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Herbs & Supplements

Absinthe
Scientific Name: Wormwood
Other Names: Ajenjo, Armoise, Artemisia absinthium, Green Ginger, Madderwort, Wermut

References

Anon. Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Food on thujone. European Commission. Scientific Committee on Food. December 2, 2002. Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out162_en.pdf. Accessed September 12, 2007.

Anon: Wormwood. In: DerMarderosian A, Beutler JA, eds. Facts and Comparisons: The Review of Natural Products. St. Louis, MO, Facts and Comparisons. April 1991.

Burkhard PR, Burkhardt K, Haenggeli CA, Landis T. Plant-induced seizures: reappearance of an old problem. Journal of Neurology. 1999;246(8):667-670.

Chiasson H, Belanger A, Bostanian N, Vincent C, Poliquin A. Acaricidal properties of Artemisia absinthium and Tanacetum vulgare (Asteraceae) essential oils obtained by three methods of extraction. Journal of Economic Entomology. 2001;94(1):167-171.

Crabb, C. Science meets tradition and identifies herbal treatment for jaundice. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2004;82(2):154.

del Castillo J, Anderson M, Rubottom GM. Marijuana, absinthe and the central nervous system. Nature. 1975;253(5490):365-366.

Dettling A, Grass H, Schuff A, Skopp G, Strohbeck-Kuehner P, Haffner HT. Absinthe: attention performance and mood under the influence of thujone. Journal of Studies in Alcoholism. 2004;65(5):573-581.

Eckstein-Ludwig U, Webb RJ, Van Goethem ID, et al. Artemisinins target the SERCA of Plasmodium falciparum. Nature. 2003;424(6951):957-961.

Efferth T. Molecular pharmacology and pharmacogenomics of artemisinin and its derivatives in cancer cells. Current Drug Targets. 2006;7(4):407-421.

Efferth T. Willmar Schwabe Award 2006: antiplasmodial and antitumor activity of artemisinin--from bench to bedside. Planta Medica. 2007;73(4):299-309.

Evans JE, Eckhardt N. Element Stewardship Abstract for Artemisia absinthium. Common wormwood. The Nature Conservancy. 1982 and 1987. Available at: http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/documnts/arteabs.pdf. Accessed September 12, 2007.

Gambelunghe C, Melai P. Absinthe: enjoying a new popularity among young people? Forensic Sciences International. 2002;130(2-3):183-186.

Gomes M, Ribeiro I, Warsame M, Karunajeewa H, Petzold M. Rectal artemisinins for malaria: a review of efficacy and safety from individual patient data in clinical studies. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2008;8:39

Hold KM, Sirisoma NS, Casida JE. Detoxification of alpha- and beta-Thujones (the active ingredients of absinthe): site specificity and species differences in cytochrome P450 oxidation in vitro and in vivo. Chemical Research and Toxicology. 2001;14(5):589-595.

Hold KM, Sirisoma NS, Ikeda T, Narahashi T, Casida JE. Alpha-thujone (the active component of absinthe): gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor modulation and metabolic detoxification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (U S A). 2000;97(8):3826-3831.

Holstege CP, Baylor MR, Rusyniak DE. Absinthe: return of the Green Fairy. Seminars in Neurology. 2002;22(1):89-93.

Jellin JM, Gregory P, Batz F, Hitchens K, et al, eds. Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 3rd Edition. Stockton CA: Therapeutic Research Facility, 2000.

Juteau F, Jerkovic I, Masotti V, Milos M, Mastelic J, Bessiere JM, Viano J. Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Artemisia absinthium from Croatia and France. Planta Medica. 2003;69(2):158-161.

Krumm B, Kolling R, Senn T. Thujone content in wormwood extracts at different conditiona for extraction. Technical Note 102. Supercritical Fluid Technologies. No date given. Available at: http://www.supercriticalfluids.com/publications/TN-102%20-%20Thujone%20content%20in%20wormwood%20extracts%20(Timatic).pdf. Accessed September 12, 2007.

Kuhn T, Wang Y. Artemisinin--an innovative cornerstone for anti-malaria therapy. Progress in Drug Research. 2008;66:383, 385-422.

Lachenmeier DW. Absinthe - history of dependence to thujone or to alcohol? [Article in German]Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr. 2007;75(5):306-308.

Lachenmeier DW. Thujone-attributable effects of absinthe are only an urban legend--toxicology uncovers alcohol as real cause of absinthism. [Article in German] Med Monatsschr Pharm. 2008;31(3):101-106.

Lachenmeier DW, Emmert J, Kuballa T, Sartor G. Thujone--cause of absinthism? Forensic Science International. 2006;158(1):1-8.

Lachenmeier DW, Nathan-Maister D, Breaux TA, Sohnius EM, Schoeberl K, Kuballa T. Chemical composition of vintage preban absinthe with special reference to thujone, fenchone, pinocamphone, methanol, copper, and antimony concentrations. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2008;56(9):3073-3081.

