Broom
By john | February 6, 2008
Broom is derived from the dried and stripped flowers, the dried aerial parts, and the freshly picked flowers of Cytisus scoparius. The main alkaloid in broom is sparteine, a transparent, oily liquid, colorless when fresh, turning brown on exposure, with an aniline-like odor and a very bitter taste. It’s slightly soluble in water, but readily soluble in alcohol and ether. Sparteine is a powerful oxytocic once used for inducing uterine contractions. It also has antiarrhythmic and bradycardic effects.
Scoparin, the other principal component, is a glucoside that occurs in pale yellow crystals, is tasteless, and is soluble in alcohol and hot water. It’s responsible for broom’s diuretic effect. Broom also contains flavonoids, biogenic amines, isoflavonoids, and other alkaloids. It’s available as an aqueous essential oil extract, liquid extract, and tincture.
Benefits And Uses of Broom
Aqueous essential oil extracts of broom are used internally to treat hypertension and cardiovascular and circulatory disorders as well as to stabilize circulation and elevate blood pressure. It’s used as a cathartic and diuretic and, in large doses, as an emetic.
Broom is also used to treat pathologic edema, cardiac arrhythmia, nervous cardiac complaints, menorrhagia, hemorrhage after birth, hypotension, bleeding gums, hemophilia, gout, rheumatism, sciatica, gall and kidney stones, splenomegaly, jaundice, snake bites, and bronchial conditions, and to stimulate uterine contractions. Broom may be smoked like marijuana to produce euphoria and relaxation.
Administration
- Infusion: 1 cup fresh infusion by mouth three times a day .
- Liquid extract (25% alcohol): 1 to 2 ml by mouth every day .
- Tincture: 0.5 to 2 ml by mouth.
Side Effects of Broom
Additive effects may occur if broom is used with antihypertensives. Herbal products prepared with alcohol may cause a disulfiram-like reaction. Broom may cause a hypertensive crisis if used with monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. Additive effects may occur if broom is used with quinidine. Additive effects may occur if broom is used with nicotine or smoking.
Those taking an MAO inhibitor, those with hypertension or atrioventricular block, and those who are pregnant should avoid use. Broom may also cause headache.
Clinical considerations
- Advise patient that broom should be used only under a health care provider’s supervision because it has the potential for abuse.
- Doses that contain more than 300 mg sparteine, or 30 g of drug, may cause dizziness, headache, palpitations, weakness, sweating, sleepiness, pupil dilation, and ocular palsy.
- If overdose occurs and patient doesn’t vomit on his own, perform gastric lavage and administer activated charcoal. Treat spasms with chlorpromazine or diazepam. If patient becomes asphyxiated, intubation and oxygen respiration may be needed.
- Monitor blood pressure in patient who’s using broom.
- Warn patient not to delay seeking appropriate medical evaluation for edema and cardiac complaints because doing so may delay diagnosis of a potentially serious medical condition.
- Advise patient who’s taking an MAO inhibitor or is pregnant not to use broom.
- Tell patient to remind prescriber and pharmacist of any herbal or dietary supplement that he’s taking when obtaining a new prescription.
- Advise patient to consult his health care provider before using an herbal preparation because a treatment with proven efficacy may be available.
Research summary
The concepts behind the use of broom and the claims made regarding its effects have not yet been validated scientifically.
Tagged under:alkaloid alkaloids Alternative Medicines biogenic amines bitter taste cytisus scoparius disulfiram diuretic effect glucoside hypertensive crisis kidney stones snake bites uterine contractions
Topics: Alternative Medicines |
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