Wormwood - Herbal Treatments

Wormwood - ARTEMISIA SPP

There are many species of Artemisia used in medicine worldwide. The one growing in my little garden (thanks Cackles) is probably Artemisia schmiditiana. This is the one that I commonly see in other people's backyards in Australia as well. It is an ornamental version, a soft silvery colour, low-growing, not woody. It's supposed to be quite hardy but needs fairly good drainage and mulching.



These herbs, including Artemisia absinthium, contain bioactive compounds with some anthelmintic (anti-worm) activity. Wormwood (Artemisia annua) is the source of the antimalarial compound, artemisinin.

The name wormwood is derived from the ancient use of the plant and its extracts as an intestinal anthelmintic. Wormwood was the main ingredient in absinthe, a largely banned, toxic liqueur whose chronic consumption was associated with absinthism. It was characterized by mental enfeeblement, hallucinations, psychosis, delirium, vertigo, trembling of the limbs, digestive disorders, thirst, paralysis and death.

Common Names:
Sweet Annie, qing hao, annual wormwood

Parts used:
Aerial parts, leaves collected in summer before blooming.

Constituents:
Sesquiterpene lactones (such as artemisinin, arteannuin B), volatile oil flavonoids, vitamin A

Traditional Uses:

* Traditionally given for gastrointestinal parasites, although there is little data to indicate the rate of effectiveness. There is some evidence that wormwood will reduce the wormload somewhat, but other treatments are likely to be necessary.

* When given to chicks being treated for coccidiosis Artmenisinin and, less consistently, the whole plant can suppress lesions caused by Eimeria tenella (Kim 2002) Artmenisinin reduces oocyst output when fed at levels of 8.5 and 17 ppm in the diet. Investigators suggest that it induces oxidative stress (Allen, 1997, 1998).

Dosage for Small Animals:
Dried herb: 25-500 mg/kg, divided daily (optimally, TID 3 [3 times daily])
Artemisinin: 2-4 mg/kg daily, divided dose
Infusion: 5-15 g per cup of water, administered at a rate of 1/4 - 1/2 cup per 10kg, divided daily (optimally, TID [3 times daily])
Tincture 1:2-1:3: 0.5-2.5 mL per 10kg, divided daily (optimally, TID) and diluted or combined with other herbs.

Clinical Actions:
Antimalarial, antipyretic (reducing body temp), possibly antineoplastic (inhibiting growth of malignant cells)

Toxicity Information:
No test results available for poultry. a- and B-Thujone are the toxins found in wormwood. In rats, intravenous injection of thujone at 40mg/kg and 120 mg/kg induces convulsions and death, respectively. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies the plant as an unsafe herb.

Contraindications:
None known

Drug Interactions:
No known drug interactions

Source: Wynn, S.G. & Fougere, B.J. (2007) Veterinary Herbal Medicine. Mosby Elsevier. Sydney

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