Alfa Agri OÜ is a family-owned Estonian company operating in the pristine natural environment of Vooremaa since 2020. We combine horse breeding with the cultivation of medicinal plants and the production of essential oils, and from this foundation we manufacture a specialised herbal ointment developed specifically for the treatment of equine sarcoids.

The company was founded by recognised animal scientist Elina Tsopp and her husband, Martin Tsopp. The development of our sarcoid ointment originated from personal experience. One of our horses developed a proliferating sarcoid in the facial region that could not be surgically removed and did not respond to chemotherapy. This situation led us to examine the scientific literature and to study the medicinal plant communities growing on our fields, together with their chemical composition.

Our research directed us to greater celandine (Chelidonium majus), a plant that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries, particularly for skin conditions. Folk knowledge regarded it as a natural “skin doctor,” recognising its value in the treatment of warts, corns, minor skin growths, eczema and rashes. Although earlier generations did not refer to alkaloids, they possessed a clear understanding of the plant’s correct application.

The greater celandine (Chelidonium majus) and bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) belong to the same plant family, Papaveraceae. While bloodroot ointments are well known in the treatment of equine sarcoids (Ramey & Poppenga, 2018; Wildford et al., 2014) , greater celandine is more potent. Greater celandine is a perennial herbaceous plant native to Europe and western Asia, whereas bloodroot is native to eastern North America. Both species share certain morphological traits characteristic of the family, including the presence of coloured latex — orange in greater celandine and reddish-orange in bloodroot.

This knowledge initiated a systematic process of formulating, testing and analysing various ointment components. The result is a carefully balanced preparation that is applied to the sarcoid once daily. In most cases the sarcoid resolves within 20–30 days of treatment.

Our purpose is to provide horse owners with an effective, non-surgical solution for the treatment of sarcoids — a solution based on natural ingredients and grounded in both scientific research and traditional experience.