Apiol

File:Ergoapiol Martin H. Smith Co. ad Medical Woman's Journal 1944-05.jpg

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.{{cite journal |last1=Shulgin |first1=Alexander T. |title=Possible Implication of Myristicin as a Psychotropic Substance |journal=Nature |date=April 1966 |volume=210 |issue=5034 |pages=380–384 |doi=10.1038/210380a0 |pmid=5336379 |bibcode=1966Natur.210..380S |s2cid=4189608 }} Apiol is an irritant and, in high doses, it can cause liver and kidney damage.{{cite journal |last1=Amerio |first1=A |last2=De Benedictis |first2=G |last3=Leondeff |first3=J |last4=Mastrangelo |first4=F |last5=Coratelli |first5=P |title=La nefropatia da apiolo |trans-title=Nephropathy due to apiol |language=it |journal=Minerva Nefrologica |date=January 1968 |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=49–70 |pmid=5736450 |oclc=100396864 }} Cases of death due to attempted abortion using apiol have been reported.{{cite journal |last1=Quinn |first1=Louis J. |last2=Harris |first2=Cecil |last3=Joron |first3=Guy E. |title=Apiol Poisoning |journal=Canadian Medical Association Journal |date=15 April 1958 |volume=78 |issue=8 |pages=635–636 |pmid=20325694 |pmc=1829842 }}{{cite journal |last1=Hermann |first1=Kate |last2=Le Roux |first2=Anne |last3=Fiddes |first3=F.S. |title=Death from apiol used as abortifacient |journal=The Lancet |date=June 1956 |volume=267 |issue=6929 |pages=937–939 |doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(56)91522-7 |pmid=13320936 }}

Hippocrates wrote about parsley as a herb to cause an abortion.{{cite book |author1=Sage-Femme Collective |title=Natural Liberty: Rediscovering Self-induced Abortion Methods |date=2008 |publisher=Natural Liberty |pages=232-237 |isbn=978-0-9645920-0-1 }} Plants containing apiole were used by women in the Middle Ages to terminate pregnancies.{{cite book |author1=Sage-Femme Collective |title=Natural Liberty: Rediscovering Self-induced Abortion Methods |date=2008 |publisher=Natural Liberty |pages=232-237 |isbn=978-0-9645920-0-1 }}

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.{{when|date=February 2017}}{{Cn|date=March 2021}}

Now that safer methods of abortion are available, apiol is almost forgotten.{{Cn|date=March 2021}}