Wormseed Essential OilBotanical Nomenclature: Artemisia absinthium Its name, wormseed, comes from the fact that it was once extensively used as a folk remedy for intestinal parasites.
Characteristics of Wormseed OilWormseed oil should be pale yellow with a strong scent that is generally described as "unpleasant", "skunky" and "overpowering". In fact, its Mexican folk name, epazote, comes from two words which, when combined, roughly translate to "bad smelling animal".Psychological AromatherapyBecause of its overpowering and unpleasant smell, wormseed essential oil is never used in "casual" aromatherapy. Wormseed oil is also toxic, leading many professional aromatherapists to place it on their lists of "hazardous" essential oils.Traditional Uses for WormseedVarious preparations of wormseed have been used, probably for centuries, to address a number of ailments but its most documented use was as a anti-parasitic. Animal research at Cornell University supports this traditional herbal use--although researchers are working with livestock and do not recommend wormwood's use for humans.Serious Medical Studies on Wormseed OilLeishmaniaWormwood is best known as an anti-parasitic and a series of studies from Cuba in 2007 focused on its use against parasitic protozoa in the Leishmania genus. This microbe, which is thought to affect millions of people in more than 80 countries is currently treated only through chemotherapy. But essential oil of wormseed may prove to be a viable treatment alternative. Ascariasis Caused by a type of roundworm, ascarious affects millions of people around the world and is especially prevalent in warmer areas of the world. A 1985 of Mayan farmers in Mexico found that decoctions of wormseed didn't perform quite as well as folk stories would suggest but that wormseed essential oil (and related herbal preparations) could potentially benefit many people affected by this extremely common parasite.
Safety IssuesLike many essential oils, wormwood has only recently been analyzed for potential toxicity, despite centuries of use as a folk medicine. A 2006 study found both cytotoxic and genotoxic actions when wormwood's effect on human lymphocyte cells was studied.Studies like this one are probably the reason that most aromatherapy experts, assuming they address wormseed oil at all, place it on their "hazardous oils" lists.
References: Battaglia, S. (2005). The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. Author Unknown. (2001). Cornell University, Department of Animal Science. Retrieved from www.nsci.cornell.edu/plants/medicinal/epazote.html on March 5, 2008. Monzote, L., et al. (2007). Combined effect of the essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides and antileishmanial drugs on promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis. Monzote, L., et al. (2007). In vitro activity of an essential oil against Leishmania donovani. Gadano, A., et al. (2006). Argentine folk medicine: genotoxic effects of Chenopodiaceae family.Monzonte, L., et al. (2007). Activity, toxicity and analysis of resistance of essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides after intraperitoneal, oral and intralesional administration in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania amazonensis: a preliminary study. Kliks, M. (1985). Studies on the traditional herbal anthelmintic Chenopodium ambrosioides L.: ethnopharmacological evaluation and clinical field trials. Leave Wormseed Essential Oil & return to Hazardous Oils page.
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