While mistletoe may be associated with holiday kisses, the Celtic Druids believed the plant had lifesaving powers – and scientists have confirmed this theory more than 2,000 years later.
Research at McGill University and the Max Planck Institute found the gluey thread produced by mistletoe berries, known as viscin, is strong enough to seal wounds.
Wetting the viscin fibers transformed them into thin films that, when dried, turn into stiff and transparent free-standing films that stuck to surfaces.
Nils Horbelt, the study’s first author, said he wore the adhesive on his skin for three days and found it was flexible enough to move without breaking.
Scientists wetted viscin fibers that transformed into thin films or three-dimensional structures. Once dried, the films became stiff and attached to the surface
Each mistletoe berry produces around six feet of gluey thread, which allows the seeds of this parasitic plant to stick to and infect host plants.
Ancient Greeks and Romans used the berries for various applications, such as trapping birds and skin ulcer ointment.
Mistletoe was also revered as sacred by the Celtic Druids.
Thousands of years later, scientists have thoroughly investigated the glue’s potential medical or technical uses.
To test the adhesive, the team made incisions on pig skin (nonliving) with a razor blade, creating several minor cuts.
The incisions were sealed by spreading the viscin-based adhesive, which the team then allowed to dry.
Researchers found that the ‘silky, glossy’ sealant remained in place and the cuts stayed close, while those not covered with viscin easily opened.
And on live human skin, the viscin sealant remained firmly attached for at least three days.
‘The sealant remained flexible, allowing free movement when performing everyday tasks and was even resistant to brief rinsing with water,’ the team shared in the study published in PNAS Nexus.
‘To remove the tissue seal, friction could be used by simply rubbing the sealed area.’
The researchers’ next goals are to better understand the chemistry behind this swellable, extremely sticky material so that they can replicate the process.
And while the plant and its berries are poisonous when consumed, they are not toxic when applied to the skin.
Matthew Harrington, a senior author of the paper, said in a statement: ‘The fact that viscin can adhere to both wood and skin or feathers, may be relevant evolutionarily speaking.
‘But it’s harder to explain adherence to various synthetic surfaces, such as plastics, glass and metal alloys, from an adaptive point of view.
‘So viscin may simply represent a highly versatile adhesion chemistry, which is what makes it so interesting to explore what is going on chemically.’
While scientists work to manufacture viscin into a commercial adhesive, people around the world hang mistletoe in their doorways to celebrate Christmas.
The team tested the mistletoe adhesive on pig skin. They made several cuts on the skin, placed the viscin on the incisions and let it dry. Wounds applied with the mistletoe glue (red arrows) did not open, while those without did
Mistletoe was first used by the Druids more than 2,000 years ago. This group believed it had lifesaving abilities
The Druids were the first to use the plant as a sacred symbol in the first century, but the idea quickly spread to other civilizations.
Mistletoe was a sign of love and peace in Norse culture.
According to legend, Odin’s son Baldur died and was resurrected by the mistletoe.
Mistletoe’s link with fertility and vitality continued through the Middle Ages and found its way into Christmas by the 18th century.
It remains a mystery how it went from a sacred plant to a holiday decoration.
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