Adiantum capillus-veneris.   Maidenfair fern, Venus Hair, Rock Fern   Family: Polypodiaceae      
PART USED: Whole herb, including roots.
TASTE: Sweetish and astringent. ODOR:  Faint.
ACTION
1. Antitussive.[1,2] Expectorant.[1,2]
2. Demulcent.[1,2]
3. Astringent- mild.[1]
4. Hair tonic.[2]
INDICATIONS- Maidenhair is used as an ingredient of cough and bronchial medicines.[2]
1. Bronchitis.[1] Nasal catarrh.[1] Pharyngitis.[1] A syrup drink made from Adiantum capillus-veneris and from Adiantum peltatum has been used in Europe and elsewhere for diseases of the chest.[3,4]
SPECIFIC INDICATION: Chest disorders.[1]
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS  3X/day
Dried herb, as infusion 0.5-2 g.[1,2]
Liquid extract 1:1 in 25% alcohol  0.5-2 ml.[1]

ORIGIN: Common in the USA, Southern Europe and Britain.
DESCRIPTION: This fern has fronds up to 30 cm long, two or three times pinnate, with each leaflet up to about 1 cm, fanshaped, with a toothed upper margin. Veins prominent, converging at the base, and spore-cases (sori) visible at the edge of the undersurface. Stems; shiny, and dark brown.
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Cultivation, Harvesting and Supply.
Constituents.

Research.
An extract of this herb has diuretic and hypoglycaemic actvity in animals.[1,2]
References
[1] Jain, S. R. and Sharma, S. N. (1967) Planta Med. (4), 439
[2] Twaij, H. A. A. et. al. (1985) Indian J. Pharmacol. 17 (1), 73

Antiobesity and Antihyperglycaemic Effects of Adiantum Capillus-Veneris Extracts: In Vitro and in Vivo Evaluations
Violet Kasabri, Entisar K Al-Hallaq, Yasser K Bustanji, Khalid K Abdul-Razzak, Ismail F Abaza, Fatma U Afifi
Abstract
Context: Adiantum capillus-veneris L. (Adiantaceae) hypocholesterolemic activity is therapeutically praised.
Objectives: Pharmacological modulation of pancreatic triacylglycerol lipase (PL) and a-amylase/a-glucosidase by A. capillus-veneris are evaluated.
Materials and methods: Using positive controls (acarbose, orlistat, guar gum, atorvastatin, glipizide and metformin) as appropriate, crude aqueous extracts (AEs) of A. capillus-veneris aerial parts were tested via a combination of in vitro enzymatic (0.24-100 mg/mL), acute in vivo carbohydrate tolerance tests (125, 250 or 500 mg/kg body weight [b.wt]) and chronic in vivo studies (500 mg/kg b.wt) in high cholesterol diet (HCD) fed Wistar rats.
Results: Like acarbose, A. capillus-veneris as well as chlorogenic acid, with respective IC50 values (mg/mL) of 0.8 ± 0.0 and 0.2 ± 0.0, were identified as in vitro potent dual inhibitors of a-amylase/a-glucosidase. Unlike guar gum, A. capillus-veneris had no glucose diffusion hindrance capacity. Equivalent to orlistat, A. capillus-veneris and its phytoconstituents inhibited PL in vitro with an ascending order of PL- IC50 values (µg/mL): ferulic acid; 0.48 ± 0.06 < ellagic acid; 13.53 ± 1.83 < chlorogenic acid; 38.4 ± 2.8 < A. capillus-veneris; 1600 ± 100. Incomparable to acarbose or metformin and glipizide, A. capillus-veneris (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg b.wt) lacked antihyperglycaemic efficacies in acute starch- or glucose-evoked postprandial hyperglycaemia increments in normoglycaemic overnight fasting rats. Superior to atorvastatin; A. capillus-veneris exerted significant antiobesity (p < 0.001) with marked triacylglycerol-reducing capacities (p < 0.001) in comparison to rats fed with HCD for 10 weeks.
Discussion and conclusion: A. capillus-veneris, modulating pancreatic digestive enzymes, may be advocated as a combinatorial diabesity prevention/phytotherapy agent.
Pharm Biol 55 (1), 164-172 Dec 2017 PMID: 27663206 DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2016.1233567 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Medicinal Properties of Adiantum capillus-veneris Linn. In Traditional Medicine and Modern Phytotherapy: A Review Article
Sahar Dehdari, Homa Hajimehdipoor
Abstract
Background: Adiantum capillus-veneris Linn (Maidenhair fern) is an herb belonging to the family Pteridaceae. It is named as "Pare-siavashan" in medical and pharmaceutical textbooks of Iranian Traditional Medicine. The fronds of Maidenhair fern were mainly administrated by ancient physicians as single medicine or in combination with other plants in multi-herbal formulations for curing different diseases. Because of different chemical compositions, the herb fronds were also assessed for its numerous pharmacological effects. Therefore, the current study was done to review the traditional usage and modern pharmacological and toxicological effects of Maidenhair fern.
Methods: Scientific databases and publications including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Science direct, Cochrane Library, SID (for Persian papers) and medical and pharmaceutical textbooks of traditional medicine as well were searched for "Adiantum capillus-veneris", "Maidenhair fern" and "Pare-siavashan" without limitation up to 2016.
Results: Maidenhair fern exhibited to possess anti-diabetic, anticonvulsant, analgesic, hypocholesterolemic, goitrogenic, anti-thyroidal, antibacterial, antifungal, wound healing, antiobesity, anti hair loss, anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal and antispasmodic, antioxidant as well as diuretic, anti-urolithiatic and detoxifying effects in modern medicine. Ancient physicians declared some of the confirmed pharmacological effects.
Conclusion: Maidenhair fern frond can be a good candidate for clinical purpose. Therefore, future researches on the other mentioned effects in traditional medicine are recommended.
Review Iran J Public Health 47 (2), 188-197 Feb 2018 PMID: 29445628 PMCID: PMC5810381 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov