Althaea (plant) often added to salads or are boiled and fried. The roots and stem also secrete mucilage, which is used to soften the skin, and is used in cosmetic treatments. The Roman poet Horace refers to his own diet in his Odes, which he describes as very simple: "As for me, olives, endives, and smooth mallows provide sustenance." The root has been used since Egyptian antiquity in a honey-sweetened confection useful in the treatment of sore throat. The later French version of the recipe, called "pâte de guimauve" (or "guimauve" for short), included an eggwhite meringue and was often flavored with
Calendula officinalis oils. The flowers of "Calendula officinalis" contain flavonol glycosides, triterpene oligoglycosides, oleanane-type triterpene glycosides, saponins, and a sesquiterpene glucoside. Plant pharmacological studies have suggested that "Calendula" extracts may have anti-viral, anti-genotoxic, and anti-inflammatory properties "in vitro". In an "in vitro" assay, the methanol extract of "C. officinalis" exhibited antibacterial activity and both the methanol and the ethanol extracts showed antifungal activities. Along with horsetails ("Equisetum arvense"), pot marigold is one of the few plants which is considered astringent despite not being high in tannins. Calendula officinalis Calendula officinalis, the pot marigold, ruddles, common marigold or Scotch marigold, is a plant