Pennyroyal
Botanical Description & Habitat
Hedeoma pulegioides, Mentha pulegium.
Family
Labiatae
Common Names
| American pennyroyal | European pennyroyal |
| Mock penny royal | Mosquito plant |
| Pudding grass | Squaw balm |
| Squawmint | Tickweed |
Habitat
H. pulegioides is indigenous to the eastern half of North America, found in dry grounds and pastures; m. pulegium is indigenous to Britain and Europe.
Description
Has a fibrous, yellow root and an erect, pubescent, gray-green stem. The stem grows from 9 to 15 inches in height and has numerous branches. The leaves are opposite, oval, have hairy and prominently veined undersides, and grow on short petioles. The flowers range from whitish-purple to pale blue, and grow in axillary whorls along the length of the branches.
Medicinal Parts
Dried aerial parts
Historical Properties & Uses
Medicinal usage of pennyroyal is recorded from Pliny in the first century.
Both kinds of pennyroyal are members of the mint family and are used for basically the same purposes: carminative, stimulant, emmenagogue, diaphoretic, abortifacient.
Pennyroyal is used as a tea, but occasionally a powerful oil extract is used to induce abortion; this practice is very dangerous, and has proven fatal in at least one documented instance. The use of the tea to induce abortion is engaged in quite frequently. Results are difficult to interpret because rarely is the tea the only treatment being utilized.
The tea is used for numerous uterine complaints, ranging from tumors to delayed menses. It is used the way most mints are, to treat and prevent flatulence, dyspepsia, cramps, colds, liver disease, headaches, respiratory problems, and related conditions. Thus it is used as a carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, emmenagogue, pectoral, stimulant, sudorific, antiseptic and nervine. Externally, pennyroyal is used as an antiseptic and demulcent in case of insect bites, burns and so forth.
Method of Action
The Pharmacology of Pennyroyal
Most of therapeutic (and toxic) properties of pennyroyal can be accounted for by a simple inspection of the active constituents of the plant: 1-2% volatile oil, composed mainly of pulegone. These constituents have good antibacterial, antiseptic, carminative, digestive, pectoral and stimulant properties. The emmenagogue effect appears to be specific to the pugelone itself.
The British Pharmacopoeia recognizes pennyroyal as a carminative, spasmolytic, diaphoretic and emmenagogue. Topically, a refrigerant, antiseptic and insect repellant. Indications include flatulent dyspepsia, intestinal colic, the common cold, delayed menstruation, cutaneous eruptions, formication and gout.
The specific recommendation for pennyroyal in England is for delayed menstruation caused by chill or nervous shock, whatever that means. The English combine pennyroyal with false unicorn root, yarrow and picrasma for amenorrhea; and for flatulent dyspepsia it is mixed with filipendula, marshmallow root and lemon balm; finally, to treat the common cold, it is mixed with sambucus nigra and yarrow.
Pennyroyal has good antibacterial properties.
Drug Interactions & Precautions
Comments
There is evidence combining bactericidal and bacteriostatic agents will lower the effectiveness of the 'static' variety. How this finding applies to herbal antibiotics is not known.
Safety Factors & Toxicity
While no toxicity is reported for pennyroyal herbal teas, pennyroyal oil toxicity is well recognized. As little as 1 teaspoon (5 ml) may be toxic.
Pennyroyal is definitely contraindicated in pregnancy. Its use is, in general, not advised whenever alternative herbal products with equivalent virtues can be procured.
Hepatic toxicity has been prevented by the early administration of acetylcysteine following ingestion of pennyroyal. (Buechel, 1983)
Preparation & Administration
Use three times daily
Infusion
use 1-4g of dried herb
Liquid Extract
use 1-4ml of 1:1 in 45% alcohol
Note: This Herbal Preparation information is a summary of data from books and articles by various authors. It is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health care professionals.
References
British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, British Herbal Medicine Association, 1983.
Buechel, DW et al., JAm. Osteopathic Assn. 1983, 2:793.
Committee on Pharmocopaeia of the Am Institute of Homeopathy, The Homeopathic Pharmacopaeia of the United States. 8th ed., Vol 1. Otis Clapp and Son, Agents, Boston, l981.
Duke, J.A. CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, Florida, 1985.
Facts and Comparisons. The Lawrence Review of Natural Products. Jul, 1998.
Fiore, J: Pennroyal roulette. New Age Journal, May/June, 1996:88-91, 129-134.
Maruzzella, J.C. & Lichtenstein, M.B. "The in vitro antibacterial activity of oils." Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, 45(6), 378-381
Mowrey, Daniel B., Ph.D. Exper. Psych., Brigham Young University. Director of Nebo Institute of Herbal Sciences. Director of Behavior Change Agent Training Institute. Director of Research, Nova Corp.
Scientific Committee, British Herbal Pharmocopaeia, British Herbal Med Assoc, l983.
Multimedia
Hedeoma pulegioides
© Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
| Signup Free Applied Health Journal |
||||
|
FREE Sample Issue Your email address is all we need to start you on a better path to health. We respect your privacy.
|
