an agent which resists or destroys pathogenic micro-organisms.
Constituents: volatile oil, gum, resin acids.
Action: antimicrobial against staphylococcus aureus; expectorant, carminative, antispasmodic.
Uses: Chronic infections of mucous surfaces. Lotion for infected wounds. An ingredient of the biblical incense of Exodus 30, 34.
Preparations: Liquid Extract: 5-10 drops, thrice daily, in water.
Powder: dose, 1-2g (root).
Ointment for wounds that refuse to heal. ... galbanum
Action: Antiseptic, antispasmodic, rubefacient, anthelmintic, insect repellent. Antimicrobial. Antiscorbutic. Expectorant.
Uses: Used by natives of the Molucca Islands as a lotion for painful stiff joints. Advised by physicians at the turn of the century to combat the tubercle bacillus. Infections of the bronchi. Worms in children. Toothache. Headache.
Preparation. Topically for toothache, bruises, sprains, neuralgia. Cajuput oil BPC: dose, 0.05-0.2ml.
Today it is confined to external use only as an ingredient of stimulating liniments and ointments for aching joints, fibrositis, etc. An ingredient of Olbas oil. ... cajeput
Action: a gentle warming agent for delicate stomachs; carminative, aromatic, antispasmodic (children), digestive, orexigenic, rubefacient, diuretic (soothing), galactagogue, stimulant (mild), anti-inflammatory in polyarthritis, anticoagulant (Vitamin K antagonist). Antimicrobial. Expectorant. Oestrogen-effect – Aberdeen University.
Uses: To disperse windy colic in infants; griping; to arouse appetite, sweeten a sour stomach, soothe an irritable bowel. To increase milk in nursing mothers. Obesity (traditional tea). Wrinkle smoother (tea). Old Chinese remedy for cholera. Externally, an eyewash for red-eye and blepharitis.
Preparations: As necessary.
Tea. Fresh or dried leaves: 3-4 teaspoons to teapot; add boiling water. Dose: adult; half-1 cup; infants, 2- 3 teaspoons.
Tea. Crushed seeds: quarter to half a teaspoon to each cup boiling water; infuse 15 minutes. Quarter to half a cup (infants, 2-3 teaspoons).
Liquid Extract BMP (1983) 1:1 in 70 per cent alcohol. Dose: 0.8 to 2ml.
Fennel water (distilled). 5-15 drops.
Powder. 300mg capsules; 2 capsules before meals thrice daily.
Lotion. Half a teaspoon crushed seeds in cold water. Infuse 1 hour. Half fill eyebath and use as a douche. Diet. Young shoots and root as a cooked vegetable. Seeds sprinkled on salads.
Note: Fennel seeds were discovered among personal chattels of Egyptian rulers salvaged from among the tombs.
Side-effects: slight return of periods in menopausal women. ... fennel
Constituents: oestrogens, volatile oil, resin.
Action: sedative, sustaining nervine, hypnotic, mild analgesic, spasmolytic on smooth muscle, bitter, tonic, astringent, antimicrobial (externally), liver and gall bladder relaxant, anaphrodisiac, diuretic.
Uses: Nervous anxiety, hysteria, nervous diarrhoea, nervous stomach, Crohn’s disease, intestinal cramps, nervous bladder, insomnia, neuralgia, excessive sexual excitability. Loss of appetite, menopause, restless legs.
Chinese medicine – tuberculosis of the lungs.
“Of value in cancer.” (J.L. Hartwell, Lloydia, 33, 97, 1970)
Combination. Combines well with Passion flower and Valerian.
Preparations: Average dose: half-1 gram. Thrice daily.
Tea. 1 teaspoon to each cup boiling water; infuse 15 minutes. Dose: half cup.
Liquid Extract: 0.5-1ml.
Tincture BHC Vol 1. One part to 5 parts 60 per cent ethanol. Dose: 1-2ml.
Popular tablet/capsule: powdered Hops BHP (1983) 45mg; powdered Passiflora BHP (1983) 100mg; powdered Extract Valerian 5:1 20mg. For minor stresses and strains, irritability and nervous headaches. For over-activity of children over 12 years. (Gerard House)
Diet: young shoots cooked as Asparagus.
Hop pillow: for healthful sleep.
Fresh Hops require careful handling on drying to prevent loss of pollen. May cause an allergic dermatitis in those susceptible.
Contra-indication: depression.
Powder. 250mg. One 00 capsule or one-sixth teaspoon. ... hops
Habitat: The temperate and subtropical Himalayas from Kishtwar to Sikkim at 1,200-3,200 m, Khasi hills.
Ayurvedic: Shveta Apaamaarga. (Rakta Apaamaarga is equated with Achyranthes rubra-fusca Hook. f. and A. verschaffeltii Lam., synonym Iresine herbstii Hook. f.)Siddha/Tamil: Naayurivi.Action: Astringent, diuretic, spasmolytic. Plant is given in whooping cough, roots in hemicrania.
A water-soluble oligosaccharide, composed of six glucose units and three mannose units, has been isolated from the roots. It enhanced immune response and prolonged survival time of mice bearing Ehrlich carcinoma.The roots contain free oleanolic acid (0.096%) and its saponins (1.93%). An alcoholic extract of the root showed presence of amino acids, steroids, tri- terpenoids, alkaloids and coumarins. The seeds afforded achyranthin.Extract of the plant—antimicrobial.... achyranthes bidentataHabitat: The plains and submountain regions of India, ascending to an altitude of 1,200 m in the western Himalayas; cultivated all over India.
English: Bael tree, Bengal Quince.Ayurvedic: Bilva, Shriphala, Shaandilya, Shailuusha, Shalya, Sadaaphala, Mahaakapitha (Kapitha is equated with Feronia limonia), Maaluura, Rudrajataa, Rudranir- maalya, Shivajataakhya.Unani: Bael.Siddha/Tamil: Vilvam, Koovilam.Action: Stomachic, antimicrobial (specific for diarrhoea, colitis, dysentery and enteric infections), digestive, astringent, spasmolytic, hypoglycaemic.
Key application: As antidiarrhoeal. (Indian Herbal Pharmacopoeia.) Along with other therapeutic applications, The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India indicates the use of root in dysuria; stembark in diabetes and lipid disorders.A number of coumarins (including xanthotoxol and alloimperatorin methyl ether), flavonoids (including rutin and marmesin), alkaloids (including alpha-fagarine), sterols and essential oils have been isolated from plant parts. Pectin is an important constituent of the fruit.Alkaloid aegeline, present in the leaves, is efficacious in asthma. The active principle in aqueous extract of leaf shows hypoglycaemic activity similar to insulin. Leaves are also given in jaundice. Alcoholic extract of seeds shows antiallergic activity.Marmin, a coumarin isolated from the roots, shows anti-inflammatory effects experimentally. Marmin also inhibited gastric haemorrhagic lesions in rats and exhibited antiulcer effects. Seed oil showed beneficial effects in regeneration of tumour cells.Aurapten is found to be the most potent inhibitor of heart rate. Rootbark is used for palpitation of the heart.Dosage: Pulp of unripe or half ripe fruit—3 g powder. Root—6 g powder. (API Vols. I, III.)... aegle marmelosNutritional Profile Energy value (calories per serving): Low Protein: High Fat: Low Saturated fat: Low Cholesterol: None Carbohydrates: Moderate Fiber: Very high Sodium: Low Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin A, folate, vitamin C Major mineral contribution: Calcium
About the Nutrients in This Food Broccoli is very high-fiber food, an excellent source of vitamin A, the B vitamin folate, and vitamin C. It also has some vitamin E and vitamin K, the blood-clotting vitamin manufactured primarily by bacteria living in our intestinal tract. One cooked, fresh broccoli spear has five grams of dietary fiber, 2,500 IU vitamin A (108 percent of the R DA for a woman, 85 percent of the R DA for a man), 90 mcg folate (23 percent of the R DA), and 130 mg vitamin C (178 percent of the R DA for a woman, 149 percent of the R DA for a man).
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food Raw. Studies at the USDA Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, show that raw broccoli has up to 40 percent more vitamin C than broccoli that has been cooked or frozen.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food Antiflatulence diet Low-fiber diet
Buying This Food Look for: Broccoli with tightly closed buds. The stalk, leaves, and florets should be fresh, firm, and brightly colored. Broccoli is usually green; some varieties are tinged with purple. Avoid: Broccoli with woody stalk or florets that are open or turning yellow. When the green chlorophyll pigments fade enough to let the yellow carotenoids underneath show through, the buds are about to bloom and the broccoli is past its prime.
Storing This Food Pack broccoli in a plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator or in the vegetable crisper to protect its vitamin C. At 32°F, fresh broccoli can hold onto its vitamin C for as long as two weeks. Keep broccoli out of the light; like heat, light destroys vitamin C.
Preparing This Food First, rinse the broccoli under cool running water to wash off any dirt and debris clinging to the florets. Then put the broccoli, florets down, into a pan of salt water (1 tsp. salt to 1 qt. water) and soak for 15 to 30 minutes to drive out insects hiding in the florets. Then cut off the leaves and trim away woody section of stalks. For fast cooking, divide the broccoli up into small florets and cut the stalk into thin slices.
What Happens When You Cook This Food The broccoli stem contains a lot of cellulose and will stay firm for a long time even through the most vigorous cooking, but the cell walls of the florets are not so strongly fortified and will soften, eventually turning to mush if you cook the broccoli long enough. Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli contains mustard oils (isothiocyanates), natural chemicals that break down into a variety of smelly sulfur compounds (including hydrogen sulfide and ammonia) when the broccoli is heated. The reaction is more intense in aluminum pots. The longer you cook broccoli, the more smelly compounds there will be, although broccoli will never be as odorous as cabbage or cauliflower. Keeping a lid on the pot will stop the smelly molecules from floating off into the air but will also accelerate the chemical reaction that turns green broccoli olive-drab. Chlorophyll, the pigment that makes green vegetables green, is sensitive to acids. When you heat broccoli, the chlorophyll in its florets and stalk reacts chemically with acids in the broccoli or in the cooking water to form pheophytin, which is brown. The pheophytin turns cooked broccoli olive-drab or (since broccoli contains some yellow carotenes) bronze. To keep broccoli green, you must reduce the interaction between the chlorophyll and the acids. One way to do this is to cook the broccoli in a large quantity of water, so the acids will be diluted, but this increases the loss of vitamin C.* Another alternative is to leave the lid off the pot so that the hydrogen atoms can float off into the air, but this allows the smelly sulfur compounds to escape, too. The best way is probably to steam the broccoli quickly with very little water, so it holds onto its vitamin C and cooks before there is time for reac- tion between chlorophyll and hydrogen atoms to occur.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food Freezing. Frozen broccoli usually contains less vitamin C than fresh broccoli. The vitamin is lost when the broccoli is blanched to inactivate catalase and peroxidase, enzymes that would otherwise continue to ripen the broccoli in the freezer. On the other hand, according to researchers at Cornell University, blanching broccoli in a microwave oven—two cups of broccoli in three tablespoons of water for three minutes at 600 –700 watts—nearly doubles the amount of vitamin C retained. In experiments at Cornell, frozen broccoli blanched in a microwave kept 90 percent of its vitamin C, compared to 56 percent for broccoli blanched in a pot of boiling water on top of a stove.
Medical Uses and/or Benefits Protection against some cancers. Naturally occurring chemicals (indoles, isothiocyanates, glucosinolates, dithiolethiones, and phenols) in Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauli- flower, and other cruciferous vegetables appear to reduce the risk of some forms of cancer, perhaps by preventing the formation of carcinogens in your body or by blocking cancer- causing substances from reaching or reacting with sensitive body tissues or by inhibiting the transformation of healthy cells to malignant ones. All cruciferous vegetables contain sulforaphane, a member of a family of chemicals known as isothiocyanates. In experiments with laboratory rats, sulforaphane appears to increase the body’s production of phase-2 enzymes, naturally occurring substances that inacti- vate and help eliminate carcinogens. At the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, 69 percent of the rats injected with a chemical known to cause mammary cancer developed tumors vs. only 26 percent of the rats given the carcinogenic chemical plus sulforaphane. To get a protective amount of sulforaphane from broccoli you would have to eat about two pounds a week. But in 1997, Johns Hopkins researchers discovered that broccoli seeds and three-day-old broccoli sprouts contain a compound converted to sulforaphane when the seed and sprout cells are crushed. Five grams of three-day-old sprouts contain as much sulphoraphane as 150 grams of mature broccoli. * Broccoli will lose large amounts of vitamin C if you cook it in water t hat is cold when you start. As it boils, water releases ox ygen t hat would ot her wise dest roy vitamin C, so you can cut t he vitamin loss dramat ically simply by lett ing t he water boil for 60 seconds before adding t he broccoli. Vision protection. In 2004, the Johns Hopkins researchers updated their findings on sulfora- phane to suggest that it may also protect cells in the eyes from damage due to ultraviolet light, thus reducing the risk of macular degeneration, the most common cause of age-related vision loss. Lower risk of some birth defects. Up to two or every 1,000 babies born in the United States each year may have cleft palate or a neural tube (spinal cord) defect due to their mothers’ not having gotten adequate amounts of folate during pregnancy. The current R DA for folate is 180 mcg for a woman, 200 mcg for a man, but the FDA now recommends 400 mcg for a woman who is or may become pregnant. Taking a folate supplement before becoming pregnant and continuing through the first two months of pregnancy reduces the risk of cleft palate; taking folate through the entire pregnancy reduces the risk of neural tube defects. Broccoli is a good source of folate. One raw broccoli spear has 107 mcg folate, more than 50 percent of the R DA for an adult. Possible lower risk of heart attack. In the spring of 1998, an analysis of data from the records for more than 80,000 women enrolled in the long-running Nurses’ Health Study at Harvard School of Public Health/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston, demonstrated that a diet providing more than 400 mcg folate and 3 mg vitamin B6 daily, either from food or supple- ments, might reduce a woman’s risk of heart attack by almost 50 percent. Although men were not included in the study, the results were assumed to apply to them as well. However, data from a meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in December 2006 called this theory into question. Researchers at Tulane Univer- sity examined the results of 12 controlled studies in which 16,958 patients with preexisting cardiovascular disease were given either folic acid supplements or placebos (“look-alike” pills with no folic acid) for at least six months. The scientists, who found no reduction in the risk of further heart disease or overall death rates among those taking folic acid, concluded that further studies will be required to ascertain whether taking folic acid supplements reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Possible inhibition of the herpes virus. Indoles, another group of chemicals in broccoli, may inhibit the growth of some herpes viruses. In 2003, at the 43rd annual Interscience Confer- ence on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, in Chicago, researchers from Stockholm’s Huddinge University Hospital, the University of Virginia, and Northeastern Ohio University reported that indole-3-carbinol (I3C) in broccoli stops cells, including those of the herpes sim- plex virus, from reproducing. In tests on monkey and human cells, I3C was nearly 100 percent effective in blocking reproduction of the HSV-1 (oral and genital herpes) and HSV-2 (genital herpes), including one strain known to be resistant to the antiviral drug acyclovir (Zovirax).
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food Enlarged thyroid gland. Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, contain goitrin, thio- cyanate, and isothiocyanate, chemical compounds that inhibit the formation of thyroid hormones and cause the thyroid to enlarge in an attempt to produce more. These chemicals, known collectively as goitrogens, are not hazardous for healthy people who eat moderate amounts of cruciferous vegetables, but they may pose problems for people who have thyroid problems or are taking thyroid medication. False-positive test for occult blood in the stool. The guaiac slide test for hidden blood in feces relies on alphaguaiaconic acid, a chemical that turns blue in the presence of blood. Broccoli contains peroxidase, a natural chemical that also turns alphaguaiaconic acid blue and may produce a positive test in people who do not actually have blood in the stool.
Food/Drug Interactions Anticoagulants Broccoli is rich in vitamin K, the blood-clotting vitamin produced natu- rally by bacteria in the intestines. Consuming large quantities of this food may reduce the effectiveness of anticoagulants (blood thinners) such as warfarin (Coumadin). One cup of drained, boiled broccoli contains 220 mcg vitamin K, nearly four times the R DA for a healthy adult.... broccoli
Habitat: Cultivated in Central and southern Europe.
English: Alkanet, Dyers' or Spanish Bugloss.Unani: Ratanjot. National Formulary of Unani Medicine equated Ratanjot with Onosma echioides Linn., found in Kashmir and Kumaon.Siddha/Tamil: Ratthapaalai, Surul- pattai, Dineshavalli.Action: Astringent, antimicrobial (used for indolent ulcers, wounds, erysipelas).
The root contains up to 5% alkan- nins, which are lipophilic isohexenyl- naphthazarin red pigments; tannins and wax. A pyrrolizidine (hepatotox- ic) alkaloid has also been isolated from the herb. The alkannins have antimicrobial and wound-healing properties and are non-toxic in mice. They have been used clinically for indolent ulcers.... alkanna tinctoriaHabitat: Native to Central Asia. Cultivated all over India.
English: Garlic.Ayurvedic: Lashuna, Rasona, Yavaneshta, Ugragandha, Ma- haushadh, Arishta.Unani: Seer, Lahsun.Siddha/Tamil: Ullippoondu, Vellaip- pondu.Action: Antibiotic, bacteriostatic, fungicide, anthelmintic, antithrom- bic, hypotensive, hypoglycaemic, hypocholesterolaemic. Also used for upper respiratory tract infections and catarrhal conditions.
Key application: As a supportive to dietary measures for elevated levels of lipids in blood; as a preventive measure for age-dependent vascular changes. (German Commission E, ESCOP, WHO, The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.) Also as an antimicrobial. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia). Garlic has been shown to be effective in respiratory infections and catarrhal conditions. (The British Herbal Compendium.)The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia ofIn- dia indicates the use of the bulb as a brain tonic in epilepsy and psychic disorders.Heavy consumption of garlic prior to surgery led to increased clotting time or reduced platelet aggregation (in human case reports). Garlic tablets at a dose of 400 mg twice daily for 12 weeks reduced platelet aggregation 59% compared with placebo in 80 patients (in human clinical study). (Francis Brinker.)Garlic cloves are high in sulphur- containing amino acids known as al- liin (no taste, no smell, no medicinal action). With crushing or chewing alli- in comes into contact with the enzyme alliinase. Alliinase, in less than 6 s, transforms alliin into allicin (strongly medicinal), which breaks down into a number of sulphur compounds including ajoene, vinyldithin and diallyl disulfide, and trisulfide. The antibiotic effect is attributed to allicin; hypogly- caemic effect to allicin and allylpro- phyldisulphide (also to S-allyl cysteine sulfoxide); anticarcinogenic activity to diallyl monosulfide; platelet aggregation inhibitory effect to diallyl-di- and tri-sulphides. Ajoene inactivated human gastric lipase, which is involved in digestion and absorption of dietary fats.Diallyltetra, penta-, hexa- and hep- tasulphides are potential antioxidants.Allium leptophyllum Wall. is equated with Vana Lashuna, Jangali Lahsun.Dosage: Bulb—3 g (API Vol. III.)... allium sativumHabitat: Cultivated as an ornamental. Found in Bihar, North Bengal, Orissa, Western Ghats and Southwards.
Siddha/Tamil: Aanaparuga.Action: Leaves—anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antimicrobial. Applied to smallpox pustules. Root—bruised and fried in oil, applied to abscesses.... pothos scandens
Habitat: Cultivated throughout India, wild on coasts of Maharashtra, Gujarat and South India.
English: Curacao Aloe, Barbados Aloe, Indian Aloe, Jaffarabad Aloe.Ayurvedic: Kanyaasaara, Eleyaka (dried juice of the leaves). Kumaari, Kumaarikaa, Kanyaa, Grihkanyaa, Ghritkumaarika (plant).Unani: Gheekwaar, Sibr.Siddha/Tamil: Sotru Kattraazhai, Kumaari. Moosaambaram (dried juice).Folk: Elwaa, Musabbar (dried juice of leaves).Action: Purgative (causes griping), emmenagogue. Gel—topically emollient, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial (used for wound healing, sunburn).
Key application: In occasional constipation; contraindicated in intestinal obstruction and acutely inflamed intestinal diseases, ulcerative colitis, appendicitis. (German Commission E, ESCOP, WHO.)The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India recommends the use of dried juice of leaves in dysmenorrhoea and diseases of the liver.Aloe vera improved the hypoglycaemic effect of glyburide (gliben- clamide) when one tablespoonful aloe juice was given orally in the morning and at bedtime to 36 diabetic patients for 42 days. The juice (same dose) showed antihyperglycaemic activity (independently). (Francis Brinker.)Anthraquinone glycosides, known as aloin, in small doses act as a tonic to the digestive system, and at higher doses become a strong purgative, as well as increase colonic secretions and peristaltic contractions. Resin fraction is also as important as aloin in cathartic action. In A. barbadensis the highest percentage of aloin is 21.8%.Aloe produces pelvic congestion and is used for uterine disorders, generally with Fe and carminatives. The pulp is used in menstrual suppressions.A molecule in the Aloe vera gel, ace- mannan, stimulates macrophages and releases immune system potentiators; enhances function of T cells and interferon production. Animal studies have shown promising results in sarcoma.The carboxypeptidase and salicylate components of Aloe gel can inhibit bradykinin, a pain-producing agent; C-glycosyl chromone appears to reduce topical inflammation. Aloe gel also slows or inhibits the synthesis of thromboxane, which may accelerate the healing of burns. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)Dosage: Leaf pulp juice—10-20 ml. (CCRAS.) Dried leaf pulp juice— 125-500 mg powder. (API Vol. I.)... aloe barbadensiswhose immune system is impaired.
In most patients with AIDS, death is due to opportunistic infections, especially pneumocystis pneumonia.
Many fungal infections, such as candidiasis, and some viral infections, such as herpes simplex, are opportunistic infections.
Treatment is with appropriate antimicrobial drugs.... opportunistic infection
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 caudatusHabitat: Native to tropical America, from Mexico to Peru and Brazil. Cultivated largely in Malabar, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and to some extent in Maharashtra, Goa, Orissa and West Bengal.
English: Cashew Nut.Unani: Kaaju.Siddha/Tamil: Mindiri.Action: Leaves and bark—fungi- cidal, vermicidal, protozoicidal, antimicrobial (used for toothache, sore gums). Karnel—eaten for its high protein content. Cashew apple—antiscorbutic. Resinous juice contained in the seeds—used in cases of mental derangement, memory disturbances, palpitation of heart, rheumatic pericarditis, sexual debility.
The nut contains 45% fat and 20% protein. Leaves contain flavonoids, mainly glycosides of quercetin and kaempferol, and hydroxybenzoic acid. The bark contains a balsam-containing anacardic acid, anacardol, cardol and ginkgol. The caustic liquid in the shell contains about 39% anacardic acid, a mixture of alkyl salicylic acid derivatives. The leaves are febrifuge. Anacardic acid is bactericidal, fungici- dal, vermicidal and protozoicidal. The leaves and bark exhibited hypotensive activity in rats.The phenolics of the cashew-nut shell oil have inhibited the enzymic activity of alpha-glucosidase, invertase and aldose reductase (anacardic acids being the most potent). Cardols have also shown antifilarial activity in vitro. Anacardic acids, cardols and methyl cardols have been found to exhibit moderate cytotoxic activity.... anacardium occidentaleHabitat: Native to Europe; thrives in dry grassland in central and northern parts of the continent.
English: Wind-Flower, Wood Anemone, Pasque Flower, Pulsatilla.Unani: Gul-laalaa, Shaqaaq-un- Nomaan.Action: Nervine and sedative (used for anxiety neurosis, nervous exhaustion, tension, headache, migraine, insomnia), antispasmodic (in catarrh); used for amenorrhoea, inflammation of ovaries, painful menstruation and genito-urinary infections. The rootstock is given with milk for concussions. The seeds cause vomiting and purging.
The seed oil is used in rheumatism.Pulsatilla contains ranunculin, which hydrolyzes to a toxic, unstable compound protoanemonin, which readily dimerizes to non-toxic anemonin.Anemonin and protoanemonin exhibit sedative and antipyretic activity. Protoanemonin is also antimicrobial. (Topically, Pulsatilla is used for infectious diseases of the skin.)... anemone obtusilobaHabitat: Cultivated all over India.
English: Indian Dill, Sowa.Ayurvedic: Shataahvaa. Shata- pushpaa (also accepted as Foenicu- lum vulgare Mill., equated with Mishreya, Mishi, Madhurikaa).Unani: Shibt, Soyaa.Siddha/Tamil: Sadakuppai.Action: Carminative, stomachic, antispasmodic.
Key application: In dyspepsia. (German Commission E.)The fresh and dried leaf is used for prevention and treatment of diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, kidney and urinary tract, for spasms and sleep disorders. (Included among unapproved herbs by German Commission E.)An aqueous dill extract, administered intravenously, lowers blood pressure, dilates blood vessels, stimulates respiration and slows heart rate in animals. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)Dill seeds contain up to 5% volatile oil (about half of which is carvone), flavonoids, coumarins, xanthones and triterpenes. The yield of the oil from Indian A. sowa varies from 1.3 to 3.5%. Carvone is the major constituent (19.569.7%). The oil from seeds is used for flatulence in children and enters into the preparations of gripe water. The oil is also antimicrobial and antifungal.Dill apiol is considered undesirable and toxic. Vizag fruit var. from Andhra Pradesh is dill-apiol-free and with 54-56%, carvone content having same flavonoid pattern as A. sowa.Dosage: Dried fruit—3-6 g powder. (API Vol. III.) Fruit, leaf—1-3 g powder. (CCRAS.)... anethum sowaHabitat: Native to northern Europe; now found in western Himalayas, Kashmir and Simla.
English: Common or Great Burdock.Folk: Phaggarmuul (Kashmir).Action: Hypoglycaemic (plant extract caused reduction of blood sugar with an increase in carbohydrate tolerance). Roots—inhibitory of tumour growth, cardiac stimulant, diuretic, spasmolytic. Leaves and seeds—anticutaneous (used in psoriasis, seborrhoic eczema).
Key application: As dermatolog- ical agent. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.)Important constituents of Burdock roots are fatty acids, organic acids, phenolic acids, lignans, sesquiterpenes, tannin, inulin and mucilage.Extracts of the fruit are reported to have hypoglycaemic activity in rats. Arctigenin (lignan) is a weak inhibitor of experimental tumour growth. The antimicrobial properties are due to polyacetylenes (of the root). The root exhibits antibiotic activity against Staphylococcus, and is used for fungal and bacterial infections. A flavonoid, arctiin, shows smooth muscle relaxant properties.... arctium lappaHabitat: Native to North America, Europe and Asia.
English: Bearberry.Unani: Inbud-dub, Angur-e-khiras, Reechh Daakh.Action: Astringent, dirutic; used for urinary tract infections, dysuria, cystitis, urethritis, pyelitis.
The leaves gave 0.8-1% of a flavanol glucoside, isoquercitin, arbutin and methyl arbutin. Total arbutin content varies from 7.5 to 10.7%; tannins 15 to 20%. Arbutin hydrolyses to hydro- quinone, a urinary antiseptic.Arbutin is antimicrobial, but the crude extract of uva-ursi is more effective than isolated arbutin. In rats, uva- ursi showed anti-inflammatory activity against experimentally induced inflammation. (Natural Medicines comprehensive Database, 2007.)... arctostaphylos uva-ursiHabitat: Native to Malaysia; now grown along the coasts of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Maharashtra.
English: Arecanut, Betel Nut.Ayurvedic: Puuga, Puugi, Kramuka, Ghontaa, Guwaak, Ghorant.Unani: Fufal, Chhaalia, Supaari.Siddha/Tamil: Kottai Paakku, Kamugu.Action: Taeniacide (confined to veterinary medicine), astringent, stimulant.
Along with other therapeutic application, The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India indicates the use of dried ripe seed in leucorrhoea and vaginal laxity.Arecanut contains several alkaloids belonging to pyridine group, the most important being arecoline (0.1-0.5%). Arecaidine, guvacine and isoguvacine are also present. Arecoline is an- thelmintic (in animals, not in humans). Arecaidine has no parasympa- thomimetic effects, but only stimulating properties; sedative in higher doses. Isoguvacine produces hypotension.Contraindicated in asthma due to bronchoconstrictive effects of the alkaloid arecoline (human case reports). (Francis Brinker.)Arecanut tannins (8.0-18.0%) are predominantly catechol tannins which closely resemble Mimosa bark tannins. Powdered nuts are prescribed in diarrhoea and urinary disorders. In combination with other astringent and styptic herbs, arecanut is used as a major constituent in confections of Indian medicine for gynaecological disorders.Aqueous extract of the nut exhibits direct vasoconstriction and adrenaline potentiation in rats. Antimicrobial activity is due to polyphenolic fraction. Tannins potentiated the action of acetylcholine in ileum and uterus of rat and noradrenaline on seminal vesicle at low concentration.Due to increased incidence of oral cancer associated with betel chewing, the use of arecanut as a masticatory is being discouraged.Seeds are toxic at 8-10 g, fluid extract at 3.7 ml; and arecoline hydrobromide at 4.3-6.5 mg. (Francis Brinker.)Dosage: Dried ripe fruit—1-2 g powder. (API Vol. I.)... areca catechuHabitat: Native to Burma; found all over India.
English: Neem tree, Margosa tree.Ayurvedic: Nimba, Nimbaka, Arishta, Arishtaphala, Pichumarda, Pichumanda, Pichumandaka, Tiktaka, Sutiktak, Paaribhadra.Unani: Aazaad-Darakht-e-Hindi.Siddha/Tamil: Vemmu, Veppu, Veppan, Arulundi.Action: Leaf, bark—antimicrobial, antifungal, anthelmintic, insecti- cidal, antiviral, antipyretic, anti- malarial, antiperiodic, mosquito larvicidal, anti-inflammatory, antifertility, spermicidal, hypogly- caemic; used in inflammation of gums, gingivitis, periodonitis, sores, boils, enlargement of spleen, malarial fever, fever during childbirth, measles, smallpox, head scald and cutaneous affections. Oil—used as a contraceptive for intravaginal use, for the treatment of vaginal infections, and as a mosquito repellent.
Plant tetranortriterpenoids have been examined extensively for their antibiotic, antitumour, insecticidal, antibacterial and antifungal activities.The methanolic extract of the bark shows antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum.The aqueous extract of leaves exhibited antiulcer and anti-inflammatory activity.The water-soluble portion of alcoholic extract of leaves reduces blood sugar in glucose-fed and adrenaline- induced hyperglycaemic rats (but not in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats).A volatile fraction of the Neem oil is reported to be responsible for sper- micidal activity at a dose of 25 mg/ml for human sperm. The oil has been found to retard the growth of human immunodeficiency virus.Neem oil has caused mitochondri- al injury in mice; poisonous in high doses. (Sharon M. Herr.)Dosage: Dried leaf—1-3 g powder; 10-20 g for decoction; stembark— 2-4 g powder decoction for external use. (API Vol. II.) Leaf juice— 10-20 ml; oil—5-10 drops; bark decoction—50-100 ml. (CCRAS.)... azadirachta indicaHabitat: The Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal, at altitudes of 1,500-2,400 m.
Ayurvedic: Daaruharidraa (var.).Folk: Totaro, Kintodaa (Garhwal).Action: Same as that of Berberis aristata.
The root and stem bark contain alkaloids (5 and 4.2% respectively, calculated as berberine.)The alcoholic extract of the roots was found to be better antimicrobial agent than the aqueous extract. The alkaloid palmitine hydroxide possesses an- tispermatogenic properties. See B. aristata and B. vulgaris. Berberis ulicina Hook, known as Khicharmaa in Tibet, is also equated with Daaruharidraa.... berberis chitriaHabitat: Native to Central America, often cultivated in Madhya Pradesh and South India.
English: Annatto.Ayurvedic: Sinduri, Sinduriyaa.Siddha/Tamil: Jabara, Manjitti.Action: Plant—astringent, antibil- ious, antiemetic, blood purifier. Leaves—infusion is given in jaundice, also in dysentery. Externally, scar-preventive. Root bark— febrifuge, antiperiodic. Seed pulp— haemostatic, antidysenteric, diuretic, laxative. Fruit—antidysenteric.
An antimicrobial constituent, mas- linic acid, alongwith gallic acid and pyrogallol, has been isolated from the leaves. Alcoholic extract of the leaves completely inhibited Micrococcus pyo- genes, but was inactive against E. coli. The aqueous extract, however, showed partial inhibition against E. coli. The aqueous extract also showed potent inhibitory activity towards lens aldose re- ductase, which plays an important role in the management of diabetic complications. The activity is attributed to a flavonoid, isoscutelarein.Bixin, the main constituent of seed coat, shows cytostatic effect on the growth of human lymphoma cells. Bixin also has a hyperglycaemic effect and may disturb blood glucose control.... bixa orellanaHabitat: Throughout India; wild in Punjab.
English: Pot-Marigold, Marigold; Calendula.Unani: Zergul.Siddha/Tamil: Thulvkka Saamanthi.Action: Flowers—antiinflammatory, antiseptic, stimulant, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, antihaemorrhagic, styptic. Used in gastric and duodenal ulcers and dysmenorrhoea; externally for cuts, bruises, burns, scalds. Plant—antiprotozoal. Flower— antimicrobial. Essential oil— antibacterial.
