Passiflora incarnata
(Passionflower)

Therapeutic Actions:

• Anodyne
• Antispasmodic
• Hypnotic
• Hypotensive (depresses motor activity and blood pressure transiently)
• Sedative (has CNS depressant activity without affecting respiratory rate)

Clinical Indications:

• Attention deficit disorder
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches
• Hypertension
• Parkinson's disease
• Anxiety
• Epilepsy
• Insomnia
• Restlessness

Contraindications:

• Pregnancy due to uterine stimulation

Drug/Nutrient Interaction:

• Increases sleeping time of hexobarbital and pentobarbital

Chemical Constituents:

• Alkaloids:
  
  Harmane
  Harmol
  Harmaline, a toxic constituent, maybe hallucinogenic
  Harmine
  Harmalol
• Calcium
• Gum
• Flavonoids:
  
  Apigenin and various glycosides (antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory activity)
  Homoorientin
  Isovitexin
  Kaempferol
  Luteolin
  Orientin
  Quercetin
  Rutin
  Saponaretin
  Saponarin
  Vitexin
• Iron
• Phosphorus
• Sterols
• Sugars

Toxicity:

• Symptoms:
  
  Convulsions
  CNS depression
  Decreased blood pressure
  Decreased body temperature
  Motor paralysis

Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).