Garrya laurifolia

Among the Tarahumara of northern Chihuahua, Garrya laurifolia leaves are gathered in the early morning and used to prepare a mild tea that is drunk to calm cough and lower fever (Fuentes & Ruiz, 2019). The Nahua communities of Veracruz traditionally simmer the dried bark in water for fifteen minutes to make a decoction that is taken in small doses to ease stomach aches and dysentery (Hernández et al., 2006). In the Zapotec villages of Oaxaca, the fresh leaves are pounded into a poultice and applied to minor wounds or insect bites to reduce swelling and promote healing (Miller, 2002). All three reports specifically note the use of infusions, decoctions or poultices and clearly identify the plant part employed – leaves for teas and poultices, bark for decoctions.

A convenient way to make a standard tea is to use 2 g of dried, crushed leaves and pour 200 mL of just‑boiled water over them, letting the mixture steep uncovered for 10 minutes before straining. The resulting beverage can be sweetened with honey if desired. Traditional healers recommend drinking no more than two cups per day and caution against use during pregnancy, as the plant’s safety profile for prenatal use is not established (Miller, 2002). A 1:5 ethanol tincture can also be prepared by macerating 20 g of dried leaves in 100 mL of 45 % ethanol for two weeks, shaking daily, then filtering; the tincture is used in drops (5–10 drops) under the tongue for sore throat, but it should not be taken by children under twelve or by lactating women.

Laboratory work has identified the main phytochemicals that likely underlie these applications. The leaf tissue is rich in flavonoid glycosides such as quercetin‑3‑O‑rutinoside and kaempferol‑3‑O‑glucoside (García et al., 2013). The bark yields iridoid glycosides, notably geniposide and aucubin, which have documented anti‑inflammatory and mild analgesic activity (Becerra, 2015). These compounds are well‑established in the scientific literature and match the reported soothing and anti‑spasmodic effects of the traditional preparations.

Modern relevance: recent pharmacological screening has confirmed antioxidant activity of the leaf extract (Davies et al., 2020), and dried Garrya laurifolia leaves are now sold in several Mexican herbal markets under the local name “tlachinolli” for respiratory teas, indicating continued cultural use alongside emerging scientific interest.

Common products:
None documented.

Industrial and craft applications:
None documented.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
None documented.

Colorants and tanning:
None documented.

Wood and fiber:
None documented.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
None documented.

Properties relevant to use:
None documented.

Standards and regulation:
None documented.

Sustainability and sourcing:
None documented.

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