Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E
Parsley herb and root
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Latin Name: Petroselinum crispum
Pharmacopeial Name: Petroselini herba/radix
Other Names: common parsley, garden parsley
Overview
Parsley is a biennial or short-lived perennial, native to the Mediterranean region, now cultivated in California, Germany, France, Belgium, former Czechoslovakia, and Hungary (BHP, 1996; Leung and Foster, 1996; Wichtl and Bisset, 1994).English botanist George Bentham (ca. 18001884), senior author with Joseph Palton Hooker of Genera Plantarum, believed it to be a native of Turkey, Algeria, and Lebanon. Its controlled cultivation dates back to ancient Rome; Pliny the Elder (ca. 2379 C.E.) mentioned cultivation of the variety crispum (Grieve, 1979). Medicinal grade material is usually obtained from the plain-leafed rather than the curly-leafed varieties (BHP, 1996). The herb is harvested in the second year before flowering and the root is harvested in the late autumn of the first year, or spring of the second year (BHP, 1996; Bown, 1995; Grieve, 1979). Parsley is one of Germany's most important medicinal plants, under cultivation in seven regions (Lange and Schippmann, 1997). The current genus name, Petroselinum, from the Greek, selinon, is believed to have been assigned by Greek physician Dioscorides in the first century C.E. The Greeks made distinctions between two related Selinon plants, celery (Apium graveolens), called Heleioselinon, and parsley, called Oreoselinon. The name Petroselinum became corrupted during the Middle Ages into Petrocilium, then anglicized into petersylinge,persele,persely, and finally parsley (Grieve, 1979). Its use in traditional Greek medicine spread to India where the dried root, essential oil, and fluidextract are used in traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine. In Ayurvedic medicine celery root is substituted or used interchangeably with parsley root, reported to act as a carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue, and expectorant (Karnick, 1994; Nadkarni, 1976). In Germany,parsley herb and root is taken for systemic irrigation for ailments of the lower urinary tract and as irrigation therapy for the prevention of renal gravel, in aqueous infusion dosage form or other equivalent galenical preparations. The dry extract is also used as a component in tablets (Leung and Foster, 1996; Wichtl and Bisset, 1994). In the United States,the herb or root is often used as a carminative or diuretic component of dietary supplements, in aqueous infusion, juice, or alcoholic tincture dosage forms. The approved modern therapeutic applications for parsley are supportable based on its history of clinical use in well established systems of traditional medicine, on phytochemical investigations,and pharmacological studies in animals. Pharmacopeial gradeparsley herb is collected in the second year of growth before flowering. It must pass identification by macroscopic and microscopic examination and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) method. Quantitative standards include not less than 25% water-soluble extractive content. Pharmacopeial grade parsley root must pass comparable identification tests (BHP, 1996). The pharmacopeia of the former German Democratic Republic specified an essential oil content of not less than 0.3% in the root (DAB-DDR, 1985; Wichtl and Bisset, 1994).
Description
Parsley herb is the fresh or dried plant section of Petroselinum crispum (Miller) Nyman ex A.W. Hill [Fam. Apiaceae] and its pharmaceutical preparations. Parsley root is the dried root of P. crispum (Miller) Nyman ex A.W. Hill and its pharmaceutical preparations.
Chemistry and Pharmacology
Parsley contains the flavonoids apiin and luteolin; volatile oils myristicin, apiole, and b-phellandrene; fats; the furocoumarin bergapten; polyynes; protein; sugars; and vitamins A and C (Bradley, 1992; Leung and Foster, 1996; List and Hrhammer, 19731979; Newall et al., 1996; Wichtl and Bisset, 1994). The Commission E did not report pharmacological actions for parsley. The British Herbal Compendium reported the actions of parsley herb as diuretic, carminative, and spasmolytic (BHP, 1996; Bradley, 1992). The diuretic effect of parsley is probably due to the actions of its volatile oils myristicin and apiole (Newall et al., 1996).
Uses
The Commission E approved the use of parsley herb and root preparations for flushing out the urinary tract and for preventing and treating kidney gravel. The British Herbal Compendium approves the internal use of parsley herb for flatulent dyspepsia, dysuria, and rheumatic conditions (Bradley, 1992). Parsley root is indicated for use as a mild diuretic (Wichtl and Bisset, 1994).
Contraindications
Pregnancy; inflammatory kidney conditions. Precautions: Irrigation therapy (flushing out treatment) should not be carried out in the case of edema caused by impaired heart or kidney function.
Side Effects
Occasional allergic skin or mucous membrane reactions have been reported.
Use During Pregnancy and Lactation
Not recommended during pregnancy (McGuffin et al., 1997). No known restrictions during lactation.
Interactions with Other Drugs
None known.
Dosage and Administration
Unless otherwise prescribed: 6 g per day of crushed herb and root. Infusion: 2 g in 150 ml water, three times daily. Fluidextract 1:1 (g/ml): 2 ml, three times daily. Irrigation therapy: Large amounts of fluids must be taken. Warning:The essential oil should not be used in isolation because of its toxicity.
