closest to us (8). Since evil spirits will not pass through a circle, daisies were joined and worn as garlands, crowns, necklaces, bracelets and rings (8).

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