Asafoetida

Scientific Name(s): Ferula asafoetida L., F. foetida Regal, F. rubricaulis Boissier, and other Ferula sp. Family: Umbelliferae

Common Name(s): Asafetida , asafoetida , devil's dung , gum asafoetida , hing

Clinical Overview

Uses of Asafoetida

The gum resin asafoetida is used as a flavoring, food preservative, and fragrance. It is used as a folk remedy for a wide variety of ills and as an aphrodisiac, diuretic, sedative, and stimulant.

Asafoetida Dosing

Traditional use of asafoetida resin for carminative and stimulant purposes recommends a 400 mg dose. There is no recent clinical evidence to support dosage recommendations.

Contraindications

Use in children is discouraged because of a potential to produce methemoglobinemia.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking; however, because of the theoretical possibility of increased risk of bleeding, use at or near term is discouraged.

Asafoetida Interactions

None well documented.

Asafoetida Adverse Reactions

Topical application may cause skin irritation.

Toxicology

Considered to be potentially life threatening to infants; however, ingestion has not been associated with severe toxicity in adults.

Botany

Indigenous to eastern Iran and western Afghanistan, asafoetida is the gum resin obtained from the roots and rhizomes of Ferula asafoetida . In Afghanistan, the plant grows wild at elevations of 0.61 to 1.22 km on plains that are arid in winter and in which few other plants survive. 1 The plant reaches a height of up to 2 m and bears clusters of pale greenish-yellow flowers and an oval fruit. All parts of the plant have a distinctive fetid odor. Extraction of the gum begins just before flowering. The stalks are cut close to the ground, the roots exposed and slashed, and a milky liquid oozes out. 2 The liquid then dries to form a resin and a fresh cut is made. The process is continued for about 3 months from the first incision; a single plant may yield up to 1 kg of resin before it dries out. The fresh gum is a soft, almost semiliquid mass that undergoes a gradual color change from shimmering yellowish white to reddish-brown. 3

History

The common name asafoetida is derived from the Farsi word aza (resin) and the Latin foetidus (smelling, fetid). Many unusual medical claims have been made for the resin, most stemming from the belief that its fetid odor acts as a deterrent to germs. The shock of the sulfurous smell was once thought to calm hysteria and, in the days of the Wild West, asafoetida was included in a mixture with other strong spices as a cure for alcoholism. It has been used for abdominal tumors and as a carminative, intestinal spasmodic, aphrodisiac, diuretic, sedative, and stimulant. Use as an antidote for flatulence and for respiratory conditions like asthma, bronchitis, and whooping cough has also been documented. 2 Today, asafoetida is commonly used as a fragrance component in perfumes and in minute quantities in Indian vegetarian cooking. The antiflatulent qualities are utilized in dishes containing large quantities of pulses such as beans or lentils. It is sold as a spice and food preservative and, at very low levels, has been used in candies, beverages, relishes, and sauces. 4

Chemistry

Asafoetida is composed of approximately 4% to 20% volatile oil, 40% to 60% resin, and 25% gum. 5 The most striking feature of the gum is its putrid, almost nauseating odor and bitter, acrid taste. These unpleasant characteristics are caused by organic, sulfur-containing compounds found in the essential oil. Isolated sulfur compounds include disulfides (eg, asadisulfide and symmetric tri- and tetrasulfides). 6 Several sesquiterpene coumarins have been identified, including assafoetidnol A and B. A compound initially designated assacoumarin B has also been described. However, subsequent spectroscopic investigation indicated it to be galbanic acid, a known constituent of galbanum. 6 Characteristically, the plant also contains glucuronic acid, galactose, arabinose, and rhamnose. Pinene, cadinene, and vanillin are found in the oil and umbelliferone, asaresinotannol, and ferulic acid in the resin. In addition, asafoetida contains a number of terpenes and lipid-soluble substances that have not been well characterized.

Asafoetida Uses and Pharmacology

Asafoetida is a potent antioxidant, 7 and ferulic acid (a component of the resin) has shown promise as a chemopreventive agent, 5 suggesting that asafoetida may offer some protection against carcinogenesis. In vitro studies have shown some cytotoxicity against lymphoma ascites, tumor cells, and human lymphocytes. 8 Protection against the mutagenicity induced by aflatoxin B1 has also been demonstrated. 9 However, this effect was only evident against 1 strain of Salmonella typhimurium and was smaller than that observed with tumeric and garlic. The mechanism through which asafoetida exerts its anti-tumor activity is not clear. Hypotheses include interception of free radicals, induction of enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase and quinone reductase, and inhibition of polyamine and DNA biosynthesis. 7

Administration of F. asafoetida conferred considerable protection against chemically-induced mammary carcinogenesis in young, female rats. 5 The reduction in the mean number of mammary carcinomas per rat (regarded as the most reliable index of mammary tumorogenesis in experimental animals) was highly significant in rats receiving asafoetida as part of their diet (1.25% or 2.5% w/w). Long-term studies showed reduction in the multiplicity and size of palpable mammary tumors and a delay in mean latency period of tumor appearance. The administration of asafoetida in the diet did not affect food intake.

Research reveals no clinical data regarding the use of asafoetida in cancer.

In a study in rats, asafoetida did not reduce serum cholesterol levels. 10 In vitro activity against Trichomonas vaginalis has been documented.

Dosage

Traditional use of asafoetida resin for carminative and stimulant purposes recommends a 400 mg dose. There is no recent clinical evidence to support dosage recommendations.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking. However, because of the presence of coumarin congeners in asafoetida, a theoretical risk of increased bleeding exists and use is discouraged at or near term.

Interactions

Several coumarin derivatives have been isolated from asafoetida resin, 6 suggesting the possibility of a potentiation of the pharmacologic activity of anticoagulant drugs (eg, warfarin). 11 Published reports of such interactions are lacking and the clinical importance is unknown.

Adverse Reactions

The topical use of asafoetida may result in skin irritation.

Toxicology

Ingestion has not been associated with severe toxicity in adults. However, 1 case report described the development of severe methemoglobinemia in a 5-week-old child following ingestion of an undetermined quantity of glycerated asafoetida solution (a mixture of asafoetida, glycerol, propylene glycol, and calcium carbonate). 12 In vitro testing found gum asafoetida to exert a strong oxidative effect on purified fetal hemoglobin, leading to the recommendation that this folk remedy be considered potentially life threatening to infants.

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