References
Bown, D. 1995. Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. New York: DK Publishing, Inc. 325. Bradley, P.R. (ed.). 1992. British Herbal Compendium, Vol. 1. Bournemouth: British Herbal Medicine Association. British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (BHP). 1996. Exeter, U.K.: British Herbal Medicine Association. 146147. Deutsches Arzneibuch der Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DAB-DDR). 1985. Berlin: Akademie Verlag. Grieve, M. 1979. A Modern Herbal. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. Karnick, C.R. 1994. Pharmacopoeial Standards of Herbal Plants, Vol. 1. Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications. 291292. Lange, D. and U. Schippmann. 1997. Trade Survey of Medicinal Plants in GermanyA Contribution to International Plant Species Conservation. Bonn: Bundesamt f r Naturschutz. 3233. Leung, A.Y. and S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics, 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. List, P.H. and L. Hrhammer (eds.). 19731979. Hagers Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 17. New York: Springer Verlag. McGuffin, M., C. Hobbs, R. Upton, A. Goldberg. 1997. American Herbal Product Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Nadkarni, K.M. 1976. Indian Materia Medica. Bombay: Popular Prakashan. 934935. Newall, C.A., L.A. Anderson, J.D. Phillipson. 1996. Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Health-Care Professionals. London: The Pharmaceutical Press. Wichtl, M. and N.G. Bisset (eds.). 1994. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. Stuttgart: Medpharm Scientific Publishers.
Additional Resources
British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (BHP). 1990. Bournemouth, U.K.: British Herbal Medicine Association. .1983. Keighley, U.K.: British Herbal Medicine Association. Chadha, Y.R. et al. (eds.). 19521988. The Wealth of India (Raw Materials), Vols. 111. New Delhi: Publications and Information Directorate, CSIR. Duke, J.A. 1985. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Boca Raton: CRC Press. . 1992. Handbook of Phytochemical Constituents of GRAS Herbs and Other Economic Plants. Boca Raton: CRC Press. 438441. Ergnzungsbuch zum Deutschen Arzneibuch, 6th ed. (Erg.B.6). 1953. Stuttgart: Deutscher Apotheker Verlag. Fejes, S. et al. 1998. A Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym. ex A.W. Hill. in vitro antioxidans hatasanak vizsgalata [Investigation of the in vitro antioxidant effect of Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym. ex A.W. Hill] Acta Pharm Hung 68(3):150156. Hnsel, R., K. Keller, H. Rimpler, G. Schneider (eds.). 19921994. Hagers Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 5th ed. Vol. 46. Berlin-Heidelberg: Springer Verlag. Innocenti, G., F. Dall'Acqua, G. Caporale. 1976. Investigations of the content of furocoumarins in Apium graveolens and in Petroselinum sativum.Planta Med 29(2):165170. MacLeod, A.J., C.H. Snyder, G. Subramanian. 1985. Volatile aroma constituents of parsley leaves. Phytochem 24(11):26232627. Marsh, A.C. et al. 1977. Composition of Foods, Spices, and Herbs: Raw, Processed, Prepared. Agriculture Handbook No. 82. Washington, D.C.: Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Reynolds, J.E.F. (ed.). 1982. Martindale: The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 28th ed. London: The Pharmaceutical Press. Warncke, D. 1994. Petroselinum crispumDie Gartenpetersilie. ZPT 15(1):5058. Watt, J.M. and M.G. Breyer-Brandwijk. 1962. The Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa. Edinburgh-London: E. & S. Livingstone Ltd. Wichtl, M. (ed.). 1997. Teedrogen, 4th ed. Stuttgart: Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft. This material was adapted from The Complete German Commission E MonographsTherapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. M. Blumenthal, W.R. Busse, A. Goldberg, J. Gruenwald, T. Hall, C.W. Riggins, R.S. Rister (eds.) S. Klein and R.S. Rister (trans.). 1998. Austin: American Botanical Council; Boston: Integrative Medicine Communications.
1) The Overview section is new information. 2) Description, Chemistry and Pharmacology, Uses, Contraindications, Side Effects, Interactions with Other Drugs, and Dosage sections have been drawn from the original work. Additional information has been added in some or all of these sections, as noted with references. 3) The dosage for equivalent preparations (tea infusion, fluidextract, and tincture) have been provided based on the following example: - Unless otherwise prescribed: 2 g per day of [powdered, crushed, cut or whole] [plant part]
- Infusion: 2 g in 150 ml of water
- Fluidextract 1:1 (g/ml): 2 ml
- Tincture 1:5 (g/ml): 10 ml
4) The References and Additional Resources sections are new sections. Additional Resources are not cited in the monograph but are included for research purposes. This monograph, published by the Commission E in 1994, was modified based on new scientific research. It contains more extensive pharmacological and therapeutic information taken directly from the Commission E.
Excerpt from Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs
Copyright 2000 American Botanical Council
Published by Integrative Medicine Communications
Available from the American Botanical Council.
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