« Bayberry Description – Side Effects and its Dosage - Pneumoconiosis – Causes and Symptoms of Disease »

Chamomile – How does Chamomile Works?

8 June 2007

Written by: steve Posted under Herbal Medicines

Chamomile – Guidelines for Using it – Uses and Benefits

Taxonomic Class

Asteraceae

Common Trade Names

Abkit, CamoCare Gold, Chamomile Flowers, Chamomile Tea, Chamomile Organic, Chamomilla, Classic Chamomile, Kamillosan (Germany)

Common Forms

Available as candles for aromatherapy, capsules (354 mg, 360 mg), and liquid and in many cosmetic products.

Source

“True chamomile” refers to the German or Hungarian version of chamomile. Pharmacologically active compounds are extracted from dried flower heads of Matricaria recutita (M. chamomilla). Another type of chamomile is Roman or English chamomile, Chamaemelum nobile (Anthemis nobile).

Chemical Components

Both kinds of chamomile contain similar compounds. One component of the volatile oil, chamazulene, is formed from natural precursors during steam distillation and constitutes about 0.5% of the flower head. The essential oil mostly consists of alpha-bisabolol. an unsaturated monocyclic sesquiterpene alcohol; other compounds include amyl and isobutyl alcohols, angelic and tiglic acid esters, anthemic acid, anthemol, apigenin, choline, coumarins, farnesol, germacranolide, heniarin, inositol, luteolin, nerolidol, phenolic and fatty acids, phytosterol, quercetin and associated glycosides, scopoletin-7-glucoside, and umbelliferone.

Actions

The German and Roman chamomiles have similar pharmacologic profiles. In studies with rats, the volatile oil has been found to have antiallergic, antidiuretic, anti-inflammatory, and sedative properties. Some chamomile compounds have been reported to stimulate liver regeneration after oral administration. Others have shown in vitro antitumorigenic activity against human cells. Studies in animals and in vitro models have shown that bisabolol and chamazulene exert anti-inflammatory activity; bisabolol also shows antispasmodic activity. luteolin and apigenin, two flavonoids in the essential oil, have antispasmodic effects and anti-inflammatory activity similar to those of indomethacin. Chamomile also exhibits some antibacterial and antifungal activity. Bisabolol has shown antiulcerative effects in rats by inhibiting the development of ethanol-, indomethacin-, or stress-induced ulcers . The volatile oil has been reported to lower serum urea levels in rabbits.

Reported Uses

Chamomile has been used mainly to aid wound healing and treat stomach disorders, such as abdominal cramps and inflammatory GI conditions. It has also been touted as being useful for insomnia because of its purported sedative properties. Other uses include treatment of eczema, epidermolysis bullosa, eye irritation, hemorrhoids, menstrual disorders, migraine headache, and throat discomfort and as a topical bacteriostatic agent.

Oral chamomile extract can induce a deep sleep in most patients undergoing cardiac catheterization. The extract has also been used as a mouthwash .

A therapeutic trial of a topical chamomile product (Kamillosan) suggested that patients with moderate atopic eczema responded slightly better to topical Kamillosan cream than to 0.5% hydrocortisone cream . Both products were only marginally better than placebo. The design of this trial is in question because of inadequate blinding of investigators.

Dosage

Chamomile is usually taken as a tea prepared by steeping 1 tbsp (3 g) of the flower head in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes and then taken up to q.i.d. Because of its poor water solubility, only a small amount of the volatile oil is obtained. Tea preparation extracts the hydrophilic flavonoid components. Long-term consumption of low concentrations of the volatile oil in chamomile tea may have a cumulative therapeutic effect.

Adverse Reactions

EENT: allergic conjunctivitis.

GI: gastroparesis, vomiting.

GU: menstrual irregularities.

Skin: contact dermatitis.

Other: anaphylaxis.

Interactions

Anticoagulants: May enhance effects. Avoid administration with chamomile.

Other drugs taken concurrently: Potential for decreased absorption of

these agents secondary to chamomile’s antispasmodic activity in the GI tract. Avoid administration with chamomile.

Contraindications And Precautions

Avoid using chamomile in pregnant or breast -feeding patients. It is believed to be an abortifacient, and some of its components have shown teratogenic effects in animals . Chamomile may affect menses. Use cautiously in patients who are hypersensitive to the components of the volatile oils and in those at risk for contact dermatitis.

Special Considerations

Caution the patient with a history of plant allergy or known hypersensitivity to ragweed against using chamomile.

Monitor the patient for bleeding.

Caution the patient using chamomile that other drugs taken concurrently may not be completely absorbed and thus will be less effective.

Alert Advise women to avoid using chamomile during pregnancy or when breast-feeding.

Commentary

Chamomile is well known for its purported anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and sedative activities. Limited human data are available to evaluate its clinical efficacy in treating GI disorders and other ailments.