May help with 

• anti-inflammatory
• anti-prutitic
• Spasmolytic
• Analgesic
• Stomachic
• Gastro-protective - Ulcers
• anti-allergic - antihistamine
• Anxiety disorders - psychostimulant
• neuroprotective

Source : http://www.wikiphyto.org/wiki/German Chamomile

Reference on http://www.wikiphyto.org

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plant name

Mayweed or German chamomile , chamomile chamomile , wild chamomile , small chamomile , common chamomile , Chamomilla (homeopathic name)

International Latin denomination

Matricaria chamomilla L. syn. : Matricaria recutita (L.) Rauschert

botanical family

Asteraceae

Description and habitat

• Annual herbaceous plant from 20 to 50 cm, with very branched erect stems and leaves abundantly divided into fine strips, with a strong aromatic odor
• Inflorescences in heads, with hollow conical receptacle
• White ligulate flowers, tubular yellow in the center
• Ribbed yellowish achenes, slightly arched

History and tradition

• Grows in waste places
• Abundant in Central Europe and North Africa
• Called “ German chamomile ” because of the interest shown by the populations of the steppes of central Europe where it is abundant
• Its name comes from the Greek khamaimelon (creeping apple) because of the pleasant smell of green apple from its leaves and matrix (matrix) or matricaria (woman) because it is used during menstruation disorders and during childbirth.

Parts used

• Flowers (head), essential oil

Dosage forms available

• Whole plant tincture
• Dry extract
• Fluid extract
• Herbal teas
• Flower head essential oil

Usual dosages

Composition

Main components of the plant

• Essential oil (0.3 - 1.5% of the dry flower head) dark blue in color by a carbide, chamazulene which comes from a colorless proazulene : matricin , sesquiterpene lactone of the guaianolide type , purple red chamaviolin , spathulenol
  • EO of variable composition depending on climatic conditions ( bisabolol-oxide A content) [1]
• Sesquiterpene alcohol  : bisabolol ( levomenol ), bisabololoxides A, B, C
• Spironone dicycloethers formed by cyclization of polyins
• Lactones sesquiterpéniques : matricine, matricarine, désacétylmatricarine
• Flavonoids (more than 30 compounds): apigenin , glucoside of apigenol ( cosmosioside ), luteolol ( luteoloside ), quercetol ( quercimeritroside ), glycosides of chrysoeriol , of rutin , of hyperoside
• Coumarins  : umbelliferone ( hydroxy-7-coumarin ), herniarin (= methoxy-7-coumarin , its methyl ether), esculetol , scopoletol , isoscopoletol , cis-glucosyloxy-4-methoxy-cinnamic acid and trans-glucosyloxy-4-methoxy acid -cinnamic acid , anisic acid , caffeic acid , vanillic acid , syringic acid
• Mucilages (3 - 10 %)
• Fructane de type inuline, rhamnogalacturonane

Main components of buds or young shoots

Main components of essential oil

• Sesquiterpenes  : chamazulin (5%), beta-farnesene 20%, germacrene D , bicyclogermacrene
• Sesquiterpénols : alpha-bisabolol (8-15 %)
• Sesquiterpene oxides  : bisabololoxides A & B 35% ( alpha-bisabolone oxide , alpha-bisabolol A oxide and alpha-bisabolol B oxide )
• Lactones sesquiterpéniques
• Coumarines
• Monoterpenes  : limonene (traces)
• Polyacetylenic derivatives (chemotaxonomic characters of the family Asteraceae )
• Ethers : spiro-éther 5 % (dicyclo-éther)
• Four main chemotypes can be differentiated: type A (predominance of bisabololoxide A), type B ( bisabololoxide B), type C ( alpha-bisabolol ), type D ( alpha-bisabolol and bisabololoxides A and B in equivalent amounts) [2]
• Farnesene in some chemotypes [3]

Properties

Plant properties

• Anti-inflammatory [4] , antioxidant [5] , antimutagenic
• Hypocholesterolemic [6] and anti-phlogistic ( chamazulene , matricin and bisabolol ), powerful anti-pruritic
• Spasmolytic by inhibition of cAMP-phosphodiesterase [7] ( bisabolol and dicycloether polyin are more active than papaverine )
• Flavonoids are anti -inflammatory and antispasmodic ( apigenin , luteolin )
• Analgesic [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12]
• Carminative, stomachic, choleretic
• Anti-ulcer [13] , gastro-protective against ulcers [14] , [15] , protection against gastric lesions induced by ethanol [16] and indomethacin [17] , inhibits urease production by Helicobacter pylori (oily maceration of flower heads) [18]
• Antidiarrheal [19]
• Anti-allergic (methanolic extract) [20] , antihistamine [21]
• Bactericidal, fungicidal ( spiro-ethers , alpha-bisabolol and coumarins )
• Hypnotic of modest activity [22]
• Anxiolytic [23] , [24] , affinity of aqueous extracts for central benzodiazepine receptors, apigenin is a competitive ligand of benzodiazepine receptors, without anticonvulsant or muscle relaxant effect
• Neuroprotective, the methanolic extract of Matricaria recutita L. shows protective activity against the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion process in rats [25]
• Anticancer, pro-apoptotic [26]
• Inhibition of the synthesis and release of inflammatory mediators (prostaglandins, leukotrienes, bradykinin, histamine, serotonin)
• Detoxification of bacterial toxins
• In local applications, bisabolol increases the transcutaneous passage of drugs with low absorption, it is anti-inflammatory like apigenin and luteolin which have the same activity as indomethacin

Bud properties

Properties of essential oil

• Stomachic
• Anti-inflammatory, antiedematous activity, analgesic, antihyperalgesic ( bisabolol oxide ) [27]
• Healing
• Anti-allergic [28] , [29]
  • Blue colored chamazulene is very anti-allergic
• Antispasmodic
• Psychostimulant [30]
• Antibacterial against Helicobacter pylori , inhibits urease production by Helicobacter pylori [31]
• Antiviral against Herpes virus , even on acyclovir-resistant viruses [32]
• Analgesic [33]
• Antiparasitic, anti-anisakiasis (zoonosis caused by ingestion of nematode larvae in raw seafood food products such as sushi, sashimi, etc.) which causes abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea [34]
• Azulenes stimulate liver regeneration [35]

Indications

Indications of the whole plant (phytotherapy)

• Inflammation and gastric ulcer, gastritis, intestinal spasms, decreases symptoms of dyspepsia [36]
• Spasmodic colopathies, enteritis, cramps, bloating
• Menstruation disorders, dysmenorrhea
• Sleep disorders, anxiety, mild nervous breakdowns
• Skin and mucosal inflammations, non-histamino-dependent pruritus
• Skin and stomatological infections
• Migraines locally, in decoction in sesame oil (Iranian folk medicine) [37]

Indications of the bud (gemmotherapy)

Specific indications of essential oil (aromatherapy)

• Dermatoses, infected wounds, eczema, ulcers
• Dyspepsia, peptic ulcers
• Amenorrhea & dysmenorrhea
• Cutaneous pruritus [38]

Known or suspected mode of action

• Inhibition of the synthesis and release of inflammatory mediators (prostaglandins, leukotrienes, bradykinin, histamine, serotonin)
• Affinity for central benzodiazepine receptors ( apigenin is a competitive ligand for benzodiazepine receptors)
• Chamazulene is anti -inflammatory, inhibits the formation of leukotriene B4, blocks the peroxidation of arachidonic acid, antioxidant, antibacterial; it is also anti-allergic
• Detoxification of bacterial toxins
• In local applications, bisabolol increases the transcutaneous passage of drugs with low absorption, it is anti-inflammatory like apigenin and luteolin which have the same activity as indomethacin
• Apigenin blocks a step in the estrogen production chain, both in cultured cancer cells and in other cell types where estrogen synthesis is usually very active
• Polyacetylenic derivatives are chemotaxonomic characters of the family Asteraceae

Usual formulations

Regulations

• French Pharmacopoeia list A (capitulum)
• Activity recognized by the German Commission E

Possible side effects and precautions for use

• Herniarin ( coumarin ) could be allergenic
• Known hypersensitivity to Asteraceae
• Avoid infusion in direct eye bath, always on closed eye
• Potential herb interactions with warfarin [39]
• Possible drug interactions of the essential oil with drugs whose elimination pathway is mainly via cytochromes P450: chamazulene , cis-spiroether , trans-spiroether mostly inhibit the isoenzyme CYP1A2, to a lesser degree CYP3A4, chamazulene and alpha-bisabolol inhibit CYP2D6 [40]

