PASCOE Pascoflair is a high dose Passionflower which acts quickly to relieve symptoms.
Studies have shown Passionflower to:
have strong anxiolytic activity
improve restlessness/agitation
improve sleep
Description:
Passionflower is a herb which has been used traditionally for indications related to stress and sleeplessness.
Content:
Each tablet of PASCOE Pascoflair contains 425mg dry extract of Passiflora incarnata L. (aerial parts) equivalent to 2.125g-2.975g of passionflower.
Dosage:
Adults and children over 13: 1 tablet twice daily.
Indication:
Traditionally used in herbal medicine as a sleep aid (in cases of restlessness or insomnia due to mental stress).
Research Information:
Passionflower has a long history of use in herbal and traditional medicine. More recently, research has shown a diverse number of applications for Passiflora incarnata in the treatment of various conditions beyond the traditional claims of sleeplessness, restlessness, and mental stress.
Anxiety
Passionflower is best-studied for reducing anxiety, a condition which has somewhat-limited therapeutic options. In animals, the passionflower extract from PASCOE Pascoflair has been shown to decrease anxiety in mice with an effectiveness similar to dizaepam, possibly through its action on GABA. A benzodiazepine extract from passionflower has shown similar anxiolytic effects in mice.
In humans, there have been several studies on its anxiolytic effect. In a double-blind, randomized controlled study with 32 patients, an anxiolytic effect was found using passionflower extract which was not significantly different from the anxiolytic effect of oxazepam, as measured by the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). In fact, the passionflower group saw a quicker onset of anxiolytic effect than oxazepam (significant decrease in anxiety after only 4 days), although after 7 days there was no longer any difference between the groups. There were 29 adverse events in the passionflower group, all rated as mild or moderate, compared with 44 in the oxazepam group, 8 of which were severe. There was a significant impairment of job performance in the oxazepam group compared with the passionflower group.
Another randomized, double-blind study in 134 patients compared 90mg - 180mg daily of passionflower to mexazolam over four weeks. No significant differences were noted in levels of anxiety between the two groups. However, it was noted that there were more side effects in the mexazolam group.
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 60 patients who were undergoing surgery, patients were given one dose of 500mg of passionflower or placebo 90 minutes before surgery. The researchers found that there was a significant decrease in anxiety in the group receiving passionflower, with no significant difference in sedation, psychomotor function, or time until discharge from hospital. The authors conclude that anxiety was reduced with no adverse impact on sedative or time-to-discharge measures.
Additional Clinical Applications
Passionflower seems to have other important applications. One study examined the effects of passionflower on children newly-diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD is treated with stimulant drugs which may have undesirable side effects, as many as 30% of children do not respond to these drugs. 34 children aged 6 to 13 were randomized in a double-blind study to receive either passionflower (0.04mg/kg/day) or methylphenidate (i.e. Ritalin) for 8 weeks. They were assessed using the Parent and Teacher ADHD Rating Scale. There were no significant differences between the groups in effectiveness - both were equally effective in improving symptoms of ADHD. Importantly, there was a tendency for fewer side effects in the passionflower group, with significant effects on the parameters of decreased appetite and anxiety (with none appearing in the passionflower group).
Extracts from passionflower have also shown promise in the treatment of opiate, benzodiazepine, and nicotine withdrawal in mice, and humans
The European Medicines Agency evaluated passionflower for safety in 2008 and found that it appears quite safe, with only very rare reports of hypersensitivity, oral toxicity exceeding 15g/kg and no toxicity at a chronic daily dose of 600mg/kg in mice (equivalent to at least 30g per day in adult humans). Passiflora incarnata, and not the other many subspecies of passionflower, seems to have the most anxiolytic effect. It is also important that the extract be prepared from an alcohol extract of the aerial parts, not other parts of the plant.
The British Herbal Compendium indicates passionflower for sleep disorders, restlessness, nervous stress, and anxiety,while Germany's rigorous Commission E approved the use of passionflower for nervous restlessness.
Clearly passionflower is a well-researched and important herb, with various therapeutic applications in the area of anxiety and stress.
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