Lachenmeier DW, Walch SG, Padosch SA, Kroner LU. Absinthe--a review. Critical Review of Food Science and Nutrition. 2006;46(5):365-377.

Lans C. Ethnomedicines used in Trinidad and Tobago for reproductive problems. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 2007;3:13.

Lee SH, Lee MY, Kang HM, et al. Anti-tumor activity of the farnesyl-protein transferase inhibitors arteminolides, isolated from Artemisa [sic]. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry. 2003;11(21):4545-4549.

McNeil DG. Herbal drug is embraced in treating malaria. The New York Times. May 10, 2004.

Meschler JP, Howlett AC. Thujone exhibits low affinity for cannabinoid receptors but fails to evoke cannabimimetic responses. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior. 1999;62(3):473-480.

Mueller MS, Runyambo N, Wagner I, Borrmann S, Dietz K, Heide L. Randomized controlled trial of a traditional preparation of Artemisia annua L. (Annual Wormwood) in the treatment of malaria. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2004;98(5):318-321.

Muto T, Watanabe T, Okamura M, Moto M, Kashida Y, Mitsumori K. Thirteen-week repeated dose toxicity study of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) extract in rats. Journal of Toxicologic Science. 2003;28(5):471-478.

National Toxicology Program. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Summary of data for chemical selection Alpha-Thujone 546-80-5. Available at: http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=03DB8C36-E7A1-9889-3BDF8436F2A8C51F. Accessed September 18, 2007.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, Online Edition. Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter. Stockton CA: Therapeutic Research Facility, 2006. Available at: http://www.pharmacistsletter.com/(S(ulqz3s45omt3ag55um4kj345))/home.aspx?li=1&st=1&cs=&s=ND.

Omer B, Krebs S, Omer H, Noor TO. Steroid-sparing effect of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) in Crohn's disease: a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Phytomedicine. 2007;14(2-3):87-95.

Padosch SA, Lachenmeier DW, Kroner LU. Absinthism: a fictitious 19th century syndrome with present impact. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy. 2006;1(1):14.

Patocka J., Plucar B. Pharmacology and toxicology of absinthe. Biomedicine. Journal of Applied Biomedicine. 2003;(I):199-205.

Peirce A. The American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. New York: Stonesong Press; 1999.

Prisinzano T. Thujone. Department of Medicinal Chemistry. Medical College of Virginia. Virginia Commonwealth University. Posted December 3, 1997. Available at: http://www.phc.vcu.edu/Feature/oldfeature/thuj/thujone.html. Accessed August 13, 2003.

Razic S, Dogo S, Slavkovic L. Investigation on bioavailability of some essential and toxic elements in medicinal herbs. Natural Medicine (Tokyo). Epublished ahead of print. April 12, 2008.

Rosenthal PJ. Artesunate for the treatment of severe falciparum malaria. New England Journal of Medicine. 2008;358(17):1829-1836.

Sagar SM, Yance D, Wong RK. Natural health products that inhibit angiogenesis: a potential source for investigational new agents to treat cancer-Part 2. Current Oncology. 2006;13(3):99-107.

Scientific Committee on Food. European Commission Health and Consumer Protection Directorate. Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Food on thujone. February 2, 2003. Available at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/foods/fs/sc/scf/ index.html. Accessed August 13, 2003.

Sievers AF. Wormwood. The Herb Hunters Guide. Misc Publication No. 77. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 1930. Available at: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/herbhunters/wormwood.html. Accessed September 12, 2007.

Sirisoma NS, Hold KM, Casida JE. alpha- and beta-Thujones (herbal medicines and food additives): synthesis and analysis of hydroxy and dehydro metabolites. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2001;49(4):1915-1921.

Skyles AJ, Sweet BV. Wormwood. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. 2004;61:239-241.

Strang J, Arnold WN, Peters T. Absinthe: what's your poison? Though absinthe is intriguing, it is alcohol in general we should worry about. British Medical Journal. 1999;319(7225):1590-1592.

U.S.Customs and Border Protection: Prohibited and Restricted Items. Available at: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml #AbsintheAlcohol. Accessed September 18, 2007.

van Boxtel CJ. Artemisia and artemisinin, a story about toxicity. Uppsala Reports. 2002;Suppl:1-4.

<>Weisbord SD, Soule JB, Kimmel PL. Poison on line-acute renal failure caused by oil of wormwood purchased through the internet. New England Journal of Medicine. 1997;337:825-827.

Last Revised August 1, 2008

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Note: The above information is not intended to replace the advice of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not meant to indicate that the use of the product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you.

In general, herbal products are not subject to review or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are not required to be standardized, meaning that the amounts of active ingredients or contaminants they contain may vary between brands or between different batches of the same brand. Not all of the risks, side effects, or interactions associated with the use of herbal products are known because few reliable studies of their use in humans have been done.

This information is provided for your education only. Please share this information with your healthcare provider and be sure that you talk to your doctor and pharmacist about all the prescription and non-prescription medicines you take before you begin to use any herbal product.

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