For over 2000 years, Comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) has been valued in traditional medicine for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and astringent properties. The botanical name for Comfrey, symphytum, is derived from the Latin symphyo, literally meaning “I grow together”. This explains Comfrey's more common name of "knit-bone".
During the 20th Century, the active compounds in Comfrey were first identified, the main one being Allantoin which is largely responsible for it's healing properties. Although not commonly advertised, it is widely utilised in cosmetic formulations due to its effectiveness in skin healing.
Below is a list of peer-reviewed papers on the efficiacy of Allantoin as extracted from Comfrey, available for download in .pdf format: