PARSLEY PETROSELINUM CRISPUM

PARSLEY (Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nyman ex A. W. Hill) ++

Synonyms :
Apium crispum Mill., A. petroselinum L., Carum petroselinum (L.) Benth. & Hook. f., Petroselinum hortense auct., P. sativum Hoffm., P. vulgare Lag.

Activities (Parsley) :
Abortifacient (1; CRC; FNF; JFM; PH2); Allergenic (1; HH2); Analgesic (f; MAD); Antibacterial (1; APA); Antihalitosic (1; APA; PED); Antihistaminic (1; PNC); Antiinflammatory (1; PNC; SHT); Antilactagogue (f; FEL); Antioxidant (1; PNC); Antipyretic (1; CRC; PED; PNC); Antirheumatic (f; CAN); Antiseptic (1; APA; CAN; CRC); Antispasmodic (f; BGB; CAN; PNC); Aperient (f; PNC); Aphrodisiac (f; JFM; MAD); Aquaretic (1; SHT); Carminative (1; BGB; PED; PNC); COX-2-Inhibitor (1; CRC; FNF); Digestive (f; PHR; PH2); Diuretic (1; APA; CAN; FEL; PHR; PH2); Emmenagogue (1; APA; CAN; PHR; PH2); Expectorant (f; BGB; CAN); Fungicide (1; APA); Hallucinogen (1; CAN); Hepatotonic (1; CAN; PED); Hypotensive (1; CAN; CRC; PED); Hypouricemic (f; JFM); Lactagogue (1; APA); Laxative (f; CRC; PED); Litholytic (1; CRC; MAD; PED); MAOI (1; CAN); Parasiticide (f; APA); Pediculicide (f; APA; MAD); Propecic (f; MAD); Sedative (1; PNC); Tonic (1; CAN; CRC); Urinary Tonic (1; PED); Uterocontractant (1; PH2); Uterotonic (1; APA; CAN; PH2).

Indications (Parsley) :
Adenopathy (f; FEL; JLH); Alopecia (f; APA); Alzheimer’s (1; COX; FNF); Amenorrhea (1; APA; CAN; HH2); Anuria (f; MAD); Arthrosis (1; APA; COX; FNF); Asthma (f; PED); Backache (f; MAD); Bacteria (1; APA); Bite (f; CRC; HH2); Bladder Stone (2; PHR; PH2); Bleeding (f; JFM); Bronchosis (f; CAN); Bruise (f; APA; FEL); Cancer (1; FNF; JLH); Cancer, bladder (1; FNF; JLH); Cancer, breast (1; FNF; JLH); Cancer, eye (1; FNF; JLH); Cancer, gland (f; FNF; JLH); Cancer, kidney (1; FNF; JLH); Cancer, liver (1; FNF; JLH); Cancer, sinew (1; FNF; JLH); Cancer, spleen (1; FNF; JLH); Cancer, stomach (1; FNF; JLH); Cancer, throat (1; FNF; JLH); Cancer, uterus (1; FNF; JLH); Cancer, uvula (1; FNF; JLH); Cardiopathy (f; APA); Catarrh (f; MAD); Childbirth (1; APA; FNF; JFM; MAD); Cold (f; APA); Colic (1; APA; CAN); Condyloma (f; CRC; JLH); Congestion (f; APA); Constipation (f; CRC; PED); Cough (f; CAN; MAD); Cramp (f; BGB; CAN; PNC); Cystosis (f; CAN; MAD; PH2); Dermatosis (f; APA); Dropsy (f; CRC; FEL; PED); Dysentery (f; CRC); Dyslactea (1; APA; MAD); Dysmenorrhea (1; HH2; PED; PH2); Dyspepsia (1; APA; BGB; CAN); Dysuria (2; BGB; CAN; KOM); Earache (f; MAD); Edema (f; HH2; JFM); Enterosis (f; CAN; PH2); Exanthema (f; FEL); Fever (1; CRC; FEL; PED; PNC); Fungus (1; APA); Gallstone (1; CRC; PED); Gastrosis (f; PH2); Gonorrhea (f; FEL; MAD); Gravel (2; BGB; CRC; KOM; PH2); Halitosis (1; APA; PED); Hepatosis (f; APA; MAD); High Blood Pressure (1; APA; CAN; CRC; PED); Hyperuricemia (f; JFM); Impotence (f; MAD); Induration (f; JLH); Infection (1; APA); Inflammation (1; PH2; PNC; SHT); Insomnia (1; PNC); Jaundice (f; CRC; HH2; PHR; PH2); Kidney Stone (2; APA; KOM; PH2); Lice (1; CRC; MAD); Malaria (f; FEL); Mastosis (f; FEL); Myalgia (f; CAN); Mycosis (1; APA); Nephrosis (f; CRC; JFM; PHR; PH2); Nervousness (1; PNC); Pain (f; MAD); Parasite (1; APA; CRC); Pediculosis (1; APA; CRC); Rheumatism (f; BGB; CAN; MAD); Scarlatina (f; FEL); Scrofula (f; CRC); Splenosis (f; APA; MAD); Stomachache (f; APA); Stone (1; CRC; MAD; PED; PH2); Strangury (f; FEL); Swelling (f; CRC; JFM; MAD); Toothache (f; MAD); Tumor (f; APA; CRC); Urethrosis (f; MAD); Uterosis (f; CRC); UTI (2; APA; PHR; PH2); VD (f; FEL); Wart (f; CRC; JLH); Whitlow (f; CRC); Wound (f; JLH).

