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Ces informations sont fournies à titre éducatif uniquement et ne remplacent pas un avis médical professionnel, un diagnostic ou un traitement. Consultez toujours votre professionnel de santé avant d'utiliser des plantes, surtout si vous êtes enceinte, allaitez, prenez des médicaments ou avez une condition médicale.
PubMed · Investigations on the morpho-anatomy and histochemistry of Aconitum napellus L. (2024)
PubMed · Protective effects of the exogenous application of salicylic acid and chitosan on chromium-induced photosynthetic capacity and osmotic adjustment in Aconitum napellus. (2024)
Révisé par : HerbAlly Editorial Team, Medical herbalists and healthcare professionals
Dernière mise à jour : April 2026
Calculer une dose sûre de Monkshood
Calculateur gratuit de posologie — doses adultes et enfants selon le poids.
How does monkshood (Aconitum napellus) affect the body?
Monkshood contains aconitine alkaloids that bind to voltage-gated sodium channels in nerve and cardiac tissue, keeping them in an open state. This causes prolonged depolarization, leading to neurological symptoms like numbness and tingling, and potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias. The extreme toxicity limits therapeutic use to highly diluted homeopathic preparations only (Evidence Level C).
Does monkshood interact with heart medications?
Monkshood poses severe interaction risks with cardiac medications. Its aconitine content can cause fatal arrhythmias, which may be compounded by antiarrhythmic drugs, digoxin, or beta-blockers. It should never be combined with any cardiovascular medications. Due to extreme toxicity, no internal use is recommended except under qualified homeopathic supervision (Evidence Level C).
What is a safe dosage of monkshood?
There is no established safe internal therapeutic dose for monkshood. The plant contains lethal amounts of aconitine, with small quantities potentially fatal. Traditional Chinese medicine uses processed aconite (Fuzi) with strict preparation methods to reduce toxicity. Modern use is restricted to homeopathic preparations prepared according to established protocols. Internal use of raw plant material is contraindicated (Evidence Level C).
Is monkshood safe to use during pregnancy?
Monkshood is absolutely unsafe during pregnancy. The aconitine alkaloids can cross the placenta and cause fetal harm, including cardiac arrhythmias and potential fetal death. The plant is contraindicated for all internal use, and even skin contact with the sap should be avoided. Pregnant women should avoid all exposure to this plant (Evidence Level C).
What was monkshood used for in traditional medicine?
Historically, monkshood was used as an analgesic for neuralgia and severe pain, and in traditional Chinese medicine as processed aconite (Fuzi) for warming the body and supporting cardiac function. Western medicine historically used it for cardiac arrhythmias. However, due to extreme toxicity and risk of fatal poisoning, modern therapeutic use is restricted to homeopathic preparations (Evidence Level C).
Fiche d'information compilée à partir de PubMed
Cette fiche a été compilée à partir de résumés PubMed (NIH) avec l'assistance d'une IA. Chaque affirmation factuelle est citée par un article PubMed réel (voir la liste des sources). Elle n'a pas encore été révisée par un humain — confirmez auprès d'un professionnel de santé avant utilisation.
Compilé à partir de 30 articles PubMed · modèle : gemma4:31b
Résumé
Monkshood (Aconitum napellus) is a highly toxic plant containing potent alkaloids that can cause severe cardiovascular and neurological effects [PMID: 19401984, PMID: 26227030].
Contexte
Aconitum napellus, also known as wolfsbane or aconite, is a member of the Ranunculaceae family and is considered one of the most poisonous plants growing in Europe [PMID: 19679935, PMID: 28886613].
Usages traditionnels
It has been used in Oriental and homeopathic medicine as analgesics, febrifuges, and hypotensives [PMID: 19679935]. In Ayurveda, it is used for the cure of ailments including rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, and gout [PMID: 32015952]. Processed lateral roots (Fuzi) are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat shock from acute myocardial infarction, low blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and chronic heart failure [PMID: 25479152].
Composés actifs
The plant contains highly toxic alkaloids in all parts, including aconitine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine, and jesaconitine [PMID: 26227030]. It also contains C19 and C20-diterpenoid alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and fatty acids [PMID: 37193333].
Mécanisme d'action
Aconitine acts as a neurotoxin that affects excitable cells, specifically neurons and myocytes [PMID: 19679935, PMID: 23763930].
