Passionflower

Passionflower

With thanks to Sylvia Salvendy

Latin Name: Passiflora incarnata L.
Family: Passifloraceae

Part used: Leaf/whole plant.
Energetics: Bitter, Drying, Cooling
Iris: Lymphatic.
Interactions: Please check with your Healthcare Provider.

CONTRA-INDICATIONS

  • Theoretically contraindicated for people taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors
  • Bradycardia
  • Drugs that prolong the QT interval
  • Hypotension
  • Major sedatives like barbiturates & benzodiazepines
  • Added effects with St. John’s Wort and/or valerian (but not necessarily contraindicated)
  • Pregnancy and breast-feeding
  • Can interfere with blood thinning and blood pressure medications
  • Stop taking at least 2 weeks before surgery (might increase the effects of anesthesia).
  • Large doses may result in central nervous system depression and slowed or irregular heart rhythms.

ACTIONS

  • Nervine
  • Hypnotic
  • Anti-spasmodic
  • Anodyne
  • Hypotensive.

Main Constituents

  • Alkaloids: harmine, harman, harmol, harmaline, harmalol, and passaflorine.
  • Flavonoids: Apigenin, Kaempferol, luteolin, Quercetin, Rutin
  • Glycosides: Homoorientin, Isovitexin, Orientin, Saponaretin, Saponarin, Vitexin.

Main Uses

Circulatory System: Hypotensive, Tachycardia
Skin: Burns, Swelling, (can be applied to the skin to ease haemorrhoids)
Endocrine: Intransigent insomnia, Menstrual cramps
Respiratory System: Cough, Asthma
Bacterial, Viral and Fungal Infections: Shingles
Mental and Emotional: Sedative and soothing properties i.e. nervous excitement, Anxiety
Musculo-Skeletal: Fibromyalgia, Muscular twitches, Convulsions
Nervous System: Parkinson's disease, Seizures, Depressant effect on C.N.S. activity (without grogginess)
Digestive System: Stomach sedative (ie indigestion or of nervous origin); anxiety 

More About Passionflower

Passionflower contains vines, lianas, shrubs and trees and is predominantly distributed throughout Mexico and Central and South America, with a few species endemic to Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Because of their decorative flowers some species are frequently cultivated as ornamentals and the fruits of some passifloras are delicious to eat and are traded as passionfruit or maracujá (P.edulis), sweet grenadilla (P. ligularis).
Passion fruit have been grown as a semi-domesticated crop by the Aztecs, Incas & other South American Native Indians for thousands of years. In pre-Columbian times, some species were as a source of food (twelve to sixty species are edible) and as sedatives and medicines. Native American Indians also used passionflower regularly for medicinal purposes.
The passionflower plant has a long tradition as a religious symbol and a medicinal plant. When in 1569 Spanish explorers discovered passionflower in Peru its floral structure was seen as symbolising the implements of the crucifixion story, a symbolic reflection of the Passion of the Christ. Five sepals and five petals refer to the ten faithful apostles (excluding Judas and Peter).
Three stigma represent the three nails that held Christ to the cross, while five anthers represent his five sacred wounds. The tendrils of the flower are said to resemble the whips used in the flagellation, while the filaments, which can number in excess of a hundred depending on the flower, depict the crown of thorns. The species name incarnata means “made of flesh or flesh-colored”.
Now, over 350 species of passion are native throughout the subtropics of the Americas, Europe and Asia. A fast-growing wildflower, passionflower is also known as the maypop, apricot vine, and passion vine. The vine produces blue, pink, purple and red flowers.
It is used for anxiety and sleep problems, as well as for pain, heart rhythm problems, menopausal symptoms, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is also applied to the skin for burns and to treat hemorrhoids.
Passionflower products are available as fluid extracts, capsules, powders.

    References


    Sleep Quality

    A double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of the effects of Passiflora incarnata (passionflower) herbal tea on subjective sleep quality
    Of six sleep-diary measures analysed, sleep quality showed a significantly better rating for passionflower compared with placebo (t(40) = 2.70, p < 0.01). These initial findings suggest that the consumption of a low dose of Passiflora incarnata, in the form of tea, yields short-term subjective sleep benefits for healthy adults with mild fluctuations in sleep quality.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21294203/

    Anxiety

    Passionflower in the treatment of generalized anxiety: a pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial with oxazepam
    The results suggest that Passiflora extract is an effective drug for the management of generalized anxiety disorder.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11679026/

    Anti-Oxidant/Inflammatory 

    Extracts and Flavonoids of Passiflora Species as Promising Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Substances
    The review concluded that extracts and flavonoids (mainly quercetin, apigenin, and vitexin) from Passiflora spp. can be a valuable source of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative medications for the prevention and treatment of many diseases, which occur with complex inflammatory processes.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32452323/

    Anti-Oxidant/Inflammatory 

    Extracts and Flavonoids of Passiflora Species as Promising Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Substances
    The review concluded that extracts and flavonoids (mainly quercetin, apigenin, and vitexin) from Passiflora spp. can be a valuable source of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative medications for the prevention and treatment of many diseases, which occur with complex inflammatory processes.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32452323/

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