Tarragon: French

Tarragon Artemisia dracunculus L. French tarragon or Italian tarragon oU jS-pinene and sabinene (24-47) Russian tarragon or German tarragon sabinene(ll-47), methyl eugenol (6-36), elemicin (1-60)... 

Plant part The fresh or dried herb. The plant is native to the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere and cultivated in Russia, France, Germany and southern Europe. Among the cultivated forms a distinction is made between French tarragon , which must be propagated vegetatively, and the less aromatic Russian tarragon . 

Composition Methyl chavicol (estragol) (up to 80%) is the main constituent of French tarragon and, therefore, of the commercially available oils. Sabinene, limonene, ocimene (both isomers), methyl eugenol and in some oils elemicine are further constituents (besides sabinene, the latter both are main components in Russian and German tarragon leaf oil). For detailed analyses see [276, 277, 278, 279]. 

French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) Oregano (Origanum vulgare)... 

Synonyms cas 1401-55-4 d acide tannique (french) gallotannicacid gallotannin glycerite tannin Tarragon Oil... 

An animal study and traditional human use indicate that French tarragon may modify glucose regulation (Ribnicky et al. 2006 Swanston-Flatt et al. 1991). People with diabetes are advised to monitor their blood sugar closely and discuss the use of this herb with a qualified healthcare practitioner prior to use. 

In vitro studies indicate that extracts of French tarragon may inhibit platelet aggregation (Shahriyary and Yazdanparast 2007 Tognolini et al. 2006). 

No information on the safety of French tarragon in pregnancy or lactation was identified in the scientific or traditional literature. Although this review did not identify any concerns for use while pregnant or nursing, safety has not been conclusively established. 

In diabetic mice orally administered 500 mg/kg of an ethanol extract of French tarragon daily for 7 days, a reduction in blood glucose levels was observed (Ribnicky et al. 2006). 

In guinea pig and rat plasma, French tarragon essential oil exhibited antiplatelet activity against ADP-, arachidonic acid-, and U46619-induced platelet aggregation. The essential oil also demonstrated an ability to destabilize clot retraction (Tognolini et al. 2006). 

Inhibition of platelet adhesion, aggregation, and secretion was observed in human platelets treated with a methanol extract of French tarragon (Shahriyary and Yazdanparast 2007). 

No information on the safety of French tarragon during pregnancy or lactation was identified. 

The essential oil of French tarragon exhibited mutagenic activity in the Bacillus subtUis rec-assay but not in the Salmonella/microsome reversion assay (Zani et al. 1991). 

---