| Common Names | Birthwort |
|---|---|
| Description | |
| Locations | Epirus |
| Clinical Summary | |
| Contraindications | The alkaloids, especially the aristolochic acid, have nephrotoxic, carcinogenic and sometimes fatal actions. Poisoning from plant's consumption may cause stomach upset, spasms, palpitations, hypotension, and eventually death, due to the paralysed respiratory system. In cases of poisoning it is administered activated charcoal. Large dose of root's extract may cause nausea, headaches, mental disorders and nightmares. Plant's consumption must be avoided during pregnancy. It is strongly reccomended this dangerous plant not to be consumed, even in small amounts. Because accidental inclusion with wheat harvest in eastern Europe has been implicated in hundreds of cases of kidney failure, renal cancer and death. Also it is linked to kidney failure/death when taken as a herbal supplement. |
| Active Substance | essential oil flavones Aristolochic acid aristolochine derivatives of oxocyanic acid magnoflorine (alkaloid) |
| Active Substance Plant Part | leaves aboveground plant parts |
| Adverse Reaction | |
| Educational Research | |
| Interaction | |
| Features Description | Aristolochia clematitis is a biennial, herbaceous plant growing from 0,2 to 0,8m, with large, smooth, heart-shaped, dark green leaves. The internal part of the pale-yellow or grey flowers is completely covered by long hair, while their surface is pubescent. The flowering lasts from June to September and the harvesting takes place from May to October. |
| Method Administration | The plant is administered, either orally or externally, in the form of infusion (3 spoons daily, for one month) and herbal tea (25g of dried sprout and fresh root and leaves in 1L of boiled water, three times a day). Also, it is used in the form of ointment (a quantity of dried root mixed in mortar with animal oil).Warning: The use of herb preparations is not recommended without seeking advice from your physician or pharmacist. The substances they contain may interact with the subscribed drugs that the patient already takes, thus eliminating their therapeutic efficacy or inducing toxicity. They may also burden further weakened vital functions of the body thus exposing the patient to increased morbidity and life threatened conditions. |
| Pharmacological Info | The plant is used to cleanse and heal wounds, insect and snake bites and ulcers, due to its antiseptic, healing and hemostatic properties. The herbal tea is administered for the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism. Also, it has emmenagogue effect and is recommended against menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea and other disorders of the the menstrual cycle. |
| Pharmacological Use | |
| Mechanism Action | |
| References | Βιβλίο: Οδηγός των φαρμακευτικών φυτών, Paul Schauenberg, Ferdinand Paris, Εκδότης Μ. Γκιούρδας, Αθήνα 1981, σελίδες 323-324 «Ποιοτική σύσταση, βιοδραστικά συστατικά και αντιοξειδωτικές ιδιότητες εκχυλισμάτων των υπέργειων τμημάτων του φυτού βαλσαμόχορτο (Hypericum perforatu », Ε. Γιώτη, Σχολή Θετικών Επιστημών, Τμήμα Χημείας, Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων, 2007 http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Aristolochia+clematitis http://botanakaiygeia.blogspot.com/2012/08/blog-post_2378.html |
| Research |