Key application: In inflammation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa, internally and externally. Externally, on poorly healing wounds, ul- cuscruris. (German Commission E, WHO, ESCOP.) Anti-inflammatory, vulnerary. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.)The flowers contain triterpenes, sterols, flavonoids, carotenes, bitter glycosides, resins, volatile oil, mucilage (do not contain tannins). Polysaccharides from flowers exhibited immuno- stimulating and antitumour activity in several in vitro test systems.An alcoholic extract has been shown to have antitrichomonal activity.Wound healing and antiinflammatory properties are attributed to Mn and carotene. An aqueous alcoholic extract of florets showed CNS inhibitory effect with marked sedative activity in experimental animals.The extract of flower-heads exhibited estrogenic activity (reduces period pains and regulates menstrual bleeding).Calephlone, the extract containing the total polyphenols of the inflorescence, has a marked cholagogic effect in rats and has been found helpful in the treatment of CCl4-induced hepatitis. A hypocholesterolaemic saponin has been extracted from the plant.Dosage: Dried inflorescences powder—1-3 g (API Vol. II); fruit powder—1-2 g. (API Vol. IV.)... calendula officinalisHabitat: An evergreen shrub distributed in West and Central India.
English: Swallow-Wart, Milk Weed, (purple-flowered), King's Crown.Ayurvedic: Alarka, Surya, Su- uryaahvya, Vikirna, Vasuka, Tapana, Tuulaphala, Kshirparna, Arkaparna, Aasphota.Unani: Aakh, Madaar, Ashar.Siddha/Tamil: Vellerukku, Erukku.Action: The plant is used against bronchial asthma (especially flowers with black pepper). Leaves—used for treating chronic cases of dyspepsia, flatulence, constipation and mucus in stool. Seed oil— geriatric and tonic. Leaves, flowers and root-bark oil—antimicrobial (maximum activity in leaves). The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India indicated the use of the root and leaf in asthma and dyspnoea; stem bark in diseases of the spleen.
Root bark contains benzoylline- olone and benzolisolineolone. Root, stem and leaves, also latex contain beta-amyrin. Flowers contain evanidin 3-rhamnoglucoside. The plant contains a cardenolide, proceragenin, an antibacterial principle.The latex is given for treating epilepsy, also in painful, joints and swellings. The latex exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-and formalin- induced rat paw oedema model.The herb can alter menstrual cycle and temporarily inhibit ovulation. Cardiac glycosides may be additive when combined with Digoxin. (Sharon M. Herr.)Dosage: Leaf—250-750 mg powder; root—1-3 g for decoction (API Vol. I); stem bark—0.5-1 g powder (API Vol. III). Milky juice—500 mg to 1 g (CCRAS.)Action: Anti-inflammatory. Root— hypocholesterolaemic. Poisonous to human beings in mature stages.
The flowers contain flavonoids, 7- rhamnosides, 3-glucosides and 3-glu- co-7-rhamnosides of kaempferol and quercetin. Roots gave triterpenoid glycosides, which decreased serum cholesterol and total protein and increased blood sugar equivalent to bu- tadione in rats.EtOH (50%) extract of the plant exhibits CNS depressant and hypotensive activity in rat.... calotropis proceraHabitat: Rajasthan, Punjab and Sindh; southward to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
English: Caper Berry.Ayurvedic: Karira, Krakar, Apatra, Granthila, Marubhoo-ruuha, Niguudhapatra, Karila.Unani: Kabar, Kabar-ul-Hind, Kabar-e-Hindi; Tenti.Siddha/Tamil: Chhengan.Folk: Tenti.Action: Anti-inflammatory (used for enlarged cervical glands, sciatica, rheumatoid arthritis; externally on swellings, skin eruptions, ringworm). Fruits and seeds—used for urinary purulent discharges and dysentery. Flowers and seeds— antimicrobial. The fruit is used as a pickle.
The root bark contains spermidine alkaloids, used for inflammations, asthma and gout.Activity of the seed volatiles against vibro cholerae has been recorded.Aqueous extract of the plant exhibits anthelmintic activity; seeds contain antibacterial principles—glucocapparin; isothiocynate aglycone of glucocap- parin.The blanched fruits, when fed to rats at 10% dietary fibre level, showed a significant hypocholesterolaemic effect, which is attributed to its hemicel- lose content.Pickled fruits are use for destroying intestinal worms.Dosage: Leaf, root—50-125 mg (CCRAS.)Folk: Hains, Kanthaar.Action: Antiseptic, antipyretic. Used for eczema and scabies.
Leaves contain taraxasterol, alpha- and beta-amyrin and beta-sitosterol, erythrodiol and betulin.Dosage: Root—5-10 g powder. (CCRAS.)... capparis aphyllaHabitat: Native to Europe and West Asia. Now cultivated in Bihar, Orissa, Punjab, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and in the hills of Kumaon, Garhwal, Kashmir and Chamba.
Also found wild in the North Himalayan regions.English: Caraway.Ayurvedic: Krishna jiraka, Jiraa, Kaaravi, Asita Jiraka, Kaashmira- jiraka, Prithvikaa, Upakunchikaa, Sugandha Udgaar, Shodhana.Unani: Zeeraa Siyaah, Kamoon, Kamoon-roomi.Siddha/Tamil: Shimai-shembu, Semai Seearagam, Karamjiragam.Action: Carminative, antispas- modic, antimicrobial, expectorant, galactagogue, emmenagogue.
Key application: Seed oil—in dyspeptic problems, such as mild, sapstic conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, bloating and fullness. (German Commission E, ESCOP, The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.) The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India recommended the seed in chronic fevers.The fruit contains a volatile oil consisting of carvone (40-60%) and limoline with other constituents; flavonoids, mainly quercetin derivatives, polysac- charides and a fixed oil; also calcium oxalate.The antispasmodic and carminative effects have been confirmed experimentally. The caraway has shown to reduce gastrointestinal foam.Both the seeds and the essential oil are classed as carminative in I.P.The essential oil shows moderate antibacterial and antifungal activity against several bacteria and fungi. Mixed with alcohol and castor oil, it is used for scabies.Dosage: Seed—1-3 g powder. (CCRAS.)... carum carviHabitat: West and South India. Often found planted around villages and temples.
English: Kapok, White Silk Cotton.Ayurvedic: Kuuta-Shaalmali, Shveta Shaalmali.Siddha/Tamil: Ielavum (Tamil).Action: Gum—laxative, astringent, demulcent (given in painful micturition). Unripe fruit—astringent. Root—diuretic, antidiabetic, an- tispasmodic (used in dysentery). Flowers—laxative; used in lochi- orrhoea. Unripe pods—used in vertigo and migraine. Seed oil— used in rheumatism.
The plant contains linarin (acacetin 7-rutinoside). Seeds contain fatty acids, diglycerides and phospholipids. Leaves are considered a good source of iron and calcium. Stem-bark extract—antimicrobial.... ceiba pentandraFirst-generation examples still in use include cephalexin and cefadroxil. They are orally active and, along with second-generation cefaclor, have a similar antimicrobial spectrum. They are used for ‘resistant’ urinary infections and urinary infections in pregnancy. Cephalosporins have a similar pharmacology to that of penicillin, and about 10 per cent of patients allergic to penicillin will also be hypersensitive to cephalosporins. They are e?ective in treating SEPTICAEMIA, PNEUMONIA, MENINGITIS, biliary-tract infections and PERITONITIS.
