Boswell-Ruys Claire L, Ritchie Helen E, Brown-Woodman Patricia D
School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sydney, Cumberland Campus, East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2141, Australia.
Birth Defects Res B Dev Reprod Toxicol. 2003 Oct;68(5):416-20. doi: 10.1002/bdrb.10038.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is used for the treatment of diarrhea, as a urinary antiseptic, hypotensive, and diuretic. Yarrow also has traditionally been used as an abortifacient, emmenagogue, contraceptive, and for stimulating uterine contractions. For this reason, it is contra-indicated for use in pregnancy. There has, however, been little scientific research carried out to either confirm or refute this recommendation.
Female rats were dosed, orally by gavage using 56 times the human dose of yarrow daily on either gestation days (GD) 1-8 or GD 8-15. Two groups of controls were included; the first received water and the second received an equivalent dose of ethanol to that found in the yarrow preparation over the two gestation periods. On GD 20, rats were sacrificed, placentae were weighed, and corpora lutea counted. The fetuses were weighed and examined for signs of external, internal or skeletal malformations.
The dose used was not materno-toxic. There was no increase in pre- or post-implantation losses suggesting that yarrow was neither an abortifacient nor a contraceptive. Placental weights were increased in rats treated with yarrow on GD 8-15 compared to water and ethanol controls and on GD 1-8 compared to water control fetuses. Body weight was reduced in fetuses exposed to yarrow on GD 8-15 compared to water control fetuses. There was no difference in incidence of external or internal malformations.
In the present study it was found that yarrow, when administered to rats at 56 times the human dose, was associated with reduced fetal weight and increased placental weight. In the absence of a no observable effect level for these variables it must be concluded that the consumption of yarrow is contraindicated during pregnancy until further investigations have been carried out.
欧蓍草（Achillea millefolium）可用于治疗腹泻、作为尿道抗菌剂、降血压药和利尿剂。传统上，欧蓍草还被用作堕胎药、通经药、避孕药以及刺激子宫收缩的药物。因此，孕期禁用。然而，几乎没有科学研究来证实或反驳这一建议。
雌性大鼠在妊娠第1 - 8天或第8 - 15天，每天经口灌胃给予相当于人用量56倍的欧蓍草。设置两组对照组；第一组给予水，第二组在两个妊娠期给予与欧蓍草制剂中乙醇含量相当的乙醇。在妊娠第20天，处死大鼠，称量胎盘重量，计数黄体数量。称量胎儿体重并检查有无外部、内部或骨骼畸形迹象。
所用剂量对母体无毒。着床前或着床后损失未见增加，表明欧蓍草既非堕胎药也非避孕药。与水和乙醇对照组相比，在妊娠第8 - 15天用欧蓍草处理的大鼠胎盘重量增加；与水对照组胎儿相比，在妊娠第1 - 8天用欧蓍草处理的大鼠胎盘重量增加。与水对照组胎儿相比，在妊娠第8 - 15天暴露于欧蓍草的胎儿体重降低。外部或内部畸形发生率无差异。
在本研究中发现，以人用量56倍的剂量给大鼠服用欧蓍草，会导致胎儿体重降低和胎盘重量增加。鉴于这些变量未观察到无作用水平，必须得出结论：在进一步研究之前，孕期禁用欧蓍草。
