Violet Flower

Violet flower (Viola odorata) is traditionally used in Persian/Unani medicine for respiratory conditions like coughs and allergic rhinitis. Contains mucilage and anti-inflammatory compounds. NO GRADED OUTCOMES - research is limited. Some studies suggest benefits for allergic rhinitis symptoms. Generally safe as an herbal tea or syrup. More research needed to confirm traditional uses.

Quick Answer

What it is

Violet flower (Viola odorata) is traditionally used in Persian/Unani medicine for respiratory conditions like coughs and allergic rhinitis. Contains mucilage and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Key findings

Grade C: Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms
Grade C: Asthma-Related Cough
Grade D: Antioxidant Activity

Safety

No specific caution or interaction language was detected in the current summary/outcome notes.

ℹ️ Quick Facts: Violet Flower

Quick Facts: Violet Flower

Best Evidence:Grade C
Conditions Studied:3
Research Outcomes:6
Key Effect:Allergic Rhinitis (Seasonal Allergies / Hay Fever)

Outcomes by grade:

3 conditions · 6 outcomes

Detailed Outcomes

Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms

A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial found that Viola odorata flower oil had significant positive effects on allergic rhinitis symptoms in adults, though the authors noted the study was preliminary and larger trials are needed.

50 participants

small↓Improves

Asthma-Related Cough

A double-blind RCT in 182 children (ages 2-12) with intermittent asthma found that violet syrup as an adjunct to short-acting beta-agonist achieved 50% cough reduction and 100% cough suppression significantly faster than placebo (P<0.001).

182 participants

moderate↓Improves

Antioxidant Activity

In vitro analysis found sweet violet flowers had the highest anthocyanin concentration (99.41 mg/100g) among tested edible flowers but relatively modest overall antioxidant capacity. Coumarin derivatives (umbelliferone, esculetin) with known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties were also identified.

small↑Improves

Fever

A triple-blinded placebo-controlled RCT in 41 febrile neutropenic children with cancer found topical Viola odorata oil significantly reduced temperature at 30 minutes (P=0.005) and reduced rescue paracetamol use (5 vs 17 patients, P=0.001).

41 participants

small↓Improves

Insomnia

An uncontrolled pre-post study in 50 patients with chronic insomnia found intranasal violet oil drops reduced Insomnia Severity Index scores from 16.32 to 6.48 over one month (P<0.05). However, the lack of a control group limits interpretation.

50 participants

moderate↓Improves

Respiratory Infection Symptoms

A randomized double-blind controlled trial in 108 COVID-19 outpatients found that add-on violet syrup significantly improved cough (P=0.025), myalgia (P=0.036), and headache (P=0.037) over 7 days compared to standard care alone.

108 participants

small↓Improves

Evidence by Condition

Best grade per condition (each condition may have multiple outcomes)

CAllergic Rhinitis (Seasonal Allergies / Hay Fever)

1 outcome · 1 study

↓Allergic Rhinitis SymptomsImproves

CAsthma

1 outcome · 1 study

↓Asthma-Related CoughImproves

DAcute Respiratory Infection (ARI)

1 outcome · 1 study

↓Respiratory Infection SymptomsImproves

Research Citations (8)

Efficacy and safety of add-on Viola odorata L. in the treatment of COVID-19: A randomized double-blind controlled trial

Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2023)

PMID: 36535329

Detection of Coumarin Derivatives of Viola odorata Cultivated in Iraq

Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences (2023)

PMID: 37694059

Impact of Drying Conditions on Antioxidant Activity of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), Sweet Violet (Viola odorata) and Elderberry Flowers (Sambucus nigra)

Materials (Basel, Switzerland) (2022)

PMID: 35591648

Efficacy of Sweet Violet (Viola odorata) flower oil on the symptoms of adults with allergic rhinitis: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial

Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2020)

PMID: 32507426

The Effect of Viola Odorata L. Oil for Fever in Children: A Randomized Triple-blinded Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial

Current Drug Discovery Technologies (2020)

PMID: 31250761

Analysis of Almond-Violet Oil by Gas Chromatography (A Traditional Formula)

Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences (2016)

PMID: 27840468

The Effect of Viola odorata Flower Syrup on the Cough of Children With Asthma: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2015)

PMID: 25954025

Efficacy of Viola odorata in Treatment of Chronic Insomnia

Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal (2014)

PMID: 25763239

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