Second-generation cefuroxime and cefamandole are less vulnerable to penicillinases and are useful for treating ‘resistant’ bacteria and Haemophilus in?uenzae and Neisseria gonorrhoea. Third-generation cephalosporins include cefotaxime, ceftazidime and others; these are more e?ective than the second-generation in treating some gram-negative infections, especially those causing septicaemia.... cephalosporins
Habitat: All over India from temperate to tropics, in ponds and lakes.
English: Coontail, Hornwort.Ayurvedic: Shaivaala (also equated with Vallisneria spiralis Linn., Hydrocharitaceae), Jalnili, Jalaja.Unani: Tuhlub, Pashm Vazg.Siddha/Tamil: Velampasi.Folk: Sevaar.Action: Purgative, antibilious, antibacterial.
The herb is rich in protein, calcium and magnesium; contains ferre- doxin and plastocyanin. EtOH (50%) extract—antimicrobial.Dosage: Whole plant—10- 20 ml juice; 50-100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)... ceratophyllum demersumHabitat: Native to West Indies and South America. Now distributed in South India, Bengal, Kashmir and Maharashtra in wet places with cultivated lands.
English: Indian Wormseed, Sweet Pigweed, Mexican Tea.Ayurvedic: Sugandh-vaastuuka, Kshetra-vaastuuka.Siddha/Tamil: Kattasambadam.Folk: Khatuaa.Action: Antispasmodic, pectoral, haemostatic, emmenagogue. Employed in treating nervous affections, particularly chorea. Dried herb—anthelmintic against round and hookworms.
Ascaridole, an active constituent of the oil, is highly active against round- worms, hookworms and small, but not large, tapeworms. It is highly toxic and can cause serious side effects.The oil has been found useful in amoebic dysentery and intestinal infections (should be used with caution).Leaves contain kaempferol-7-rham- noside and ambroside.A decoction of the herb is given as an internal haemostatic and the infusion as an enema for intestinal ulceration. The infusion is sudorific and diuretic.The oil exhibits antimicrobial and strong antifungal activity against human pathogenic fungi.... chenopodium ambrosioidesHabitat: Native to China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
English: Chinese Cinnamon, Cassia Bark.Ayurvedic: Tvak, Daalchini (bark).Siddha/Tamil: Lavangappattai.Action: Antispasmodic, carminative, antiputrescent, antidiarrhoeal, antiemetic, antimicrobial, mild analgesic. Used for flatulent dyspepsia, colic, irritable bowel, diverticulosis; also for influenza and colds.
Key application: In loss of appetite, dyspeptic complaints such as mild spasma of gastrointestinal tract, bloating, flatulence. (German Commission E, The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, ESCOP.)The bark yields an essential oil containing cinnamaldehyde (82.2%) and eugenol (1.5%) as major constituents.Cinnamaldehyde is a weak CNS stimulant at low doses and a depressant at high doses and has spasmolytic activity. It is hypotensive, hypogly- caemic and increases peripheral blood flow; it reduces platelet aggregability by inhibiting both cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways of arachidonic acid metabolism.Aqueous extract of the bark shows significant antiallergic activity in guinea pig. Diterpenes (Cinncassi- ols) are thought to be responsible for atleast some of the antiallergic effects.The herb inhibited ulcers induced by ethanol, also ulcers induced by phenylbutazone; failed to prevent ulcers induced by indomethacin. (Planta Med 1989, 55(3), 245-248.)The extract, when administered orally to rats with nephritis, prevents the increase of protein level in urine.The bark markedly reduces blood pressure in experimental rats; exhibits tranquilizing effect and is used as an antiepileptic and sedative agent in drugs ofTCM.... cinnamomum cassiaHabitat: North-eastern region up to 1,500 m in Assam and Tripura.
English: Pummelo, Shaddock.Ayurvedic: Madhukarkatikaa.Unani: Chakotra.Siddha/Tamil: Pambalimasu.Folk: Mahaa-nibu, Sadaaphal.Action: Fruit—cardiotonic. Leaves, flowers and rind—used as a sedative in nervous affections. Leaves— used in convulsive cough, chorea, epilepsy, also in the treatment of haemorrhagic diseases. A lotion of boiled leaves used hot in painful swellings. The essential oil from fresh leaves exhibits dermatophytic, and fungistatic activity.
The root-bark contains beta-sitos- terol and acridone alkaloids. It also contains several coumarins. The alkaloids and coumarins show antimicrobial acitivity.The essential oil from the leaves and unripe fruits contain 20% limonin, 30% nerolol, 40% nerolyl acetate and 3% geraniol. diosmin, beta-sitosterol and beta-D- glucoside. The roots contain campes- terol, stigmasterol, sitosterol and cholesterol.Aqueous extract of the peel showed hypotensive action in dogs.The fruits and seeds are a cardioton- ic; found useful in palpitation.Dosage: Fruit—10-20 ml juice. (API Vol. III.) Leaf, flower, fruit, root— 50-100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)... citrus maximaHabitat: Throughout India in tidal forests, wild all over coastal areas; planted in gardens in Tamil Nadu.
English: Smooth Volkameria.Ayurvedic: Putigandhaa, Kundali, Vanajai.Siddha/Tamil: Peenaari, Sangan- kuppi.Folk: Lanjai.Action: Leaf—febrifuge, alterative. Used as a substitute for Swertia chirayita and quinine in remittent and intermittent fevers. The leaf juice is taken orally to relieve muscular pains and stiffness of legs (in tetanus).
The leaves and stem contain a number of triterpenes, neolignans, diter- penoids, sterols and flavones.The roots are prescribed in venereal diseases. The methanolic extract of the roots contains verbascoside which exhibits analgesic and antimicrobial properties.... clerodendrum inermeHabitat: Eastern Europe; cultivated in Britain and the USA. Grown to a small extent in North India and hill stations of South India.
English: Horseradish.Action: Root—used for catarrhs of the respiratory tract. Antimicrobial and hyperemic.
The root contains glucosinolates, mainly sinigrin, which releases allyl- isothiocyanate on contact with the enzyme myrosin during crushing and 2-phenylethylglucosinolate. Crushed horseradish has an inhibitory effect on the growth of micro-organisms.Fresh root contains vitamin C on an average 302 mg% of ascorbic acid.A related species, C. cochlearioides (Roth) Sant & Mahesh, synonym C. flava Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb. (upperCocos nucifera Linn. 163 and lower Gangetic valleys), is used for fevers.... cochlearia armoraciaHabitat: Cultivated chiefly in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
English: Coconut Palm.Ayurvedic: Naarikela, Naalikera, Laangali, Tunga, Skandhaphala, Sadaaphala, Trnaraaja, Kuurch- shirshaka.Unani: Naarjeel, Naariyal.Siddha/Tamil: Thenkai. Kopparai (kernel of ripe coconut).Action: Water from tender fruit— cooling, used in thirst, fever, urinary disorders, gastroenteritis, and as a source of K for cholera patients. Fruit—stomachic, laxative, diuretic, styptic, sedative; useful in dyspepsia and burning sensation. Oil from endosperm—antiseptic; used in alopecia. Root—astringent; used in urinary and uterine and disorders.
