Borage seed oil

Borage seed oil is derived from the seeds of the plant, Borago officinalis (borage).^[1]

Borage plant flowers.

Borage seed oil has one of the highest amounts of γ-linolenic acid (GLA) of seed oils — higher than blackcurrant seed oil or evening primrose oil, to which it is considered similar. GLA typically comprises about 24% of the oil.

Biology

Effects

GLA is converted to dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA), a precursor to a variety of the 1-series prostaglandins and the 3-series leukotrienes. It inhibits leukotriene synthesis to provide therapy in rheumatologic illness.^[1] Borage seed oil, therefore, may have anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic effects. It has been studied for its potential to treat inflammatory disorders, arthritis, atopic eczema, and respiratory inflammation.^[1]

Uses

In herbal medicine, borage seed oil has been used for skin disorders such as eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, and neurodermatitis; it has also been used for rheumatoid arthritis, stress, premenstrual syndrome, diabetes, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), alcoholism, pain and swelling (inflammation), and for preventing heart disease and stroke.^[2] There is insufficient scientific evidence to determine the effectiveness of borage for a majority of these uses.^[2]

Several clinical studies have shown the oil to be ineffective at treating atopic eczema.^[3][4] Its efficacy to treat eczema was not better than placebo when taken orally.^[5]

Safety

Adverse effects

Borage oil may contain the pyrrolizidine alkaloid amabiline,^[6][7][8] which is hepatotoxic leading to a risk of liver damage.^[1]

Patients should use borage oil that is certified free of toxic unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids (UPAs).^[1] Consumption of 1-2 g of borage seed oil daily can result in an intake of toxic UPAs approaching 10 ug.^[1] The German Federal Health Agency specifies consumption to be limited to 1 ug of UPA daily.^[1]

Borage oil may be unsafe during pregnancy because preliminary studies suggest borage oil has a teratogenic effect and that its prostaglandin E agonist action may cause premature labor.^[1][9]

Seizures have been reported as a complication of ingestion of borage oil in doses of 1,500 to 3,000 mg daily,^[10] although a mixed review of borage oil's effect on seizure thresholds indicates that borage oil quality varies.^[11] A specific extraction process may offer purified products with 50%+ GLA content.

Borage seed oil might prolong bleeding time, increase the risk of bruising and bleeding, and increase the risk of bleeding during and after surgery.^[2]

Interactions

Because borage oil can theoretically lower the seizure threshold due to its GLA content, it could therefore trigger a seizure in users of phenothiazines or tricyclic antidepressants.^[1]

Use of NSAIDs with borage oil may theoretically decrease the effects of borage oil, as NSAIDs interfere with the synthesis of prostaglandin E.^[1]

References

1. Borage at Sloan-Kettering website
2. "Borage". WebMD. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
3. Henz, BM; Jablonska, S; Van De Kerkhof, PC; Stingl, G; Blaszczyk, M; Vandervalk, PG; Veenhuizen, R; Muggli, R; Raederstorff, D (1999). "Double-blind, multicentre analysis of the efficacy of borage oil in patients with atopic eczema". The British Journal of Dermatology. 140 (4): 685–8. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2133.1999.02771.x. PMID 10233322. S2CID 21396418.
4. Takwale, A; Tan, E; Agarwal, S; Barclay, G; Ahmed, I; Hotchkiss, K; Thompson, JR; Chapman, T; Berth-Jones, J (2003). "Efficacy and tolerability of borage oil in adults and children with atopic eczema: Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group trial". BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.). 327 (7428): 1385. doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7428.1385. PMC 292992. PMID 14670885.
5. Bamford, JT; Ray, S; Musekiwa, A; van Gool, C; Humphreys, R; Ernst, E (Apr 30, 2013). "Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for eczema". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 4 (4): CD004416. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004416.pub2. PMC 8105655. PMID 23633319.
6. Dodson, Craig D.; Stermitz, Frank R. (1986). "Pyrrolizidine alkaloids from borage (Borago officinalis) seeds and flowers". Journal of Natural Products. 49 (4): 727–728. doi:10.1021/np50046a045.
7. Parvais, O.; Vander Stricht, B.; Vanhaelen-Fastre, R.; Vanhaelen, M. (1994). "TLC detection of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in oil extracted from the seeds of Borago officinalis". Journal of Planar Chromatography--Modern TLC. 7 (1): 80–82.
8. Wretensjoe, Inger; Karlberg, Bo. (2003). "Pyrrolizidine alkaloid content in crude and processed borage oil from different processing stages". Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 80 (10): 963–970. doi:10.1007/s11746-003-0804-z. S2CID 94575246.
9. Kast, RE (2001). "Borage oil reduction of rheumatoid arthritis activity may be mediated by increased cAMP that suppresses tumor necrosis factor-alpha". International Immunopharmacology. 1 (12): 2197–9. doi:10.1016/s1567-5769(01)00146-1. PMID 11710548.
10. Al-Khamees, W. A. A.; Schwartz, M. D.; Alrashdi, S.; Algren, A. D.; Morgan, B. W. (2011). "Status Epilepticus Associated with Borage Oil Ingestion". Journal of Medical Toxicology. 7 (2): 154–157. doi:10.1007/s13181-011-0135-9. PMC 3724443. PMID 21387119.
11. Spinella, M. (2001). "Herbal Medicines and Epilepsy: The Potential for Benefit and Adverse Effects". Epilepsy & Behavior. 2 (6): 524–532. doi:10.1006/ebeh.2001.0281. PMID 12609386. S2CID 29280247.