Umckaloabo (Pelargonium sidoides)
Summary
Umckaloabo is a root extract of Pelargonium sidoides, best known as EPs 7630. A Cochrane review found low-quality evidence that the liquid form may ease acute bronchitis and very low-quality evidence for colds and sinusitis. A 2026 open-label trial of 332 adults found no faster recovery or less antibiotic use. Rare liver injury reports exist.
Key facts
- An aqueous-ethanol root extract of Pelargonium sidoides (EPs 7630), sold as liquid drops or tablets[1][7]
- Liquid preparations helped most acute bronchitis outcomes in 746 adults and 819 children; tablets did not; evidence quality low[1]
- 332 Swiss adults with acute bronchitis: no faster symptom relief and no significant cut in antibiotic use versus usual care[2]
- Registered in the EU as a traditional herbal medicine for symptoms of the common cold[7]
- Hepatotoxicity and hepatitis are listed as possible adverse effects of unknown frequency[7]
- 4 graded human outcomes on this page
- October 13, 2026
How it works
ProposedHow Pelargonium sidoides root extract might ease respiratory symptoms has not been established in human studies; proposed antiviral and immune-stimulating actions come from laboratory studies.[1]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronchitis | Grade B | No effect | RCT · n = 332 · 2026 | 1 row |
| COPD | Grade B | Improved | RCT · n = 200 · 2013 | 1 row |
| Respiratory infections | Grade C | Mixed | Meta-analysis · n = 1,565 · 2013 | 2 rows |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to 50% symptom reduction and antibiotic use in acute bronchitis | No effect | Grade B | RCT · n = 332 · 2026 Adults with acute bronchitis in Swiss primary care Form: EPs 7630 · Dose: Standard label dosing (not stated in the abstract) · Duration: Acute illness No difference in time to 50% symptom reduction (p=0.578); antibiotic use was 17.4% vs 25.2% (not significant). Adverse events were more frequent (32.3% vs 21.5%), all mild. | 42014704 (opens PubMed)Source [2] |
| Time to first COPD exacerbation | Improved | Grade B | RCT · n = 200 · 2013 Adults with moderate to severe (stage II/III) COPD Form: EPs 7630 drops added to usual treatment · Dose: 30 drops three times daily · Duration: 24 weeks Median time to exacerbation was 57 vs 43 days with placebo (p=0.005), with fewer exacerbations and less antibiotic use; minor gastrointestinal events were more common. | 23478193 (opens PubMed)Source [3] |
| Symptom resolution in acute respiratory infections | Mixed | Grade C | Meta-analysis · n = 1,565 · 2013 Adults and children in 8 trials (acute bronchitis, sinusitis, common cold) Form: Pelargonium sidoides liquid or tablets · Dose: Varied · Duration: Varied Liquid preparations improved most acute bronchitis outcomes in adults (3 trials, 746) and children (3 trials, 819), tablets did not; one sinusitis trial (103) and one cold trial showed benefit. Adverse events were more common but none serious. | 24146345 (opens PubMed)Source [1] |
| Paracetamol use and school attendance in children | Improved | Grade C | Meta-analysis · n = 523 · 2019 Children aged 6–10 with acute bronchitis or non-strep tonsillopharyngitis in 6 trials Form: EPs 7630 · Dose: Age-appropriate doses · Duration: 6–7 days Paracetamol use fell by an average of 244 mg, and fewer children were still unable to attend school at the end (30.2% vs 74.4%). | 31014293 (opens PubMed)Source [4] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPs 7630 liquid (drops/syrup) | Varies[1][3] | No human absorption data.[1] | Adverse events were more common than with placebo but none serious.[1] | Bronchitis, sinusitis, colds and COPD trials |
| EPs 7630 tablets | Varies[1] | No human absorption data.[1] | Similar profile to the liquid in the Cochrane review.[1] | Bronchitis trials; tablets did not show benefit in the Cochrane review |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from short courses of about a week in acute infections to 30 drops three times daily for 24 weeks in COPD. The EU monograph lists 20 mg three times daily of dry extract (60 mg/day) or 1.4 ml liquid three times daily for adults.[1][3][7]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
None found in our sources.
Who should be careful
- Liver disease
- The EU monograph lists hepatotoxicity and hepatitis as possible effects and advises stopping at signs of liver injury; case reviews could not confirm causality, and a 300-patient Philippine study found no liver signals over 7 days.[7][5][6]
- Bleeding
- Nose and gum bleeding are listed as possible side effects; the monograph reports no known drug interactions, but people on anticoagulants were not specifically studied.[7]
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and young children
- Safety in pregnancy and lactation is not established. The EU monograph does not recommend use under 3 years (liquid) or under 6 years (tablets).[7]
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
How to read the label
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Cost per studied dose
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Frequently asked questions
Does umckaloabo work for bronchitis?
Possibly, with low-quality evidence: liquid EPs 7630 improved symptoms in several trials, but a 2026 trial of 332 adults found no faster recovery than usual care.[1][2]
Does it help the common cold?
Evidence is very low quality: one trial showed benefit at 10 days but not at 5 days. It is registered in the EU as a traditional remedy for cold symptoms.[1][7]
Can it replace antibiotics?
No trial showed that. In the 2026 trial, antibiotic use was lower with EPs 7630 but the difference was not significant.[2]
Sources
- [1]Pelargonium sidoides extract for treating acute respiratory tract infections.. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2013. meta-analysis
- [2]Pelargonium sidoides extract (EPs® 7630) versus usual care for acute bronchitis in Swiss primary care (PHYTOBRONCH): a pragmatic, open-label, randomised controlled trial.. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med, 2026. RCT
- [3]Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of EPs 7630 in adults with COPD.. Respir Med, 2013. RCT
- [4]Faster recovery and reduced paracetamol use - a meta-analysis of EPs 7630 in children with acute respiratory tract infections.. BMC Pediatr, 2019. meta-analysis
- [5] Initially purported hepatotoxicity by Pelargonium sidoides: the dilemma of pharmacovigilance and proposals for improvement.. Ann Hepatol, 2012. review
- [6]Short-term Liver Safety of Pelargonium sidoides DC. Root (PELARGO) 20 mg Capsule: A Non-interventional Post-authorization Safety Study.. Acta Med Philipp, 2026. observational
- [7]European Union herbal monograph on Pelargonium sidoides DC and/or Pelargonium reniforme Curt., radix (Revision 2). European Medicines Agency (HMPC), 2024. guideline
What changed
- Independent adversarial review: all 6 PMIDs re-verified and every row re-read against its abstract and the EU monograph (Revision 2); figures confirmed. Added the manufacturer-employee authorship note to the paediatric meta-analysis.
- Adversarial second pass: every PMID re-checked against NCBI esummary (title, year, no retraction, erratum or expression-of-concern flags) and every number in each evidence row re-read against its PubMed abstract (PMC full text where the abstract lacked dose or duration). Countries and funding notes kept only where the abstract or full text states them; interactions listed only where a source supports them, otherwise stated as unstudied.
- First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year taken from the record) and abstracts read for the cited rows.