Abortifacient Medicinal Plants: A Review of Toxic Herbs During Pregnancy

Introduction: Miscarriage remains a major challenge in women’s reproductive health. Traditional Iranian medicine has long recognized certain medicinal plants with toxic effects during pregnancy, offering natural approaches both to induce and to prevent conception. This study aims to identify and examine abortifacient plants as documented in classical Iranian medical sources. Methods: This study was conducted as a systematic review of traditional medical literature. Medicinal plants associated with the induction of miscarriage were collected and analyzed using authoritative references from traditional medicine, herbal texts, and online databases. Results: Traditional Iranian sources indicate that plants such as Cinnamomum verum L., Petroselinum crispum L., Sesamum indicum L., Crocus sativus L., Matricaria chamomilla L., Ananas comosus L., Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Mentha piperita L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Ferula assa-foetida L., Drimys winteri J.R. et G. Forster, Berberis vulgaris L., Angelica archangelica L., Anethum graveolens L., Apium graveolens L., Viola odorata L., Althaea officinalis L., Thymus vulgaris L., Aloe barbadensis Mill., Lawsonia inermis L., Equisetum arvense L., Syzygium aromaticum L., Citrullus colocynthis L., Terminalia chebula Retz., Saccharum officinarum L., Glycine max (L.) Merr. may possess abortifacient properties. Leaves (۲۸%) and seeds (۲۳%) represented the most frequently utilized plant parts exhibiting abortifacient activity. Moreover, the majority of abortifacient medicinal plants were classified within the Apiaceae and Lamiaceae families. Conclusion: Certain medicinal plants exhibit abortifacient effects, making their inadvertent use during pregnancy potentially hazardous. Awareness of these plants and careful study of their properties can serve as a crucial guide for safeguarding maternal and fetal health and can lay the groundwork for future scientific investigations into their efficacy and mechanisms of action.

کلیدواژه ها:

Fetus ، Toxicity ، Miscarriage ، Pregnancy ، Traditional Medicine ، Iran