Gelsemium

Generic name: Gelsemium Sempervirens (L.) Ait.
Brand names: Carolina Jasmine, Carolina Jessamine, Evening Trumpet Flower, Gelsemium, Woodbine, Yellow Jasmine, Yellow Jessamine

Usage of Gelsemium

Analgesic effects

Animal and in vitro data

Gelsemium and its principal alkaloid gelsemine have been reported to exert central stimulant and analgesic effects able to potentiate the effects of aspirin and phenacetin.Leung 1980 Some analgesic effects may result from gelsemine's ability to modulate glycine receptors.Lara 2016 In a murine model, antiallodynia effects produced through glycine receptors were noted with gelsemine.Shoaib 2019 In a paclitaxel-induced neuropathy rat model, treatment with G. sempervirens prevented or decreased cold allodynia and mechanical allodynia/hyperalgesia associated with paclitaxel. The improvement was noted 1 week after administration, with the beneficial effects increasing after 2 weeks.Vitet 2018

Anxiolytic effects

Some anxiolytic effects may result from gelsemine's ability to modulate glycine receptors.Lara 2016

Animal data

In a murine model, intraperitoneal administration of varying G. sempervirens doses for 9 days was associated with anxiolytic effects, based on an increase in the percentage of time spent in a light compartment (as opposed to dark) when the light-dark test was administered; this effect was comparable to that observed with the standard anxiolytic drug Buspirone. However, unlike buspirone, G. sempervirens did not appear to be associated with sedative effects.Magnani 2010 Similar results were noted in other, similarly designed animal studies of gelsemium, with one study demonstrating anxiolytic effects with a methanolic extract of G. sempervirens.Dutt 2010, Meyer 2013, Zhang 2013

Clinical data

In a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 180 healthy volunteers randomized to receive gelsemium 5CH, 15CH, or placebo, gelsemium did not prevent anticipatory anxiety.Paris 2012

Cognitive impairment

Animal data

In a murine model of dementia, a tincture of gelsemium improved cognition through inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and beta-secretase, as well as through antioxidant effects.Palit 2015

Gelsemium side effects

Symptoms of gelsemium toxicity include sweating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, dilated pupils, paralysis, blurry vision, difficulty breathing, seizures, and coma. The nervous system is overly depressed in cases of severe poisoning, leading to death.Jin 2014, Zhang 2015

Before taking Gelsemium

Although gelsemium has traditionally been used as a homeopathic treatment around labor and delivery, use should be avoided in pregnancy and lactation due to the potential for toxicity.

How to use Gelsemium

Current use of gelsemium is primarily homeopathic. However, clinical trials are lacking to provide gelsemium dosing recommendations; use of gelsemium for any indication is not recommended due to toxicity concerns.

Warnings

All parts of the gelsemium plant contain highly toxic alkaloids that can cause paralysis and death, and therefore should not be ingested. Ingestion of as little as 4 mL of a fluid extract has been reported to be fatal. Toxic symptoms include sweating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, dilated pupils, paralysis, blurry vision, difficulty breathing, seizures, and coma. The nervous system is overly depressed in cases of severe poisoning, leading to death.Jin 2014, Zhang 2015 Gelsemicine is more toxic than gelsemine.Evans 1989

Toxicity has been reported in animals that have grazed on gelsemium, and bees that pollinate the plant have been poisoned. Honey derived from the plant nectar has been reported to be toxic.Dobelis 1986 In animal studies, toxicity has manifested as reductions in motor activity and respiratory rate and the presence of tremors and clonic seizures, with death resulting from asphyxia. The median lethal dose (LD50) for gelsemicine, the most toxic alkaloid of G. sempervirens, has been reported to be 0.2 mg/kg administered intraperitoneally in rats.Jin 2014, Zhang 2015

What other drugs will affect Gelsemium

None well documented.

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