Horse Tail (Equisetum Arvense L.)

Horse tail (Equisetum arvense L.) is a plant commonly found in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in Europe, North and Central America.

The horse tail plant, used for medical purposes since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, has been shown to have antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects as a result of many scientific studies. Horse tail is also involved in collagen synthesis because it provides water-soluble silicone that can be easily absorbed by the body. It adds consistency and hardness to structures such as bone, tendon, nails, hair, crust, cornea. With these properties, horse tail extract is a natural remedy widely used in medicine, food supplements and the cosmetic industry.

Animal studies and traditional use have shown that horse tail has urinating activity. It contains mineral salts, especially silicone (5-10%). There can also be found water-soluble silicone derivatives with salts of potassium, calcium, phosphorus and manganese (rare). It also contains a number of flavonoids including acorn, quercetin, isoquercetin, kaempferol (and its derivatives), galuteolin and equisetrin.

In a study with diabetic rats, 50 mg/kg horse tail methanol extract was administered daily for 5 weeks and showed a decrease in glucose levels. In a different experimental study, 25 male and 25 female Wistar rats, who were 3 weeks old and weighed 100 grams, were randomly divided into 5 separate groups, including Control Group, Calcium/D Vitamin Group, Horse Tail Extract Group 60 mg/kg, horse tail extract group 90mg/kg and HorseTail Extraction Group 120 mg/ kg. This diet was applied to rats for 30 days. After the diet, the spongymeal bone density was measured on the maxilla and the mandibula by digital radiography. Serum calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus levels were measured and recorded at the start and after 30 days. By analyzing the data, a diet containing 120 mg/kg horse tail extract has been shown to increase bone mineral density in the mandibules.