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Ambrosia maritima L.<br />

Compositae<br />

Ambrosia maritima L.<br />

Crushed dried herb of Ambrosia<br />

Ambrosia maritima L.; Species Plantarum 2: 988.<br />

1753<br />

Arabic: Damsissa<br />

English: Damaseisa, Rogweed, Ambrosia, Sea<br />

Ambrosia, Oak of Cappadocia<br />

French: Ambroisie, Ambrosie<br />

Prof. F. M. Hammouda, Prof. S. I. Ismail,<br />

Dr. N. S. Abdel-Azim and Dr. K. A. Shams<br />

Edited by: Prof. K. H. . Batanouny<br />

■ Morphological description<br />

Usually aromatic, richly branched, grey-hairy herb<br />

with finely dissected, fragrant leaves. Grey villosecanescent<br />

annual or short-lived perennial. The stem<br />

is green, erect, solid, slender, striated with faint<br />

ridges. Leaves pinnatisect, petiolate, alternate or<br />

opposite and exstipulate, ovate to triangular-ovate<br />

shape with 4-7 lobes. Corollas tubular, yellow,<br />

pubescent outside. Anthers 1-1.5 mm with a<br />

conspicuous appendage.<br />

■ Geographical distribution<br />

Local: Nile delta, on muddy canal banks, Oases<br />

and <strong><strong>Med</strong>iterranean</strong> region.<br />

Regional: Egypt, <strong><strong>Med</strong>iterranean</strong> Costal strip from<br />

El Sallum to Rafah.<br />

Global: <strong><strong>Med</strong>iterranean</strong> region.<br />

■ Ecology<br />

iThe plant grows on the Nile and canal banks on<br />

the sediments from the Nile flood. After the<br />

construction of the high Dam and the lack of these<br />

sediments, the plant became rare. This threatens<br />

this species in addition to the continuous collection<br />

<strong>for</strong> folk medicinal uses.<br />

■ Status<br />

The plant is threatened due to the retreat of its<br />

habitat and the exploitation <strong>for</strong> folk medicinal uses.<br />

There is need <strong>for</strong> conserving this species, both in<br />

situ and ex situ.<br />

■ Part used<br />

The flowering and fruiting herb.<br />

Collection: Fruiting stage<br />

Preparations: Decoction<br />

Use: By mouth<br />

■ Constituents<br />

Sesquiterpene: chloroambrosin, ambrosin, damsin,<br />

neoambrosin, farnserin, hymenolin, hymenin,<br />

stamonin-b, anhydrofarnserin; triterpenes: s-amyrin;<br />

flavonoids: apigenin; coumarins; sterols: ß-sitosterol;<br />

tannin; and volatile oil: carvone, camphor,<br />

caryophyllene, cineole.<br />

■ Pharmacological action and<br />

toxicity<br />

1. The effect of Ambrosia maritima L. on the viability<br />

of lymnea snails was studied. Ambrosia<br />

maritima was lethal to lymnea snails at concentration<br />

of 3000 mg/l after one day and at 100<br />

mg/l after 14 days.<br />

2. The isolated compounds showed considerable<br />

cytotoxic activity.<br />

3. The aqueous extract exhibited significant changes<br />

in the electro cardiogram pattern of adult<br />

anesthetized dogs and induced arrhythmic<br />

manifestations in doses of 2, 4, and 8 ml/kg<br />

body weight.<br />

4. It relaxes plain muscles of the intestine, uterus<br />

and blood vessels, where it inhibits the <strong>for</strong>ce<br />

and frequency of plain muscle contraction.<br />

5. It increases the urine output/day and the level<br />

of sodium in urine.<br />

6. It decreases body weight.<br />

7. It has anti microbial activity against<br />

Streptococcus pyogens, Aspergillus niger.<br />

A Guide to <strong>Med</strong>icinal Plants in North Africa 1

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8. It has an excellent molluscicidal activity due to<br />

