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Chamomile, earth apple and greek name: Χαμομήλι
Naked poa annua with shoots 10-60cm long, with many branches at the top.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is native to Europe and western Asia, and common throughout Greece, in cultivated and bare fields, growing between 0-800 m, rarely -1500 m. It is also cultivated as a medicinal plant. Flowers May-August.
It is a medicinal plant with soothing and tonic properties. It is one of the most important and widespread medicinal and aromatic plants with countless beneficial properties and uses. It has been used since antiquity and there are references to it in Galen and Dioscorides.
Gennadius refers to the common chamomile and its value. He describes Dioscorides' reference to the flowers of the anthelminthes whose action resembles that of the chamomile.
Hippocrates makes reference to Matricaria chamomilla in his book "On Women's Physiology".
It contains mainly essential oils (hamazulin, bisabolol, farnesin) and flavonoids (palustrine, quercetin, apigenin) associated with its antispasmodic action, as well as coumarins, tannins and anthraemic acid.
Analgesic, antipyretic, antiseptic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, healing, diuretic, antitussive, antispasmodic, sedative and hypnotic.
Pharmaceutical forms
The dried flowers. Extracts of essential oils.
Pharmacological and therapeutic applications
It is used as a decoction with hot water ("teion") for internal oral intake, or for topical use by tickling. Extracts of the essential oils are added to ointments, poultices and compresses, as well as to cosmetic creams and soaps.
Method of processing the medicinal herb
The flowers are dried for the preparation of infusion. The essential oils are isolated by special laboratory decoction methods.
Adverse actions
Causes interactions with other herbal products and with prescription drugs. Its sedative action may enhance the hypnotic effect of drugs that act sedatively on the central nervous system. Because of the presence of apigenin and coumarin, it may enhance the action of anticoagulant drugs, as well as the antiplatelet action of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Allergic reactions have been reported.
