Artemisia maritima Linn.
Family Compositae; Asteraceae.
Habitat The western Himalayas from Kashmir to Kumaon.
English Wormseed, Santonica.
Ayurvedic Chauhaara, Kirmaani Yavaani, Chuhaari Ajawaayin; not related to Ajawaayin.
Unani Dirmanah, Kirmaalaa,
Afsanteen-ul-bahar. (Dirmanah
Turki is equated with A. stechmaniana Besser.)
Folk Kirmaani Ajawaayin,
Kirmaani-owaa, Kirmaani-ajmo.
Action Deobstructant, stomachic, anthelmintic (effective against
roundworms), antifungal.
A decoction of the fresh plant is given in cases of intermittent and remittent fever.
A. maritima var. thomsoniana C. B. Clarke is a santonin-yielding var.; A. maritima var. fragrans (Wild.) Ledeb. is a non-santonin var.
Immature flowerheads and leaves contain santonin. Roots, stems and twigs are devoid of santonin. Santonin, a sesquiterpene lactone, is used for the treatment of ascaris and oxyuris infections. Large doses (0.3 g is adults and 0.06 in children) are toxic.
Beta-santonin is less anthelmintic in action than santonin; pseudosantonin is devoid of anthelmintic property.
Studies is albino mice revealed that santonin had no androgenic, estrogenic, antiestrogenic, progestational and antiprogestational effects.
Santonin is toxic at 60 mg in children; 200 mg in adults. (Francis Brinker.)
Dosage Whole plant—3—6 g powder. (CCRAS.)
Artemisia vestita Wail. ex DC. Family Compositae, Asteraceae.
Habitat Western Himalayas at
2,100—3,000 m.
Ayurvedic Gangaa Tulasi.
Folk Kundiyaa, Chamariyaa.