Bibliographic references

1. Go↑ Gosztola B, Sárosi S, Németh E. Variability of the essential oil content and composition of chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) affected by weather conditions. Nat Prod Commun. 2010 Mar;5(3):465-70. PMID 20420329
2. Go↑ Singh O, Khanam Z, Misra N, Srivastava MK. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.): An overview. Pharmacogn Rev. 2011 Jan;5(9):82-95. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.79103. PMID 22096322
3. Go↑ Dr. Györgyi Horváth, Prof. Dr. Péter Molnár, Dr. Tímea Bencsik. Pharmacognosy 2. UP MS Department of Pharmacognosy, 31/03/2014. (téléchargeable)
4. Go↑ Srivastava JK, Pandey M, Gupta S. Chamomile, a novel and selective COX-2 inhibitor with anti-inflammatory activity. Life Sci. 2009 Nov 4;85(19-20):663-9. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2009.09.007. PMID 19788894
5. Go↑ Miraj S, Alesaeidi S. A systematic review study of therapeutic effects of Matricaria recuitta chamomile (chamomile). Electron Physician. 2016 Sep 20;8(9):3024-3031. eCollection 2016. PMID 27790360
6. Go↑ McKay DL, Blumberg JB. A review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of chamomile tea (Matricaria recutita L.). Phytother Res. 2006 Jul;20(7):519-30. PMID 16628544
7. Go↑ Maschi O, Cero ED, Galli GV, Caruso D, Bosisio E, Dell'Agli M. Inhibition of human cAMP-phosphodiesterase as a mechanism of the spasmolytic effect of Matricaria recutita L. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Jul 9;56(13):5015-20. PMID 18553893
8. Go↑ Qnais, E. (2011). The analgesic effect of the ethanolic extract of Matricaria aurea. Turkish Journal of Biology, 35(3), 347-352.
9. Go↑ Heidari, M. R., Asadipour, A., & Ghayour, M. (2002). Evaluation of analgesic and ulcerogenic effect of methanolic extract of matricaria chamomilla L. The Journal of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Winter 2002 , Volume - , Number 20; Page(s) 15-23.
10. Go↑ Shakeri, F., Rostamian, V., & Estakhr, J. (2012). Analgesic Properties of Methanolic Extract of" Matricaria recutita" in Rats in both Acute and Chronic Pains. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 4(4), 152-155.
11. Go↑ Nauman, I. T., Hamad, M. N., & Hussain, S. A. (2012). Comparative study of the analgesic activity of two Iraqi medicinal plants, Ruta graveolens and Matricaria chamomilla extracts. Pharmacologia, 3(11), 627-631.
12. Go↑ Kesmati, M., Barfinezhad, N., & Fathi, M. H. Effect of matricaria recutita on acute pain in the presence and absence of sex hormones. Journal of Research In Medical Sciences (Jrms), July-August 2007 , Volume 12 , Number 4; Page(s) 190-197.
13. Go↑ Khayyal MT, el-Ghazaly MA, Kenawy SA, Seif-el-Nasr M, Mahran LG, Kafafi YA, Okpanyi SN. Antiulcerogenic effect of some gastrointestinally acting plant extracts and their combination. Arzneimittelforschung. 2001;51(7):545-53. PMID 11505785
14. Go↑ Bezerra SB, Leal LK, Nogueira NA, Campos AR. Bisabolol-induced gastroprotection against acute gastric lesions: role of prostaglandins, nitric oxide, and KATP+ channels. J Med Food. 2009 Dec;12(6):1403-6. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2008.0290. PMID 20041801
15. Go↑ Sahar Salah El Din El Souda, Khadiga Mohamed Ahmed, Marry Halim Grace, Ezz Eldin Ahmed Elkherassy, Abdel Razik H. Farrag, Samia Mohamed Abdelwahab. Flavonoids and Gastroprotective Effect of Matricaria chamomilla against Indomethacin-Induced Ulcer in Rats. Journal of Herbs, Spices & Medicinal Plants , Volume 21, 2015, Issue 2, Pages 111-117 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10496475.2014.919372
16. Go↑ Cemek M, Yilmaz E, Büyükokuroğlu ME. Protective effect of Matricaria chamomilla on ethanol-induced acute gastric mucosal injury in rats. Pharm Biol. 2010 Jul;48(7):757-63. doi: 10.3109/13880200903296147. PMID 20645773
17. Go^ Moura Rocha NF, Venâncio ET, Moura BA, Gomes Silva MI, Aquino Neto MR, Vasconcelos Rios ER, de Sousa DP, Mendes Vasconcelos SM, de França Fonteles MM, de Sousa FC. Gastroprotection of (-)-alpha-bisabolol on acute gastric mucosal lesions in mice: the possible pharmacological mechanisms involved. Found Clin Pharmacol. 2010 Feb;24(1):63-71. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-8206.2009.00726.x. PMID 19663933
18. Go↑ Shikov AN, Pozharitskaya ON, Makarov VG, Kvetnaya AS. Antibacterial activity of Chamomilla recutita oil extract against Helicobacter pylori. Phytother Res. 2008 Feb;22(2):252-3. PMID 17724768
19. Go↑ Sebai H, Jabri MA, Souli A, Rtibi K, Selmi S, Tebourbi O, El-Benna J, Sakly M. Antidiarrheal and antioxidant activities of chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) decoction extract in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014 Mar 14;152(2):327-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.01.015. PMID 24463157
20. Go↑ Chandrashekhar VM, Halagali KS, Nidavani RB, Shalavadi MH, Biradar BS, Biswas D, Muchchandi IS. Anti-allergic activity of German chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) in mast cell mediated allergy model. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Sep 1; 137 (1): 336-40. doi: 10.1016 / j.jep.2011.05.029. PMID 21651969
