Wormseed
OTHER NAME(S): Absinthe Maritime, Absinthe de Mer, Armoise de Judée, Barbotine, Levant, Santonica, Santónica, Sea Wormwood, Semen Contra, Sémentine, Worm Seed, Artemisia cina, Seriphidium cinum, Semilla de Gusano, Semen contra
Overview
Wormseed (Artemisia cina) is an herb. Traditionally, the flowers are used to make medicine, but it is considered toxic and unsafe.
Wormseed contains a chemical that might kill worms that live as parasites in the stomach and intestines.
People use wormseed for parasite infections, but there is no good scientific evidence to support any use. Using wormseed can also be unsafe.
Don't confuse wormseed with plants with similar common names, including Artemisia herba-alba, mugwort, sweet annie, wormwood, or levant berry. These are not the same.
Uses
We currently have no information for Wormseed overview.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: Wormseed is unsafe. Symptoms of poisoning are possible even in low amounts. These symptoms include diarrhea, vision problems, kidney problems, muscle twitching, seizures, and death.
Precautions
When taken by mouth: Wormseed is unsafe. Symptoms of poisoning are possible even in low amounts. These symptoms include diarrhea, vision problems, kidney problems, muscle twitching, seizures, and death.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Wormseed is unsafe for anyone to use, including those who are pregnant or breast-feeding. It is very poisonous.
Allergy to ragweed and related plants: Wormseed may cause an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to the Asteraceae/Compositae plant family. Members of this family include ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and many others.
Interactions
We currently have no information for Wormseed overview.
Dosing
There isn't enough reliable information to know what an appropriate dose of wormseed might be. Wormseed is poisonous when consumed in small amounts.
References
- Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
- Higuera-Piedrahita RI, Dolores-Hernández M, Jiménez-Pérez LG, et al. In Vitro Nematocidal Effect and Anthelmintic Activity of Artemisia cina Against Haemonchus contortus in Gerbils and Relative Expression of Hc29 Gene in Transitional Larvae (L(3)-L(4)). Acta Parasitol 2021;66(3):938-946.
- Higuera-Piedrahita RI, Dolores-Hernández M, Cruz-Cruz HA, et al. 3'-Demethoxy-6-O-Demethylisoguaiacin and Norisoguaiacin Nematocidal Lignans from Artemisia cina against Haemonchus contortus Infective Larvae. Plants (Basel) 2023;12(4):820.
- Hegazy A, Mostafa I, Elshaier YAMM, et al. Robust Antiviral Activity of Santonica Flower Extract (Artemisia cina) against Avian and Human Influenza A Viruses: In Vitro and Chemoinformatic Studies. ACS Omega 2022;7(45):41212-41223.