Preuves cliniques
Preuve BPrimary dysmenorrhea
Fu's subcutaneous needling combined with monkshood cake-separated moxibustion was evaluated for clinical efficacy [PMID: 39111789]
Preuve DDiabetes (Animal Model)
Standardized dried tuber extract showed antidiabetic activity and increased body weight in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats [PMID: 32015952]
Preuve DRheumatoid Arthritis (Animal/In Vitro)
Higenamine (an extract from Monkshood) inhibited M1 macrophage expression and promoted M1 to M2 transition, alleviating arthritis symptoms in collagen-induced arthritis mice [PMID: 40441469]
Preuve DFever (Animal Model)
Homeopathic ultrahigh dilutions (200c and 1000c) significantly reduced temperature in Baker's yeast-induced fever in rabbits, though effects were slower than standard medicine [PMID: 28494851]
Sécurité et effets indésirables
Monkshood is highly toxic and can be lethal; the lethal dose in adults is estimated at 2-6 mg [PMID: 23763930, PMID: 28886613]. Symptoms of intoxication include paraesthesia of the mouth and throat, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, severe skeletal muscle pain, hypotension, and severe ventricular tachyarrhythmias [PMID: 19785799, PMID: 28886613]. Death may occur within hours due to respiratory distress or cardiac arrhythmia [PMID: 28886613].
Synthèse des preuves
The evidence consists primarily of toxicological case reports, in vitro/animal studies, and a few small-scale clinical trials or homeopathic studies. There is strong evidence regarding its high toxicity and cardiovascular risks, but limited high-level clinical evidence for its therapeutic use in humans.
Sources PubMed
1.PMID: 35140011 (2022) — Poisoning by Plants. · Deutsches Arzteblatt international
3.PMID: 26227030 (2014) — Tetrodotoxin-Medicated Delay in Aconitine Toxicity: A Murder in Okinawa. · Forensic science review
4.PMID: 32168878 (2020) — RETRACTED: Neuroprotective Effects of Dried Tubers of Aconitum napellus. · Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5.PMID: 25479152 (2015) — A review on phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of the processed lateral root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
6.
Sources gouvernementales
Aucune monographie gouvernementale directe n'est disponible pour cette plante. Le contenu ci-dessous est généré par IA et n'a pas été vérifié par rapport à une source gouvernementale faisant autorité. Utilisez les liens de recherche pour consulter les sources officielles avant de vous fier à ces informations.
PMID: 37950576 (2024) — Investigations on the morpho-anatomy and histochemistry of Aconitum napellus L. · Microscopy research and technique
7.PMID: 32015952 (2020) — Antidiabetic activity of standardized dried tubers extract of Aconitum napellus in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. · 3 Biotech
8.PMID: 23748541 (2013) — [Herbs and cardiotoxic effects]. · Giornale italiano di cardiologia (2006)
9.PMID: 34431644 (2020) — What kind of poison was used in "The Name of the Rose"? · Archiwum medycyny sadowej i kryminologii
10.PMID: 39111789 (2024) — [Fu's subcutaneous needling combined with monkshood cake-separated moxibustion for primary dysmenorrhea with cold congealing and blood stasis: a randomized controlled trial]. · Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion
11.PMID: 40441469 (2025) — Effects of higenamine on M1/M2 polarization and osteoclast differentiation in rheumatoid arthritis via the THBS-1/TGF-β signaling pathway. · Cellular signalling
12.PMID: 33457769 (2020) — Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of the Tangut monkshood Aconitum tanguticum (Ranunculales: Ranunculaceae). · Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources
13.PMID: 19785799 (2009) — [Intoxication with Monkshood (Aconitum napellus)]. · Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde
14.PMID: 23763930 (2013) — [Fatal exposure to Aconitum napellus]. · Ugeskrift for laeger
15.PMID: 28494851 (2017) — Effects of homoeopathic ultrahigh dilutions of Aconitum napellus on Baker's yeast-induced fever in rabbits. · Journal of integrative medicine
16.PMID: 21726063 (2011) — Microcalorimetry studies on the antibacterial effect of crude monkshood polysaccharide. · Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B
17.PMID: 12812106 (2003) — [Poisoning with Aconitum napellus (monkshood)]. · Ugeskrift for laeger
18.PMID: 1896051 (1991) — [Fatal poisoning caused by aconite monk's hood (Aconitum napellus)]. · Monatsschrift Kinderheilkunde : Organ der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Kinderheilkunde
19.PMID: 19679935 (1997) — [Toxicity of monkshood. Review.]. · Laeknabladid
20.PMID: 22883380 (2012) — [The textual research on the original plant of grass monkshood]. · Zhonghua yi shi za zhi (Beijing, China : 1980)
22.PMID: 37193333 (2023) — A review on efforts for improvement in medicinally important chemical constituents inAconitum through biotechnological interventions. · 3 Biotech
23.PMID: 19657201 (2009) — Test of a homeopathic dilution of Aconitum napellus. A clinical, randomized, double-blind, controlled crossover study in healthy volunteers. · Forschende Komplementarmedizin (2006)