21. Go↑ Kobayashi Y, Takahashi R, Ogino F. Antipruritic effect of the single oral administration of German chamomile flower extract and its combined effect with antiallergic agents in ddY mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2005;101(1–3):308–12.
22. Go↑ Suzanna M Zick , Benjamin D Wright , Ananda Sen, J. TODD Arnedt. Preliminary Examination of the Efficacy and Safety of a Standardized Chamomile Extract for Chronic Primary Insomnia: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011 [1]
23. Go↑ Amsterdam JD, Li Y, Soeller I, Rockwell K, Mao JJ, Shults J. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral Matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2009 Aug;29(4):378-82. PMID 19593179
24. Go↑ John R Keefe, Jun J Mao, Irene Soeller, Qing S Li, Jay D Amsterdam. Short-term open-label chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) therapy of moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder. Phytomedicine, Volume 23, Issue 14, 15 December 2016, Pages 1699-1705
25. Go↑ Chandrashekhar VM, Ranpariya VL, Ganapaty S, Parashar A, Muchandi AA. Neuroprotective activity of Matricaria recutita Linn against global model of ischemia in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010 Feb 17;127(3):645-51. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2009.12.009. PMID 20025954
26. Go↑ Srivastava JK, Gupta S. Antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of chamomile extract in various human cancer cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Nov 14;55(23):9470-8. PMID 17939735
27. Go↑ Tomić M, Popović V, Petrović S, Stepanović-Petrović R, Micov A, Pavlović-Drobac M, Couladis M. Antihyperalgesic and antiedematous activities of bisabolol-oxides-rich matricaria oil in a rat model of inflammation. Phytother Res. 2014 May;28(5):759-66. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5057. PMID 23983133
28. Go↑ Lee SH, Heo Y, Kim YC. Effect of German chamomile oil application on alleviating atopic dermatitis-like immune alterations in mice. J Vet Sci. 2010 Mar;11(1):35-41. PMID 20195063
29. Go↑ Mitoshi M, Kuriyama I, Nakayama H, Miyazato H, Sugimoto K, Kobayashi Y, Jippo T, Kanazawa K, Yoshida H, Mizushina Y. Effects of essential oils from herbal plants and citrus fruits on DNA polymerase inhibitory, cancer cell growth inhibitory, antiallergic, and antioxidant activities. J Agric Food Chem. 2012 Nov 14;60(45):11343-50. doi: 10.1021/jf303377f. PMID 23088772
30. Go↑ Can OD, Demir Özkay U, Kıyan HT, Demirci B. Psychopharmacological profile of Chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) essential oil in mice. Phytomedicine. 2012 Feb 15;19(3-4):306-10. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2011.10.001. PMID 22070986
31. Go↑ Shikov AN, Pozharitskaya ON, Makarov VG, Kvetnaya AS. Antibacterial activity of Chamomilla recutita oil extract against Helicobacter pylori. Phytother Res. 2008 Feb;22(2):252-3. PMID 17724768
32. Go↑ Koch C, Reichling J, Kehm R, Sharaf MM, Zentgraf H, Schneele J, Schnitzler P. Efficacy of anise oil, dwarf-pine oil and chamomile oil against thymidine-kinase-positive and thymidine-kinase-negative herpesviruses. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2008 Nov;60(11):1545-50. doi: 10.1211/jpp/60.11.0017. PMID 18957177
33. Go↑ Ghizlane Hajjaj, Amina Bounihi, Mouna Tajani, Yahia Cherrah, Amina Zellou. In vivo Analgesic Activity of Essential Oil and Aqueous Extract of Matricaria chamomilla L. (Asteraceae). World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Volume 3, Issue 5, 01-13. www.wjpps.com/download/article/1399004422.pdf
34. Go↑ Romero Mdel C, Valero A, Martín-Sánchez J, Navarro-Moll MC. Activity of Matricaria chamomilla essential oil against anisakiasis. Phytomedicine. 2012 Apr 15;19(6):520-3. PMID 22397992
35. Go↑ Gershebin LL. Regeneration of rat liver in the presence of essential oils and their components. Food Cosmet Toxicol. 1977 Jun;15(3):173-81. PMID 892673 texte intégral
36. Go↑ Madisch A, Holtmann G, Mayr G, Vinson B, Hotz J. Treatment of functional dyspepsia with a herbal preparation. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Digestion. 2004;69(1):45-52. PMID 14755152
37. Go↑ Zargaran A, Borhani-Haghighi A, Faridi P, Daneshamouz S, Kordafshari G, Mohagheghzadeh A. Potential effect and mechanism of action of topical chamomile (Matricaria chammomila L.) oil on migraine headache: A medical hypothesis. Med Hypotheses. 2014 Nov;83(5):566-9. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2014.08.023. PMID 25238714
38. Go↑ Anh, N. H. K., & Le Son, H. (2016). Potentials of Plant Oils in Pruritus Alleviation. Journal of Advances in Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1-14.
39. Go↑ Segal R, Pilote L. Warfarin interaction with Matricaria chamomilla. CMAJ. 2006 Apr 25;174(9):1281-2. PMID 16636327
40. Go↑ Ganzera M, Schneider P, Stuppner H. Inhibitory effects of the essential oil of chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) and its major constituents on human cytochrome P450 enzymes. Life Sci. 2006 Jan 18;78(8):856-61. PMID 16137701

• Singh O, Khanam Z, Misra N, Srivastava MK. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.): An overview. Pharmacogn Rev. 2011 Jan;5(9):82-95. PMID 22096322
• Srivastava JK, Shankar E, Gupta S. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Mol Med Rep. 2010 Nov 1;3(6):895-901. PMID 21132119 texte intégral
• Wichtl Max, Anton Robert. Therapeutic plants: Tradition, officinal practice, science and therapy. Ed. Tec & Doc. Cachan. 1999 p. 347
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• Lis-Balchin Maria, Deans Stanley G, Eaglesham Elizabeth. Relationship between bioactivity and chemical composition of commercial essential oils. Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 1998, Volume 13, Issue 2, pages 98–104
• Kathy Abascal, Eric Yarnell. Alternative and Complementary Therapies. December 2008, 14(6): 288-294. doi:10.1089/act.2008.14602.
• Rosemary Ann Ogilvie. Dysmenorrhoea. Complementary Medicine, march/april 2005. Texte intégral : http://www.jnlcompmed.com.au/15CMWomens.pdf
• Srivastava JK, Gupta S. Extraction, Characterization, Stability and Biological Activity of Flavonoids Isolated from Chamomile Flowers. Mol Cell Pharmacol. 2009 Jan 1;1(3):138. PMID 20098626

Store in a cool, dry place, away from light. Keep tightly closed, away from the reach of Children and pets.

Do not exceed the daily dose.

This product is not intended to prevent or cure any form of illness or disease.
 

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