''Buglossoides arvensis'' (syn. ''Lithospermum arvense''), known as field gromwell, corn gromwell, bastard alkanet, and stone seed, is a flowering plant of the family

Boraginaceae Boraginaceae, the Borago, borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees, and herbs in 146 to 154 genus, genera with a worldwide distribution. The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single famil ...

. It is native to Europe and Asia, as far north as Korea, Japan and Russia, and as far south as Afghanistan and northern Pakistan.
"Lithospermum arvense Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 132. 1753".
Flora of China.'' It is known in other places as an

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

, including much of North America and Australia.^ USDA Plants Profile
/ref>^ ''"Buglossoides arvensis".''
''

Australian Plant Name Index The Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) is an online database of all published names of Australian vascular plants. It covers all names, whether current names, synonyms or invalid names. It includes bibliographic and typification details, informati ...

(APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 20 March 2012.''

Subspecies

Three subspecies are accepted. *''Buglossoides arvensis'' subsp. ''arvensis'' *''Buglossoides arvensis'' subsp. ''occidentalis'' *''Buglossoides arvensis'' subsp. ''sibthorpiana''

Uses

The European Union has granted the refined oil of the seed of ''Buglossoides arvensis''

novel food A novel food is a type of food that does not have a significant history of consumption or is produced by a method that has not previously been used for food. Designer food Designer food is a type of novel food that has not existed on any regional ...

status and some farmers are growing it ^ ''Nosowitz, Dan (19 November 2015)
"What Is This Weird Weed, and Why Are Farmers and Health Nuts So Into It?".
Modern Farmer. Retrieved 30 November 2015.'' commercially in the United Kingdom as a plant-variety patented (PVP) and trademarked cultivar (Ahiflower®). The seed oil contains high levels (63–72%) of omega-3 ALA (c18:3), omega-3 SDA (c18:4), and omega-6 GLA (c18:3) and has GRAS (generally regarded as safe) review status from the US Food and Drug Administration, Canadian ingredient master file (IMF) registration and novel food status, and GMP+ Feed Support Product status in the EU for livestock and companion animals (including for defatted expeller press cake meal). The seed oil also has TGA Australia Complementary Medicines approval status, ANVISA/MAPA Brazil human and animal alimentary use approval, and limited food use approvals in Korea and Japan. Refined ''Buglossoides'' oil has peer-reviewed published human clinical evidence from controlled dietary intervention trials showing up to 400% more efficient omega-3 EPA (c20:5) accrual in circulating cells vs flaxseed oil and has been shown to significantly upregulate the cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated macrophages by +40% vs. control. IL-10 is recognized as one of the immune modulatory signaling cytokines that moderates the inflammatory response after intensive exercise or immune challenge. Further, refined Buglossoides oil has been shown to form omega-3 DHA (C22:6) endogenously with comparable efficiency as pure marine DHA in mammals and maintain DHA levels similarly in the brain and liver. It has also been shown in recent peer-reviewed research to promote live probiotic survival into the small intestine in the TIMS-1 simulated gut and contribute beneficially to anti-neuroinflammation response in vitro and synergistically to improved executive function and cognitive flexibility in healthy adults.Lanou A (2023) A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of a novel dietary supplement (Braini) on standardized CNS vital signs cognitive performance parameters in adults
J Integr Complement Med. 2023
May;29(5):303-312. Based on its fatty acid composition, refined Buglossoides oil naturally provides the body a more diverse array of anti-inflammatory omega-3 and omega-6 (via GLA) substrates than derive from preformed EPA/DHA sources. These include SDA, ETA (C20:4n-3), GLA, and DGLA (C20:3n-6). Seeds of ''Buglossoides'' have been reported in Ukrainian archeological sites dating back as far as 4000 BC where they were stored in clay pots, however the purpose and usage of the seeds has not been determined. In modern European arable agriculture, ''Buglossoides'' often appears as a weed species with poor competitive and non-invasive characteristics.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment
{{Taxonbar, from=Q341668 Boraginoideae Flora of the Caucasus Flora of Central Asia Flora of Europe Flora of Japan Flora of Korea Flora of Malta Flora of Manchuria Flora of Nepal Flora of North Africa Flora of North-Central China Flora of Pakistan Flora of Russia Flora of Saudi Arabia Flora of Southeast China Flora of West Himalaya Flora of Western Asia Flora of Xinjiang Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus