Botanical Index No. 776

Passionflower

passiflora incarnata

Medicinal Actions

Analgesic, Antibacterial, Antiinflammatory, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Anxiolytic, Candidicide, Cardiotonic, CNS-Depressant, CNS-Stimulant, Cyanogenic, Digestive, Emetic, Fungicide, Hematinic, Hypnotic, Hypotensive, Myorelaxant, Narcotic, Respirastimulant, Sedative, Soporific, Uterorelaxant, Uterotonic, Colic

Primary Conditions Treated

Eclampsia Enterosis Epilepsy Erysipelas Fever Flu Fungus Gastrosis Headache Hemorrhoid High Blood Pressure Hyperactivity Hysteria Infection Inflammation Insomnia Morphinism Myalgia Mycosis Nervousness Nervous Restlessness Neuralgia Neurasthenia Neurosis Nicotinism Ophthalmia Pain Palpitation PMS Proctosis Restlessness Shock Sore Spasm Stress Tachycardia Tetanus Toothache Typhoid Uterosis Weaning Yeast MAOI Tranquilizer Addiction Anxiety Asthma Atony Bacteria Boil Bronchosis Bruise Burn Cancer Candida Cardiopathy Chancre Chorea Convulsion Cramp Cut Depression Dermatosis Diarrhea Dysentery Dysmenorrhea Dyspnea Earache

General Dosage

1–2 tbsp flower/day; 1 tsp dry flower/cup water up to 3 ×/day; 0.5–1 tsp flower tincture to 3 ×/day; 2–4 ml flower tincture/day; 150–300 mg solid leaf extract; 0.5–1 ml liquid leaf extract; 0.5–2 ml shoot tincture; 4–8 g dry herb; 1–3 g dry herb/day; 0.25–2.5 g herb, or in tea, 2–3 ×/day; 1 tsp herb/cup tea 2–3 ×/day; 20 g herb/200 ml water for hemorrhoid wash; 0.5–1.0 ml liquid herbal extract 3 ×/day; 0.5–2.0 ml herbal tincture 3 ×/day; StX = 0.8% total flavonoids.

Safety & Contraindications

Class 1. None known or reported. Large doses may result in CNS depression. The same precautions suggested for MAOIs might be indicated here. Excessive doses may potentiate MAOI therapy. Because of harman and harmaline, its use in pregnancy and lactation is to be avoided. One report on humans detailed hypnotic sedative effects, but there were hints of hepatotoxicity and pancreatoxicity. “Content of harman alkaloids ... must not exceed 0.01 percent”. Animal studies suggest motility inhibition. LD50 unspecified extracts = 3000–15,000 mg/kg; toxic dose ipr 500–900 mg/kg alcoholic and dry extracts. LD50 maltol 820 mg/kg scu mouse.

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