PDR for Herbal Medicines

HERBAL MONOGRAPHS

INDICATIONS AND USAGE
The herb is used to treat diseases of the urinary tract.
PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS
No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction
i0 with the proper administration of designated therapeutic
dosages.
DOSAGE
Mode of Administration: The herb is obsolete as a drug, but
is occasionally used in commercial medicinal preparations.
LITERATURE
Budzianowski J et al., (1985) J Nat Prod 48(2):336.
Geraci D et al.. (1978) Immunochemistry 15:491.
Hegnauer R, Chemotaxonomie der Pflanzen, Bde 1-11,
Birkhauser Verlag Basel, Boston, Berlin 1962-1997.
Kern W, List PH, Horhammer L (Hrsg.), Hagers Handbuch der
Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 4. Aufl., Bde. 1-8, Springer Verlag
Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1969.
Madaus G, Lehrbuch der Biologischen Arzneimittel, Bde 1-3,
Nachdruck, Georg Olms Verlag Hildesheim 1979.

Pennyroyal

Mentha pulegium

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the essential oil

extracted from the fresh plant, the dried aerial parts and the

whole plant.

Flower and Fruit: The flowers are in axillary, loose and

globular false. whorls. The calyx is cylindrical-funnel-

shaped, grooved and is-awned in the tubevThe lQwer tips are

awl-shaped, the upper ones shorter and wider. The upper lip

has 3 tips and is curved slightly upward. The lower lip is

divided in two and is straight. The corolla is violet, glabrous

or downy. It has a tube, which suddenly widens in a sack-

like manner and has a slightly developed ring of hair as well

as lobes. These extend well beyond the calyx. The nutlets are

glossy brown.

Leaves, Stem and Root: Pennyroyal is a glabrous to downy

perennial, which grows from 10 to 40 cm high. The stem is

ascendent or decumbent, branched and slightly downy. The

leaves are elliptical to narrow ovate-elliptical, short-petioled,

entire-margined, translucently glandular punctate with 1 to 3

pairs of shallow teeth and curved pinnate ribs.

Characteristics: Strongly aromatic.

Habitat: The plant thrives in western, southern and central

Europe, in Asia as far as Turkmenistan, Iran, in the Arab

countries and Ethiopia. It is naturalized in America.

PENNYROYAL/579

Production: Pennyroyal is the flowering herb of Menma

pulegium. The plants are harvested during the flowering

season and dried.

Other Names: Pulegium, Run-by-the-Ground, Lurk-in-the-

Ditch, Pudding Grass, Piliolerial, Mosquito Plant, Squaw

Balm, Squawmint Tickweed

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Volatile oil (1-2%): chief constituents D-pulegone (60-90%).

menthone (10-20%), isomenthone (2-10%), additionally

including among others piperitone, neoisomenthylacetate

Tannins: presumably rosmaric acid

Flavonoids: including among others diosmin, hesperidin

EFFECTS

Pennyroyal oil (main component pulegone) has an antimicro-

bial and insecticidal effect. There is no scientific proof of the

described effects.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Unproven Uses: The drug is used for digestive disorders.

liver and gallbladder disorders, amenorrhea, gout, colds and

increased micturation; externally, it is used for skin diseases.

PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

General: European Pennyroyal oil is hepatotoxic in effect.

Acute poisonings are not to be feared in conjunction with the

proper administration of designated therapeutic dosages of

the foliage drug. Still, because of its hepatotoxicity. it is

recommended that the drug not be used.

Pregnancy: In high doses, Pennyroyal has* been reported to

cause abortion. Use in pregnancy is not recommended.

OVERDOSAGE

Severely acute poisonings have been observed following

administration of 5 gm of the volatile oil. Vomiting, blood-

pressure elevation, anesthetic-like paralysis and death

through respiratory failure have been reported following

larger dosages. Cases of death have been described following

misuse of the volatile oil to induce abortion.

DOSAGE

See: PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS.

Mode of Administration: Internally as a ground drug, an

extract and a tea. The oil is applied topically.

Daily Dosage: The average daily internal dose of the dried

drug is 1 to 4 gm, taken 3 times daily. Pennyroyal is

prepared as an infusion. Drink one cupful at a time during

I the course of the day. Extract: 1 to 4 ml, 3 times daily.