Nutmeg

Myristica fragrans

Patricia Lopez
May 23, 2013

Table of contents
Term paper

pgs 1-6

References

pgs 7-8

Throughout history, there has been a high intake of natural herbs, even though we might
not be aware of it. Herbal medicine comes from a natural occurring plant with medicinal or
preventive properties. Even though a herbal medicine is beneficial, if its not taken in the right
dosage, it can lead to intoxication. Nutmeg is also known by its scientific name as Myristica
fragrans. The herb I will be discussing about is Nutmeg and the properties it holds.
Nutmeg has a history of being an expensive spice in European medieval cuisine because
it was used as a flavoring in food, medicinal and as a preservative agent. Also in the
Elizabethan times, people believed nutmeg could ward off the plague, which caused nutmeg to
become popular during that time. This caused the price of nutmeg to rise in price and value
since the middle ages. Nutmeg has been used in order to be an aromatic stimulant, to relieve
flatulence, and to also cause an abortion (Sjholm, 1998).
The medicinal part of the nutmeg is the nutmegs seeds that through various processes
yield several therapeutic components. This includes the essential oil of the seed, the
compressed and the dried aril. It also includes the mixture of the fat, oil and color pigment form
the pressed seeds, the dried seed kernels freed from the aril shell of the nut and the calcified and
dried seed kernels. Nutmeg is either male or female, although there are male trees with female
fruits and flowers. The flowers tend to be unisexual. The male flowers are to be sparsely
flowered inflorescence, while the female ones are solitary and inconspicuous. The flowers have
a simple 3 lobed involucre and the filaments are fused to a tube. The fruit tends to ripen 7 to 10
months after flowering. This fruit is fleshy, almost round, acuminate at the end stem, 3 to 6 cm
long and 2.5 to 5 cm thick. This fruit is light yellow and about the size of a peach. The fruit
flesh bursts open when ripe and exposes the bright red seeds aril that surrounds the dark brown
seed. Within the aril, the seed kernel is covered in a hard brown shell that shows the marks of

the eril. Nutmeg is an evergreen tree that is up to 15 cm in height, which smooth bark is green
on the young branches, then turns grayish-brown. The alternate leaves are dark green, sharp
edged, short-petioled, ovate-elliptical, and up to 8 cm long (PDR, 2007).
This plant is indigenous to the Molucca Islands and New Guinea. It has also spread to
Indonesia, West Indies and other tropical areas, where its also cultivated. The production of
nutmeg has various steps. Nutmeg is the seed of Myristica fragrans. After harvesting, the nut
is shelled and dried maximum in a 45 degree Celsius environment. Then the seed is opened
after 8 to 10 weeks. The fleshy covering of the plant, which is scarlet when fresh and dark
orange when dried, yields Nutmeg and Mace. After being separated, both of these parts are
dried slowly. Nutmeg butter is made by pressing and steaming the nuts to extract the fatty and
essential oils from the seeds. Other names for nutmeg include Mace and Myristica. There can
be confusion when it comes to other nuts often being named nutmeg. One can get confused
with calabash nutmeg, Papua nutmeg, Myristica malabarica, Laurellia sempervirenes,
Atheroschata and Torreya californica. Nutmeg oil can also be confused with the oil from the
green leaves of Myristica fragrans.
Nutmeg has some active compounds present like volatile oil( 5-16%) and fatty oils(3040%) including among others lauric, myristic, pentadecanoic, palmitic, heptadecanoic, stearic,
and oleic acid. It also has triterpene saponins, and sterols that include among others like betasitosterol and campesterol. The active compounds that nutmeg oil has is monoterpene
hydrocarbons (80%) that include sabinene (39%), alpha-pinene (13%), and beta-pinene (9%). It
includes monoterpene alcohols (5%) like 1,8 cineole (3.5%). It also has phenyl propane
derivatives(10 to 18%), including myristicin (2 to 5%) and elemicin (1 to 2.5%) (PDR, 2007).
Fatty oils are included (30 to 40%) in the nutmeg oil rendered through pressing. Although

nutmeg and nutmeg oil have these many active compounds, I will be discussing three
biological active compounds, which are beta-sitosterol, oleic acid, and myristicin. Betasitosterol is one of several phytosterols (plant sterols) with chemical structures similar to
cholesterol (Beta-Sitosterol, 2013). Sitosterols are white, waxy powders with a singular odor.
Oleic acid is a fatty acid that tends to be odorless, colorless oil, but in samples, it can be yellow
(Oleic acid, 2013). It is also a fatty acid that occurs in various oils and is a compound in the
nutmeg. The term "oleic" comes from, oil or olive, the oil that is mainly composed of oleic
acid. Myristicin is a natural organic compound that is present in small amounts in the essential
oil of nutmeg and in lesser extent in spices like parsley (Myristicin, 2013). It is a phenyl
propane derivative that is found in Nutmeg oil. Myristicin is insoluble in water, but soluble in
ethanol and acetone (Myristicin, 2013). The amount of Myristicin in the nut varies and should
be consumed safely.

