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Common name: |
Wormwood |
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Family: |
Compositae |
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Parts used: |
Leaves & Flowering tops |
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Chemistry: |
phenolic acids, sesquiterpene lactones (absithin, artemetin, matricin), volatile oil (incl. alpha and beta thujone 35%-monoterpenes), flavonoids, lignans, bitter glycoside, iso-valeric acid |
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Main actions: |
Anthelmintic, anti-parasitic, bitter tonic |
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Other Actions: |
stomachic, carminative, choleretic, immune enhancer, antimicrobial, antiseptic, febrifuge, antidepressan |
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Dosage: |
tincture 0.5-3ml TDS Artemisia absinthium |
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Safety:
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Contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation. High BP, heart failure, hyperacidity. Aqueous extracts contain relatively little thujone. Thujone is toxic, so high doses of herb can be dangerous, causing nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhoea, stupor and convulsions. Overdose of thujone can cause major CNS disturbances, leading to convulsions, paralysis, unconsciousness and death. (D.Hoffmann) High doses of Thujone can cause neurotoxicity Very high doses of tincture have been reported to cause an abortion. Caution with Compositae family sensitivity
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