Argemone mexicana

Scientific name: Argemone mexicana L.

Synonym: Argemone spinosa Moench.

Synonym 2: Argemone vulgaris Spach.

Botanical family: PAPAVERACEAE

Vernacular names

(In territories with significant traditional TRAMIL use)

Dominican Republic:

cardosanto

Other vernacular names

cardo santo

Haiti:

chadron
chadwon

Geographical distribution

Originally from tropical America, naturalised in the Old World.

Botanical description

Herbaceous annual up to 60 cm high, covered with numerous thorns; yellow latex. Sessile, alternate, sinuate-pinnatifid leaves 8-20 cm long, short and wide lobes, thorny margins. Solitary terminal hermaphrodite flowers; calyx of 3 spiny sepals; corolla with 6 petals, yellow or white, 2-3 cm. Capsule with 4-6 shells of 4-5 cm, spiny.

Voucher(s)

García,1192A,JBSD
Jiménez,1516,JBSD

stomach pain

root, decoction, orally¹

For stomach pain:
prepare a decoction with 30 grams of root, previously washed, in 4 cups (1 litre) of water, boil for 10 minutes in an open vessel. Leave to cool, strain (filter) and drink 1 cup 3 times a day.

Preparations must never be stored for more than 24 hours, even if refrigerated.

According to the information available:

Use of the root for stomach pain is classified as REC based on the significant traditional use documented in TRAMIL surveys and toxicity studies.

If deterioration is observed in the patient or if the stomach pain persists for more than 3 days in adults or 1 day in children over 12 years of age, seek medical attention.

Due to the toxicity of all the aerial parts of this plant, its use should be discouraged, in any form of preparation and route of administration, regardless of the recognition of the possible therapeutic qualities attributed.

The majority of studies on the toxicity of this plant appear to use seed preparations or seed oil in large quantities, while the documented uses of TRAMIL are based on root decoction².

In the event of poisoning by ingestion of the aerial parts, seek medical assistance.

Treatment of the poisoning is symptomatic.

Not for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children under 12 years.

TRAMIL Work¹⁴
The aqueous extract (decoction with and without cover) of fresh root (0.5 ml/animal/day/5 days), was administered orally in CD-1 mice (5 males and 5 females). The control was carried out with distilled water (0.5 ml/animal/day) in another 10 mice of the same strain and characteristics. They had an additional 25-day observation period at the end of the administration. During the trial, there was no mortality or significant difference in the expected increase in body weight of the treated animals compared to the animals in the control group. The extract caused a significant increase in “passivity” behaviour (tranquilising effect), with no decrease in motor or vestibular faculties, both in treated males and females (with and without cover).

TRAMIL Work¹⁵
The aqueous extract (decoction with and without cover) from fresh roots (5 g/kg/animal/5 days), freeze-dried, was administered orally in Swiss ICR mice (5 males and 5 females for each form of preparation), the control was carried out with distilled water (1 ml/animal/day) in another 10 mice of the same strain and characteristics. They had an additional 5-day observation period at the end of the administration period. During the trials, no mortality or obvious signs of toxicity occurred and the macroscopic autopsy showed no internal alterations.

Poisoning in humans by ingestion of seeds or their oil is characterised by diarrhoea and perianal itching, bilateral lower limb oedema, fever, erythema and darkening of the skin; these are the most significant signs and present in most patients16. It can progress to heart failure and death¹⁷.

Seed extracts and aerial parts of the plant are toxic, primarily at the hepatic level. The active ingredients inhibited the metabolic systems dependent on aminopyrine-N-dimethylase, hydrocarbonaryl hydroxylase, cytochromes B5 and P450 and other important enzyme groups. These also induced enzymatic activity that generates hepatotoxic compounds, such as lipid peroxides^18-19.

There is no information available documenting the safety of medicinal use in children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

The entire plant has been widely studied and contains, among other components, isoquinoline alkaloids: protopine (0.03%), berberine (0.01%) and allocryptopine (0.04%)³, cryptopine and sanguinarine⁴. Other alkaloids in the plant are known: cheilanthifoline, chelerythrine, N-norchelerythrine, dihydrochelerythrine, coptisine, dihydrosanguinarin, norsanguinarin, scoulerine, stylopine, muramine, thalifoline, reframidine and oxyhydrastinine^5-6, dehydrocorydalmine, jatrorrhizine, columbamine, oxyberberine⁷ and protomexicin⁸, 1.10% tannin, 1.75% resin and a toxic principle in the oil⁹.

