Dysphania ambrosioides 土荊芥

POISONOUS PARTS

Whole plant, especially the fruits.⁴

TOXICITY

• Toxic Constituents

  Extracted oil containing ascaridole, carvacrol and caryophyllene oxide.^4,5

• Mechanism

  Extracted oil can irritate the gastrointestinal tract. Ascaridole and caryophyllene oxide can inhibit oxidative phosphorylation.^4,6

• Poisoning Features

  Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, flushing and vertigo. Incoordination, paraesthesia, delirium, convulsion, coma and even death in severe cases.^2,4,5,7

• Poisoning Events

  Severe poisoning due to consumption of fresh plant or dried plant as TCM was not commonly seen. Since the early 1900s, extracted oil has been used to treat hookworm infestations; poisoning and even fatal cases due to overdose have been reported.^5,7,8

CLINICAL MANAGEMENT

Supportive treatment.

IDENTIFICATION FEATURES

Annual or perennial herbs, 50–80 cm tall, with strong smell. Stems erect and much branched, with whitish or yellowish glandular hairs or subglabrous. Leaves 2–10 × 0.5–2 cm, margin sinuate, dentate to parted, sparsely oil-spotted abaxially. Panicles or spikes, 2–10 cm long; perianth-lobes 5. Utricles compressed-globose. Seeds about 0.7 mm in diameter, shining.⁹

MEDICINAL USES

Whole plant during fruiting used in TCM: dispel wind-dampness, kill parasites and relieve itching, relieve pain, promote menstruation, activate blood and disperse swelling. Recommended dose: 3–9 g.^2,10,11

LABORATORY ANALYSIS

Ascaridole derivatives can be detected by GC-MS.¹²