Apiol Explained

Apiol, also known as liquid apiol or green oil of parsley is the extracted oleoresin of parsley, rather than the distilled oil. Due to its similarity to the term apiole, care should be taken to avoid confusion.^[1] Apiol is an irritant and, in high doses, it can cause liver and kidney damage.^[2] Cases of death due to attempted abortion using apiol have been reported.^{[3] [4]}

Hippocrates wrote about parsley as a herb to cause an abortion.^[5] Plants containing apiole were used by women in the Middle Ages to terminate pregnancies.

Its use was widespread in the US, often as ergoapiol or apergol, until a highly toxic adulterated product containing apiol and tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate (also famous as the adulterant added to Jamaica ginger) was introduced on the American market.

Now that safer methods of abortion are available, apiol is almost forgotten.

Further reading

• David . T.J. . Randall . S.C. . Fetal malformations: A hazard of attempted abortion . Forensic Science . January 1974 . 4 . 1 . 71–73 . 10.1016/0300-9432(74)90079-x . 4852037 .
• Eid . Ahmad M. . Jaradat . Nidal . Public Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Herbal Remedies Used During Pregnancy and Lactation in West Bank Palestine . Frontiers in Pharmacology . 14 February 2020 . 11 . 46 . 10.3389/fphar.2020.00046 . 32116721 . 7034419 . free .

Notes and References

1. Shulgin . Alexander T. . Possible Implication of Myristicin as a Psychotropic Substance . Nature . April 1966 . 210 . 5034 . 380–384 . 10.1038/210380a0 . 5336379 . 1966Natur.210..380S . 4189608 .
2. Amerio . A . De Benedictis . G . Leondeff . J . Mastrangelo . F . Coratelli . P . La nefropatia da apiolo . Nephropathy due to apiol . it . Minerva Nefrologica . January 1968 . 15 . 1 . 49–70 . 5736450 . 100396864 .
3. Quinn . Louis J. . Harris . Cecil . Joron . Guy E. . Apiol Poisoning . Canadian Medical Association Journal . 15 April 1958 . 78 . 8 . 635–636 . 20325694 . 1829842 .
4. Hermann . Kate . Le Roux . Anne . Fiddes . F.S. . Death from apiol used as abortifacient . The Lancet . June 1956 . 267 . 6929 . 937–939 . 10.1016/s0140-6736(56)91522-7 . 13320936 .
5. Book: Sage-Femme Collective . Natural Liberty: Rediscovering Self-induced Abortion Methods . 2008 . Natural Liberty . 978-0-9645920-0-1 .