Hybridises with : Cut-leaved Self-Heal (Prunella luciniata) to produce Prunella intermedia

Some similarities to : Wild Thyme (when flower heads viewed hastily from above) but wild thyme has flowers that are much more mauve than the dark-blue of self-heal.

Beware of several garden varieties.

Self-Heal has been shown to have a variety of pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, anti-mutagenic and cytotoxic and has long been employed in traditional medicine.

Prunellin is a possibly unique, water-soluble anionic polysaccharide found in self-Heal with a molecular weight of over 10kDaltons, and therefore it is not possible to show the chemical structure on these pages. It obtains its name from Self-Heal ((Prunella vulgaris). It exhibits anti-viral properties and prevents the replication of HIV-1.

Self-Heal also contains Rosemarinic Acid, a polyphenolic ester of Caffeic Acid and 3,4-diHydroxyphenol lactic acid. It inhibits several pathways including Interleukin 2, Leukotriene B4 biosynthesis, and some protein kinases. It is also an anti-oxidant, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory, and found not only in Self-Heal, but in many other members of the Dead-Nettle [Mint] Family such as in Rosemary, Origano, Sage, Thyme and Peppermint and many others.

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