structure of myristicin

source: Wikipedia.com

Structure of oleic acid

source: Wikipedia.com

beta-sitosterol, source: Wikipedia.com

Although the PDR does not go fully in detail about animal or human experiment, it
mentions how in animal experiments, the eugenol in the essential oil inhibits, dose-dependently
medicinally induced diarrhea and slows down the transport of active carbon in the
gastrointestinal tract. It has also been demonstrated to have an effect on the prostraglandin
synthesis and an antimicrobial effect. The use of the drug for dysentery and rheumatic
complaints seems to be plausible.
Some unproven uses in internal folk medicine, use nutmeg for diarrhea, dysentery,
inflammation of the stomach membranes, cramps, flatulence and vomiting. Nutmeg oil is used
externally for rheumatism, sciatica, neuralgia and disorders of the upper respiratory tract.
Chinese medicine use nutmeg for diarrhea, vomiting and digestive problems. Indian medicine
for another part uses nutmeg for headaches, poor vision, insomnia, fever, malaria, cholera,
impotence and general debility. Among homeopathic uses include nervous physical symptoms,
digestive problems with flatulence and disturbed perception. The contraindication is that it
cannot to be used during pregnancy. A precaution that has to be taken is that it should be used
under expert supervision. No health hazards or side effects are known if taken with the proper
administration of the designated therapeutic dosage. This drug can trigger allergic contact
dermatitis.

An overdosage can happen by ingesting 1 to 3 nutmeg nuts that can produce

amphetamine derivatives through bioconversion of phenylpropane derivatives in the body. This
will cause thirst, diarrhea, reddening, and swelling of the face and alterations of consciousness
that can be from anxiety or lethargy to intensive hallucinations. These effects can last 2 to 3
days. If poisoning happens, the therapy for this consists of gastrointestinal emptying and
installation of activated charcoal. This is followed by treating spasms intravenously with
diazepam and treating colic with atropine. There also has to be electrolyte substitution and
treating cases of acidosis with sodium bicarbonate infusions. In case of shock, plasma volume
expanders should be infused (PDR, 2007). It may also be necessary intubation and oxygen
respiration for the patient if he or she needs it. Kidney function is also monitored if theres an
overdosage of nutmeg seed and/or oil.
The dosage taken of the nutmeg seeds or oil is important in order to prevent overdosage.
Nutmeg oil, extracts, powders, syrups and butters are used internally. The oil can also be used
externally as a liniment 10%.. In the PDR, it mentions there is no information when it comes to
the preparation. The daily dosage for the infusion is 1%, 50 to 200 ml daily. The liquid extract
daily dosage is 1 to 2 times daily. The oil is 1 to 3 drops internally 2 to 3 times a day. The
powder is 0.3 and is not to exceed 3 times daily. The syrup is to be taken 10 to 40 mL daily and
the tincture is to be taken 2 to 10 mL daily. The homeopathic dosage includes 5 drops, 1 tablet,
or 10 globules every 30 to 60 minutes (Acute) or 1 to 3 times daily (chronic). Parenterally take
1 to 2 mL sc acute, 3 times daily and for chronic take once a day (HAB1) (PDR, 2007). When it
comes to storage, the nutmeg should be stored in tightly sealed containers and in a cool dry
place. The oil should be protected from light in a container tightly sealed, filled completely and
kept at room temperature that does not exceed 24 degrees Celsius.

Nutmeg has been used in the middle ages and even in the Elizabethan era. People
during the Elizabethan era believed Nutmeg would help against the plague. This caused
Nutmeg to turn expensive moneywise. The Nutmeg tree is important due to that the nutmeg is
the seed of the tree, while the mace is the dried reddish covering or aril of the seed. Whatever
part of the nutmeg tree we talking about, this tree has properties people throughout time in
history have used.

References
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myristicin
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OleicAcid
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