Chicory (“Kāsni”)

Background and Purpose:

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), named “Kāsni” in Persian, has been used as a medicinal plant for hepatoprotective, thirst quenching, body heat reducing, bile reducing and activities by traditional Iranian scholars for many centuries. Although chicory is a common plant in traditional medicine, it is attributed to several plant species with different morphologies.

Herein, plant species attributed to chicory in traditional manuscripts were studied and compared with new botanical references. They included Cichorium endivia, Cichorium intybus, Cichorium pumilum, Taraxacum officinale (syn: Taraxacum camphylodes) and Chondrilla juncea. In this survey, morphological features and therapeutic characteristics mentioned both in traditional and conventional medicine resources were reviewed.

The results of morphological assessments showed that Cichorium intybus and Cichorium endivia are Kāsni barri and Kāsni bostāni, respectively. Other species were different in terms of botanical features in comparison with two principal species. 

Due to the importance of accurate identification of medicinal plants for research purposes, we identified Cichorium intybus and Cichorium endiva as Kāsni barri and Kāsni bostāni respectively for the plant chicory among the species listed in Persian medicine references.