Amara Health Dictionary

Amara: From 1 Different Sources


(Greek) One who will be forever beautiful

Amarah, Amarya, Amaira, Amaria, Amar, Amari, Amaree, Amarie, Amarri, Amarra

Health Source: Medical Dictionary
Author: Health Dictionary

Amaranth

Amaranthus species

Description: These plants, which grow 90 centimeters to 150 centimeters tall, are abundant weeds in many parts of the world. All amaranth have alternate simple leaves. They may have some red color present on the stems. They bear minute, greenish flowers in dense clusters at the top of the plants. Their seeds may be brown or black in weedy species and light-colored in domestic species.

Habitat and Distribution: Look for amaranth along roadsides, in disturbed waste areas, or as weeds in crops throughout the world. Some amaranth species have been grown as a grain crop and a garden vegetable in various parts of the world, especially in South America.

Edible Parts: All parts are edible, but some may have sharp spines you should remove before eating. The young plants or the growing tips of alder plants are an excellent vegetable. Simply boil the young plants or eat them raw. Their seeds are very nutritious. Shake the tops of alder plants to get the seeds. Eat the seeds raw, boiled, ground into flour, or popped like popcorn.... amaranth

Albizia Amara

(Roxb.) Boivin

Family: Mimosaceae.

Habitat: Throughout southern India in dry forests, up to 900 m, and in some parts of Madhya Pradesh.

Ayurvedic: Shirish (bark—grey or greenish).

Siddha/Tamil: Thuringil.

Action: Leaf and flower—anti- inflammatory, used for boils and ulcers. Leaf—used for erysipelas. Seeds—astringent, antidiarrhoeal, antibacterial.

The seed extract showed DNA binding activity, which has been found to be due to pithecolibine alkaloids, bud- munchiamines. Budmunchiamines are antibacterial, and they inhibit platelet aggregation and human lymphocyte transformation. They also show anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity.

The leaves contain prodelphinidins, myricitrin, hyperin, quercitrin, trans- p-coumaric acid, cis-p-coumaric acid and trans-ferulic acid.

The seeds contain echinocystic acid and taxifolin-3-O-beta-D xylopyrano- syl-beta-D-arbinopyranoside.

The oil from the seeds is said to cure leprosy and leucoderma.... albizia amara

Amaranta

(Latin) A flower that never fades Amarante, Amarantha, Amantha, Amaranda, Amaranthe, Amaranth, Amare... amaranta

Amaranthus Blitum

Linn. var. oleraceus Duthie

Family: Amaranthaceae.

Habitat: Throughout India.

English: Trailing Amaranth, Wild Blite.

Ayurvedic: Maarisha.

Siddha/Tamil: Aarumathathandu, Kiraitandu.

Folk: Marasaa.

Action: Cooling, stomachic, emollient. Used in biliousness, haemorrhagic diathesis.... amaranthus blitum

Amaranthus Caudatus

Linn.

Family: Amaranthaceae.

Habitat: Grown as vegetable in northern India.

English: Love-Lies-Bleeding, Tassel Flower.

Ayurvedic: Raam-daanaa (grain).

Siddha/Tamil: Pungikeerai, Siru- keerai.

Folk: Chuko.

Action: Blood-purifier, diuretic; used in piles, strangury, dropsy and anasarca; tea has been used for relieving pulmonary conditions; also given in scrofula and applied to scrofulous sores. Antimicrobial peptides have been isolated from seeds.

In Western herbal medicine, LoveLies-Bleeding is equated with Amaranthus hypochondriacus, and is used for ulcers, diarrhoea, as well as inflammation of the mouth and throat.

Preliminary evidence suggests that Amaranth seed can reduce total cholesterol and LDL, while increasing HDL, but Amaranth muffins failed to reduce cholesterol levels in hypercholes- terolemic adults beyond the reduction achieved by low-fat diet. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)... amaranthus caudatus

Amaranthus Spinosus

Linn.

Family: Amaranthaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated fields, waste places and along roadsides.

English: Spiny Amaranth, Thorny Amaranth, Spiny Pigweed.

Ayurvedic: Tanduliya, Tandulaka, Meghnaad, Megharava, Vishaghn, Alpamaarish.

Siddha/Tamil: Mullukkeerai.

Folk: Katili-chaulai.

Action: Galactogenic, laxative, emollient, spasmolytic, diuretic. Pollen extract—used for allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis. Root— used in menorrhoea.

Plant contains sterols. Leaves and stems contain alpha-spinasterol and hentriacontane. Leaves also contain amino acids with high content of lysine.

Dosage: Whole plant—10-20 ml juice; 400-800 mg powder. (CCRAS.)... amaranthus spinosus

Amaranthus Tricolor

Linn.

Synonym: A. gangeticus Linn. A. melancholicus Linn. A. polygamus Linn. Hook. f. in part. A. tristis Linn.

Family: Amaranthaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated throughout India.

English: Chinese Spinach, Garden Amaranth, Fountain Plant.

Ayurvedic: Maarisha-rakta (red var.).

Siddha/Tamil: Arai-keerai, Siru- keerai, Thandu-keerai, Mulakkerai (Tamil).

Folk: Laal Shaak, Laal Marashaa.

Action: Astringent (in menorrhagia, leucorrhoea, dysentery, diarrhoea, haemorrhagic colitis); also used in cough, bronchitis and consumption; externally emollient.

The plant contains amarantin, isoa- marantin, betaine, amino acids, sterols.

Dosage: Leaf, seed, root—10-20 ml juice. (API Vol. III.) Powder—2- 4 g. (CCRAS.)... amaranthus tricolor

Iberis Amara

Linn.

Family: Cruciferae; Brassicaceae.

Habitat: Native to Europe; cultivated in gardens. Reported to occur in Chamba.

English: Rocket Candytuft, Clown's Mustard.

Action: Used for gout, rheumatism, also for bronchitis and asthma; as a tonic in enlargement of heart to allay excited action of the heart.

The seeds contain a mustard oil and a glycoside, glucoiberin. The plant contains sulphur-containing glucosi- nolates; also contains bitter and toxic tetracycloterpenoids, cucurbitacin E and I.

The seed extract exhibited cytotox- icity against renal and brain tumours and melanoma cell lines. The activity may be attributed to the presence of cucurbitacins E and I.... iberis amara



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