PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL
ACTIVITIES
The cardiac activity of broom tops is the result
of its alkaloids (principally sparteine), which
have cardiac-depressant and curare-like prop-
erties and are highly toxic (MARTINDALE,SAX).
Sparteine has shown antiarhythmic activity
(WICHTL).
TOXICOLOGY
Sparteine was withdrawn by the U.S. FDA as
an injectable drug because of its ability to
produce titanic uterine contractions and its
unpredictability.^5 Due to the tyramine content
of the herb, use may cause blood pressure
crisis with simultaneous administrations of
MAO inhibitors (BLUMENTHAL1); due to the
ability of the herb to increase the tonus of
the gravid uterus, use is contraindicated in
pregnancy; sparteine is a potent oxytocic
agent; broom tops is also contraindicated in
patients with high blood pressure (NEWALL;
WICHTL). The oral LD 50 of sparteine in mice
is 220 mg/kg.^6
USES
Medicinal, Pharmaceutical, and Cosmetic.
Broom tops is regarded as having diuretic,
emetic, and cathartic properties and is used in
certain laxative, diuretic, and tonic prepara-
tions; also used in treating circulatory disor-
ders (WICHTL).
Dietary Supplements/Health Foods. Teas,
capsules, and so on, primarily as a diuretic.
Traditional Medicine. Reportedly used in-
ternally as a diuretic and externally to treat
sore muscles, abscesses, and swellings; flow-
ers used in hair rinses for their lightening and
brightening effects (LUST,ROSE,UPHOF).
Broom flowers, seeds, and root as well as
the whole herb have reportedly been used in
treating tumors.^7
COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONS
Crude and extracts. Crude was formerly
official in N.F., and U.S.P. Strengths (see
glossary) of extracts are based on weight-to-
weight ratios.
Regulatory Status. Regulated in the United
States as a dietary supplement. Subject of a
German therapeutic monograph, with pre-
parations not to contain more than 1 mg/mL
of sparteine for treatment of functional heart
and circulatory disorders (BLUMENTHAL 1;
WICHTL).
REFERENCES
See the General References forARCTANDER;BAILEY1;BIANCHINI AND CORBETTA;BLUMENTHAL1;DER
MARDEROSIAN AND BEUTLER;GOSSELIN ET AL.;LIST AND HO ̈RHAMMER;LUST;GRIEVE;MCGUFFIN1 & 2; merck;
rose; terrell; tyler 1;APPLEQUIST;UPHOF.
- G. Gresser et al.,Z. Naturforsch., C-A, 51 ,
791 (1996).
- I. Murakoshi et al.,Phytochemistry, 25 ,
521 (1986).
- K. Egger,Planta, 80 , 65 (1968).
- T. Kurihara and M. Kikuchi,Yakugaku
Zasshi, 100 , 1054 (1980).
5. E. Yarnell and K. Abascal,Altern. Compl.
Ther., 125 June, (2003)
6. K. Yovo et al., Planta Med., 50 , 420
(1984).
7. J. L. Hartwell,Lloydia, 33 , 97 (1970).
116 Broom tops