Dosages (Parsley) :
100–150 g fresh juice (MAD); 6 g leaf (HH2; KOM; SHT); 1–2 tsp dry leaf/cup water (APA); 1–2 tsp dry root/cup water (APA); 2–4 g root, or in tea (CAN); 2 g root in tea 2–3 ×/day (HH2); 2.5–5 ml liquid root extract (PNC); 1–2 g seed (CAN); 500–1500 mg seed (MAD); 1 tsp (~1.4 g) bruised seed/cup water (APA); 2.5–5 ml liquid seed extract (PNC); 2–4 g herb, or in tea (CAN); 6 g herb (KOM); 2–4 tbsp fresh herb (PED); 3–6 g dry herb (PED); 4.5 g dry herb:22 ml alcohol/23 ml water (PED); 6 g herb or root/day (PH2); 2–4 ml herb or root liquid extract (1:1 in 25% ethanol) 3 ×/day (CAN); 3–4 drops parley oil as diuretic, or 2–4 fl oz infusion 3–4 ×/day (FEL). “The leaves, bruised, are a good application to contusions, swelled breasts, and enlarged glands — reputed to ‘dry up the milk’ (FEL).”

Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Parsley) :
Class 2b. Contraindicated in nephrosis (AHP). “Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages” (PH2). Commission E approves the herb and root, not the seed (fruit) (KOM). CAN cautions that the apiole in the volatile oil and excessive ingestion can be abortifacient, irritant, phototoxic, and cause hepatosis. In pregnancy and lactation, parsley should not be ingested excessively (CAN). Myristicin can cause deafness, decrease in pulse rate, giddiness, hypotension, and paralysis, followed by fatty degeneration of the kidney and liver. Myristicin may cross the placenta, leading to fetal tachycardia. Ingestion of 10 g apiole (200 g parsley) may cause acute hemolytic anemia, hepatic dysfunction, nephrosis, and thrombocytopenia pupura (CAN). Parsley may potentiate MAOI activity (CAN). Because of its toxicity, EO should not be used in isolation (KOM). Commission E is rather tough on parsley seed oil, but the indictment, overblown or not, might conceivably be extended to other herbs containing apiole and myristicin. Of apiole, “Large doses of parsley-seed EO and of ... apiol bring about vascular congestion and increased contractility of the smooth muscle of the bladder, intestines, and especially the uterus. Parsley seed and oil are therefore often used to bring about abortion.” (BIS) The renal epithelium can be damaged or irritated and cardiac arrhythmias can occur after using parsley seed preparations (BIS). “Large doses of apiol can lead to fatty liver, emaciation, extensive mucosal bleeding, and inflammatory haemorrhagic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract, haemoglobinuria, methaeglobinuria, and anuria. Therapeutic use cannot be endorsed” (Commission E, as interpreted by Bisset, 1994). Commission E reports contraindications: pregnancy and nephrosis; adverse effects: allergic reactions of skin/mucosae (rarely) and phototoxicity. The pure oil is toxic and should not be used. Fruit not permitted for therapeutic use. The EO and its constituent apiole are toxic (AEH). When parsley is decocted it is emmenagogue and abortive. A young woman, in 1992, reportedly died while trying to abort. “Even the common parsley mentioned earlier can cause serious injuries; oedema of the legs, vomiting, haematuria, liver and renal damage have all been observed. However, poisoning by this plant is never accidental, but always voluntary, so the plant can be used safely in preparing food” (FIT67(6):513. 1996).

Extracts (Parsley) :
Water extracts are antihistaminic (CAN). EO = antiseptic, carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue, hepatoregenerative; hypotensive, increases plasma calcium (CAN; PED; PNC). Phthalides are sedative in mice (PNC). Apiole LD50 = 50 mg/kg ivn mouse (CAN); Mmyristicin LD50 = 200 mg/kg ivn mouse (CAN). Seed EO LD50 = 3300 mg/kg orl mouse/rat (HH2). Speaking of apiole or parsley seed EO, MAD says with male guinea pigs, “erzeugt es Kongestion am Penis, anhaltened Erektion and lebhafte geschlechtliche Erregung.” Does that mean it causes or cures priapism? I’ve not heard of this before that I remember. No wonder they call it Petersilie. If this leaks out, 95% of American parsley will not be thrown away as it has been in the past.