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Ambrosia peruviana

scientific name: 
Ambrosia peruviana Willd.
synonym: 
Ambrosia cumanensis Kunth
Botanical family: 
ASTERACEAE

Vernacular names

(In territories with significant traditional TRAMIL use)

  • Dominican Republic : artamisa
  • Honduras : altamisa
  • Panama : altamisa

Botanical description

Annual plant, very aromatic, up to 2 m high, covered by long hairs.  Leaves, alternate or opposite, 3-10 cm long, bipinnatifid.  Male flowers greenish, in long terminal clusters; female flowers grouped in leaf axils.  Fruit keeled, 2- 2.5 up to 4 mm long.

Voucher(s)

Ochoa,282,HPMVH Suazo&Cardona,18,HPMVH FLORPAN,1931,PMA García,4624,JBSD

stomach pain:

leaf, infusion, orally2

colics:

leaf and stem, infusion, orally1

headhache:

fresh leaf, applied locally3

leaf, maceration in alcohol, rubbed locally3

Due to the presence of allergenic pollen in the stem and leaves, wash vegetal material before use.

For colic, stomach pain and headache:

There is no available information establishing a means of preparation and dosage other than that referred to by traditional use.

According to available information:

Use for colic, stomach pain and headache is classified as REC, based on the significant traditional use (OMS/WHO)4 documented in the TRAMIL surveys.

Not for use during pregnancy, during lactation or by children under 5 years old.

The pollen deposited on the stem and leaves may cause reactions of hypersensitivity. Should there be a notable worsening of the patient’s condition, or should the colic or stomach pain last more than 3 days, seek medical attention.

TRAMIL Research8

The crude extract from the dried and ground leaf (100 g) obtained through hydroalcoholic maceration (70%) at room temperature did not cause any signs of toxicity with growing dosage up to 5 g/kg orally administered to mice.  Animals were observed (for loss of weight, skin or mucosa alterations, diarrhea, convulsions and other nervous system alterations) for 14 days following single administration.

TRAMIL Research10(will be translatedin 3rd Edition)

La hoja fresca machacada en agua, vía tópica (1 g/mL en área de 5 cm2) en el modelo de irritación dérmica en piel lesionada y en piel sana de 3 conejos New Zealand, por 5 días consecutivos. Se obtuvo un índice de irritación primaria de 0.3 (norma EPA) durante el periodo de 11 días de observación, considerando el producto como no irritante.

TRAMIL Research11

La hoja macerada en etanol 98%, vía tópica (0.4 g/mL en área de 5 cm2) en el modelo de irritación dérmica en piel lesionada y en piel sana de 3 conejos New Zealand por 5 días consecutivos. Se obtuvo un índice de irritación primaria de 0.39 (norma EPA) durante el periodo de 11 días de observación, considerando el producto como no irritante.

There is no available information documenting the safety of medicinal use in children or in pregnant or lactating women.

TRAMIL Research5

The infusion (lyophilized) of the fresh leaf does not contain detectable amounts of quercetin or quercetrin, through determination in HPLC (high pressure liquid chromatography).

The leaf and stem contain sesquiterpenes: ambrosin and derivatives, psilostachyin B and C, aromadendrene-4B-10A-diol, allo-damsin, peruvin6.

The aerial part contains flavonoids:hispidulin7.

 

 

 

 

TRAMIL Research8

The hydroalcoholic extract (70%) was prepared with the dried and ground leaf (100 g) through dynamic maceration for 90 minutes at room temperature.  It was then filtered and vacuum-concentrated at 45°C until 18 g of gross extract were obtained.  A polar aqueous fraction and an apolar organic fraction were then obtained.  The gross extract and the non polar fraction administered orally to mice (1 g/kg) showed weak analgesic activity with a statistically significant inhibiting effect (49 and 42%, respectively) in the abdominal contortion model (0.6%) induced by acetic acid administered by intraperitoneal means to mouse; while the polar aqueous fraction administered in the same dose only diminished the painful response by 15%, which was not significant.

TRAMIL Research5

The infusion (lyophilized) of fresh fruit (100 µg/mL) did not show in vitro activity against Escherichia coli ATCC9637, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6538, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC10031, Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC607, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853 or Candida albicans ATCC10231, on agar plate.

The decoction of the dried leaf (1,5 and 30 g in 100 mL of distilled water) administered orally to rats and mice (0.01 mL/g of body weight) showed peripheral analgesic activity9.

References:  

1 LAGOS-WITTE S, 1988-89, 1996 Encuesta TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Histología Vegetal y Etnobotánica, Departamento de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras UNAH, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

2 GERMOSEN-ROBINEAU L, GERONIMO M, AMPARO C, 1984 Encuesta TRAMIL. enda-caribe, Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana.

3 SOLIS P, CORREA M, GUPTA M, 1995 Encuesta TRAMIL (Comunidades afro-caribeñas). Centro de Investigaciones Farmacognósticas de la Flora Panameña CIFLORPAN, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Panamá, Panamá, Panamá.

4 WHO, 1991 Guidelines for the assessment of herbal medicines. WHO/TRM/91.4. Programme on Traditional Medicines, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.

5 Solis PN, VAsquez Y, Ayala H, Gupta MP, 2002 Informe de validación de algunas plantas tramil. Informe TRAMIL. Centro de Investigaciones Farmacognósticas de la Flora Panameña CIFLORPAN, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Panamá, Panamá, Panamá.

6 GOLDSBY G, BURKE B, 1987 Sesquiterpene lactones and a sesquiterpene diol from Jamaican Ambrosia peruviana. Phytochemistry26(4):1059-1063.

7 HERZ W, ANDERSON G, GIBAJA S, RAULAIS D, 1969 Sesquiterpene lactones of some Ambrosia species. Phytochemistry 8:877-881.

8 SOUZA BRITO A, 1995 Toxicidad aguda - dosis repetidas. Trabajos TRAMIL. Dep. de Fisiología y Biofísica, Universidad de Campinas, Campinas, Brasil.

9 BUZNEGO MT, LLANIO M, FERNANDEZ M, LEON N, ACEVEDO M, PEREZ H, 1998 Perfil neurofarmacológico de la Ambrosia paniculata (Willd) O.E. Schulz (Artemisa). Rev Cuba Plantas Med 3(1):42-45.

10 PAZOS L, COTO T, CAIZA F, 2009

Irritación dérmica, piel lesionada en conejos, hoja fresca, de Ambrosia peruviana.  Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos, LEBi, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

11PAZOS L, COTO T, CAIZA F, 2009

Irritación dérmica, piel lesionada en conejos, hoja macerada en alcohol 94%, de Ambrosia peruviana.  Informe TRAMIL. Laboratorio de Ensayos Biológicos, LEBi, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

DISCLAIMER

The information provided is for educational purposes only for the benefit of the general public and health professionals. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. Since some parts of plants could be toxic, might induce side effects, or might have interactions with certain drugs, anyone intending to use them or their products must first consult with a physician or another qualified health care professional. TRAMIL has no responsibility whatsoever towards the user for any decision, action or omission made in relation to the information contained in this Pharmacopoeia.