Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale) stays silent underground until its flowers appear, long before the leaves emerge—leading to its other common name(s) of Naked Ladies or Boys.
Similar in appearance to the Crocus genus from the Iridaceae (the source of Saffron), Autumn Crocus is from an entirely different plant family, the Colchicaceae. It’s native to Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, France, Germany and much of Europe and introduced to many other regions, including New Zealand, Russia, and several US states.
As it has a similar appearance to other edible wild plants, such as Bear’s Garlic (Allium ursinum), it has been the cause of poisonings.
Autumn Crocus has a very long history as a herbal remedy for joint pain, dating back to at least the 1500 BCE Egyptian manuscript, the Ebers Papyrus. It is generally considered too toxic to use in herbalism; however, a homeopathic remedy is prepared from the bulb.
In the early 1800’s the main active ingredient, colchicine, was isolated and it remains one of the oldest remedies still in use today. Surprisingly, it was not until 2009 that it was approved as a drug by the US FDA.
Among Indian medicinal plants, colchicine is found in Colchicum luteum corms and Iphigenia seeds, but there are not populations large enough to support commercial utilization.
The global colchicine market was valued at USD $553.8 million in 2018, and expected to reach 1.13 billion by the year 2026, at a CAGR of 9.3%.
Colchicine has multiple pharmacological activities used for the treatment of disease, especially gout and Familial Mediterranean Fever, with a narrow therapeutic index. Areas of interest for future clinical applications are growing and include oncology, inflammation, immunology, dermatology, and cardiology.
Beyond human medicine applications, there is also growing use of colchicine in other industries, such as veterinary and agriculture, expanding its market potential.
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*This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.