Common names | dandelion, common dandelion

Scientific name | Taraxacum officinale

Used part | Flower

Known active compounds | quercetin, luteolin-7-glucoside, luteolin, chicoric acid, chlorogenic acid

Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-photoaging, anti-microbial

Product name | Dandelion Flower-APD, Dandelion Flower-ANB

Plant Story

Taraxacum officinale, commonly known as dandelion or common dandelion, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant that grows in temperate regions of the world. The green leaves of dandelion are often used in salads and can be cooked or sauteed as a vegetable. The roots can be roasted and ground to make a caffeine-free coffee substitute. The flowers, like other parts of the dandelion plant, are edible and can be added to salads. They can be also used to make beverages like herbal tea blends or dandelion wine which is fermented with sugar and yeast. In traditional herbal medicine, dandelion flowers and leaves have been used as digestive aids as they help stimulate appetite and support digestion.

T. officinale flowers contain various phytochemicals such as flavonoids and phenolic acids including quercetin, luteolin-7-glucoside, luteolin, chlorogenic acid, and chicoric acid. These phytochemicals can contribute to the flower’s anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. It was reported that luteolin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside from dandelion flower suppressed iNOS and COX-2 in RAW 264.7 cells, and many research articles reported that the dandelion flower extracts exhibited anti-oxidant activities by free radical scavenging. The flower extract also protects human skin fibroblasts from UVB damage and cellular senescence. It was also shown that the dandelion flower extracts are effective in inhibiting the growth of microorganisms such as Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Streptococcus aureus.