its content of volatile oil and sesquiterpenes.<br />

■ Pharmacopeias<br />

Not available.<br />

■ Pharmaceutical products<br />

Not available<br />

■ Traditional medicine and local<br />

knowledge<br />

History: In ancient mythology, Ambrosia is sometimes<br />

the food, sometimes the drink, of the Gods.<br />

The word has been derived from Greek a-(not) and<br />

mbrotos (mortal); hence the food or drink of the<br />

immortals. A. W. Verrall, however, denies that there<br />

is any clear example in which the word ambrosios<br />

necessarilly means immortal, and prefers to explain<br />

it as "fragrant", a sense which is always suitable . If<br />

so, the word may be derived from the Semiticambar<br />

(ambergris) to which Eastern nations attribute<br />

miraculous properties. W. H. Roscher thinks that<br />

both nectar and ambrosia were kinds of honey, in<br />

which case their power of conferring immortality<br />

would be due to the supposed healing and<br />

cleansing power of honey . Derivatively, the word<br />

Ambrosia (neuter plural) was given to certain festivals<br />

in honour of Dionysus, probably because of the<br />

predominance of feasting i n connection with them.<br />

Diseases:<br />

• Antispasmodic<br />

• Anti diuretic<br />

• Bronchial asthma<br />

• Bilharziasis<br />

• Diabetes<br />

• Kidney diseases<br />

• Spasms<br />

Other uses of the plant: Flowering branches of<br />

the plant are used as stimulant, stomachic, slightly<br />

astringent, emollient, vulnerary.<br />

■ References<br />

Abdallah, O. M.; Ali, A. A. and Itokawa, H. (1991).<br />

"Cytotoxic acyivity of sesquiterpene lactones<br />

isolated from Ambrosia maritima". Pharmazie,<br />

46(60: 472.<br />

Abadome, F.; Geerts, S. and Kumar, V. (1994). "Evaluation<br />

of the activity of Ambrosia maritima L.<br />

against Schistosoma mansoni infection in mice"<br />

J. Ethnopharmacol. 44(3): 195-198.<br />

Belot, J.; Greets, S.; Polderman, A. M.; Symoens, J. J.<br />

and Triest, L. (1992). "Comparative evaluation<br />

of the molluscicidal activity of Ambrosia<br />

maritima in Egypt and Senegal." In: Vector<br />

control of Schistomiasis using native African<br />

plantsseminar, March 24, Brussels, pp. 101-<br />

112, Academic Royale des Sciences di Outre-<br />

Mer, Brussels.<br />

El-Sawy, M. F.; El-Hamd, Z. M. S.; Loutfy, N. F.; El-<br />

Masry, S. and Abdel Gaulil, M. Z., (1986). J. of<br />

1the Egypt Society of Parasitology, 16, 1, 57-<br />

64.<br />

General references<br />

Amin, W. M. A. (1990). "A pharmacognostical study<br />

of certain Egyptian molluscicidal plants". Ph. D.<br />

Thesis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University.<br />

Batanouny, K. H., (1999). “Wild <strong>Med</strong>icinal Plants in<br />

Egypt”. (With contribution of: E. Aboutabl, M.<br />

Shabana & F. Soliman). With support of the<br />

Swiss Development <strong>Cooperation</strong> (SDC).<br />

Academy of Scientific Research and Technology,<br />

Egypt. International Union <strong>for</strong> Conservation<br />

(<strong>IUCN</strong>), Switzerland. pp. 109-112.<br />

Boulos, L.2000 "Flora of Egypt", volume three, PP.<br />

168-170, printed by Al Hadara Publishing,<br />

Cairo, Egypt.<br />

Täckholm, Vivi. "Student`s Flora of Egypt". 2 nd<br />

edition, Cairo University, Egypt (1974).<br />

2<br />

A Guide to <strong>Med</strong>icinal Plants in North Africa