Evaluation Of Scientific Evidence For Abortifacient Medicinal Plants Mentioned In Traditional Persian Medicine

Background: Miscarriage or spontaneous ending to a pregnancy takes place at the early stages of pregnancy without intervention. Pregnant women may use medicinal herbs to relieve some of the symptoms of pregnancy as they believe that all herbs are safe. Some abortion-inducing herbs were mentioned by the famous Iranian philosophers, Avicenna and Aghili, in documents of traditional Persian medicine titled Al-Qanun Fi Al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine, written by Avicenna in the 11th century) and Makhzan Al-adviyah (The Storehouse of Medicaments, written by Aghili in the 18th century). Methods: Electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched to find new scientific evidence that these plants are toxic during pregnancy. Data was collected from 1831 to 2019. Results: Twenty-one plants were found to be abortive according to Al-Qanun Fi Al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine) and Makhzan Al-adviyah (The Storehouse of Medicaments). Scientific research has shown that these plants possess abortifacient effects by the mechanisms of toxic alkaloids, uterine stimulants, and emmenagogue that interferes with implantation and results in fetus toxicity. These studies included in vivo or in vitro studies. Some of these plants showed abortifacient effects by more than one mechanism. Ruta graveolens, Nigella sativa, Curcuma longa, Lupinus termis, Apium graveolens, Mentha longifolia, and Peganum harmala possess uterine stimulant properties. Ruta graveolens, Juniperus sabina, Cicer arietinum, Piper longum, Artemisia absinthium, and Citrullus colocynthis interfere with implantation. Ruta graveolens, Nigella sativa, Curcuma longa, Tanacetum parthenium, Piper longum, Laurus nobilis, Apium graveolens, Mentha longifolia, and Cinnamomum iners exhibit emmenagogue effects. Lupinus termis, Delphinium staphisagria, Laurus nobilis, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Zataria multiflora, and Artemisia absinthium contain toxic alkaloids and possess teratogenic effects. Conclusion: The results of this study of traditional Persian medicine resources have been confirmed with new scientific evidence. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid consuming herbs without knowledge of their safety.