TRAMIL Work¹⁰
Two aqueous extracts (decoction with cover and without cover) from fresh roots (0.5 ml/animal) single dose, were administered orally in mice (5 males and 5 females for each form of preparation). The vehicle control was performed with water (0.5 ml/mouse), the positive control received 16 mg/kg of loperamide. After 30 minutes, all groups were given 10% activated charcoal as a chromatographic marker of the intestinal tract. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups with treatment and the control group, however a tendency to increase the speed of intestinal transit was observed, with no difference between the type of extract, but with a greater effect on the females than on the males.

Numerous investigations have evaluated the biological and physiological properties of the plant, within which it has been determined that the root extract, in vitro, stimulates isolated rat uterus⁹, is anti-inflammatory¹¹ and turned out to be toxic in humans, without establishing the dose, part of the plant or route of administration¹².

The hydroalcoholic extract of the dry plant at a concentration of 50 mg/ml was inactivate in vitro against various bacteria and fungi¹³.

Pharmacopoeia

Ed.3

References

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

2 YUKES JE, BALICK MJ, 2010
Dominican medicinal plants: a guide for health care providers. Second Edition. The New York Botanical Garden, USA.

3 DE SOUSA M, MATOS ME, MATOS FJ, MACHADO MI, CRAVEIRO AA, 1991
Constituintes químicos ativos de plantas medicinais Brasileiras. Laboratorio de produtos naturais, Fortaleza, Brasil: Ceará Edições UFC.

4 WILLAMAN J, LI H, 1970
Alkaloid-bearing plants and their contained alkaloids, 1957-1968. Lloydia 33(3A)Supp:1-286.

5 SANTRA D, SADJI A, 1971
Phytochemical study of Argemone mexicana. Curr Sci 40:548.

6 HUSSAIN SF, NAKKADY S, KHAN L, SHAMMA M, 1983
Oxyhydrastinine, an isoquinolone alkaloid from the Papaveraceae. Phytochemestry 22(1):319-320.

7 SINGH S, SINGH TD, SINGH VP, PANDEY VB, 2010
Quaternary alkaloids of Argemone mexicana. Pharm Biol 48(2):158-160.

8 SINGH S, PANDEY VB, SINGH TD, 2012
Alkaloids and flavonoids of Argemone mexicana. Nat Prod Res 26(1):16-21.

9 BOSE B, VIJAYVARGIYA R, SAIFI AQ, SHARMA SK, 1963
Chemical and pharmacological studies on Argemone mexicana. J Pharm Sc 52:1172.

10 CHAVERRI M, GARCIA-GONZALEZ M, 2013
Tránsito intestinal, en ratones, del extracto acuoso de raíz fresca de Argemone mexicana. Informe TRAMIL. LIPLAMED. Depto de Fisiología, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

11 BUI-TI-YU, SOKOLOV SD, 1973
The effect of alkaloids of Mexican Argemone on aseptic inflammation. Patol Fiziol Ekspter 17:57-59.

12 TRIPATHI K, VAISH SK, GUPTA S, UDUPA S, KAPIL R, 1979
Epidemic dropsy syndrome due to root of Argemone mexicana. Med Surg 19(1/2):18-20.

13 PENNA CA, RADICE M, GUTKIND GO, VAN BAREN C, BROUSSALIS A, MUSCHIETTI L, MARTINO V, FERRARO G, 1994
Antibacterial and antifungal activities of some Argentinean plants. Fitoterapia 65(2):172-174.

14 CHAVERRI M, GARCIA-GONZALEZ M, 2013
Toxicidad aguda dosis repetida, en ratones, del extracto acuoso de raíz fresca de Argemone mexicana. Informe TRAMIL. LINAPLAMED. Depto. de Fisiología, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

15 CHAVERRI M, GARCIA-GONZALEZ M, 2013
Toxicidad aguda dosis repetida, en ratones, de la disolución acuosa de cardosanto con proceso de decocción con tapa. Informe TRAMIL. LIPLAMED. Depto. de Fisiología, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.

16 SINGH R, FARIDI MM, SINGH K, SIDDIQUI R, BHATT N, KARNA S, 1999
Epidemic dropsy in the eastern region of Nepal. J Trop Pediatr 45(1):8-13.

17 SHARMA K, PANWOGRA J, BANERJEE S, JAIN AK, MISRA SN, 1986
Epidemic dropsy in Rajasthan, clinical study. Indian J Nutr Diet 23(2):41-44.

18 UPRETI K, DAS M, KHANNA S, 1988
Biochemical toxicology of Argemone alkaloids. III. Effect of lipid peroxidation in different subcellular fractions of the liver. Tetrahedron Lett 42(3):301-308.

19 UPRETI K, DAS M, KHANNA S, 1991
Biochemical toxicology of Argemone oil. I. Effect on hepatic cytochrome P-450 and xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes. J Appl Toxicol 11(3):203-209.

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.

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