Tender coconut water is rich in potassium and other minerals and vitamins. It contains reducing sugars 2.222.85%, total sugars 3.5-4.25%; brix 5.56.2%. It is used as a substitute for normal saline in cases of dehydration.Alcoholic extract of coconut shell (2% in petroleum jelly, externally) was found very effective in dermatophyto- sis. Lighter fractions of the tar oil are used as antiseptics.Flowers, mixed with oil, are applied to swellings, leaves to treat abscesses, shoots and ashes of dry meat to deep cuts, grated meat to burns, roots to wounds and gonorrhoea.Shell and fibre—antimicrobial.Dosage: Dried endosperm—10- 20 g powder. (API Vol. III.)... cocos nuciferaHabitat: Throughout warmer parts of India.
Ayurvedic: Chanchuka, Chanchu.Folk: Chanchu shaaka, Baaphali.Action: Astringent, spasmolytic, restorative, mucilaginous.
The plant contains betulinic acid and beta-sitosterol. Seeds yield cardeno- lides including trilocularin. The glyco- sides of the plant were found to be devoid of any effect of its own on smooth muscle of guinea pig ileum, but produced spasmolytic effect against acetyl- choline, histamine and bradykinin. Direct action of the drug was observed on rabbit intestines. Slight cardiac depressant effect was found on isolated amphibian heart preparation.Corchorus depressus (L.) Christensen, found in drier parts of North India, is known as Bhauphali (Delhi).The Plant is used as a cooling medicine in fevers; its mucilage is prescribed in gonorrhoea, also for increasing the viscosity of seminal fluid. An extract of the plant is applied as a paste to wounds.The plant contains alpha-amyrin derivatives, together with apigenin, luteolin, sitosterol and its glucoside. Presence of quercetin and kaempferol has been reported in leaves and flowers.The plant exhibits antimicrobial and antipyretic activities.... corchorus fascicularisHabitat: Throughout India, wild and often planted.
English: Sabestan Plum.Ayurvedic: Shleshmaataka, Shelu, Bahuvaara, Bahuvaaraka, Bhutvrk- shak, Uddaalaka Shita, Picchila, Lisodaa.Unani: Sapistaan, Lasodaa.Siddha/Tamil: Naruvili.Action: Fruit—astringent, demulcent, expectorant, diuretic, anthelmintic, mucilaginous. Used in the diseases of the chest and urinary passage. Bark—used in dyspepsia and fevers. Kernels— externally applied to ringworm. Leaf—decoction used in cough and cold.
The fruits contain Ca 55, P 275, Zn 2, Fe 6, Mn 2, Cr 0.2 and Cu 1.6 mg/100 g (Chromium is of therapeutic value in diabetes).Antinutritional factors are—phytic acid 355, phytate phosphorus 100 and oxalic acid 250 mg/100 g.The seeds contain alpha-amyrin and taxifolin-3, 5-dirhamnoside, which showed significant anti-inflammatory activity. EtOH (50%) of leaves and stems—antimicrobial; aerial parts— diuretic and hypothermic.... cordia myxaHabitat: Cultivated in Gujarat; wild in parts of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
English: Mango-ginger, Wild Turmeric.Ayurvedic: Aamra Haridraa, Aam- ragandhi Haridraa, Surabhidaaru, Karpuraa.Unani: Aambaa Haldi, Daarchob.Siddha/Tamil: Mangaiinji.Action: Carminative, stomachic, appetizer, expectorant, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory. Specific in rheumatism and inflammation of liver; rheumatism; in contusions and sprains.
Presence of curcumin and a phytos- terol is reported in the rhizome. The essential oil exhibited antimicrobial, antifungal and anthelmintic activity against tape worms.Significant decrease was observed in liver total lipids and serum triglycerides of adult female rat when fed 10% Mango-ginger or 10% curcumin along with normal diet or a surcose- based hypertriglyceridaemic diet.Dosage: Rhizome—3-5 g powder; 10-20 ml juice. (CCRAS.)... curcuma amadaHabitat: Cultivated chiefly in West Bengal and Kerala.
English: Wild turmeric, Yellow Zedoary.Ayurvedic: Karpuraa, Aranya-rajani kanda, Van Haridraa.Unani: Daarchob.Siddha/Tamil: Kastoori Manjal.Action: Uses similar to those of C. longa. Essential oil from rhizomes— antimicrobial, antifungal and anthelmintic. The tubers are applied externally to bruises and sprains, to skin eruptions and infections. A decoction is administered in biliary gastritis.
Fresh rhizomes contain a number of sesquiterpenes including curdione and cerumol. Curcumol and curdione showed inhibitory activity on sarcoma 180 in mice.The rhizomes yield 6.1% of an essential oil with d-camphene 0.8, d- camphor 2.5, sesquiterpenes 65.5, ses- quiterpene alcohols 22.0, acids 0.7%. The essential oil shows high amounts of ar-curcumene (18.6%), beta-cur- cumene (25.5%) and xanthorrhizol (25.7%).The oil, on intraperitoneal administration, partly reversed toxipathic hepatitis in mice induced by CCl4.Dosage: Rhizome—1-3 g powder. (CCRAS.)... curcuma aromaticaHabitat: Cultivated throughout India; wild in Eastern Himalaya.
English: Zedoary, Zerumbet.Ayurvedic: Karchuura, Draavida, Palaashi, Kachura, Gandhmuulaka, Shati.Unani: Zarambaad. Siddha/Tamil: Kichhilikkizhangu.Action: Carminative, stomaehie, gastrointestinal stimulant, diuretic, expectorant, demulcent, rubefacient. Used in flatulence and dyspepsia. Fresh root is used for checking lecorrhoeal discharge; also for blood purification. Zedoary's effect on digestive organs is similar to ginger but milder.
Along with other therapeutic applications, The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India indicated the use of the rhizome in goiter.The rhizomes are a source of Shoti Starch, used as a food for babies and convalescents, recovering from chronic stomatitis. It is cooling and demulcent.Zedoary, dried rhizomes, contains a number of terpenoids, including curcumene, curcumenone, curdione, curcumenol. Curzerenone, furanoger- menone, germacrone, germacrone epoxide; a volatile oil (1.0-1.5%) resembling ginger oil, and starch (50%).Zedoary is thought to stimulate bile production (due to sesquiterpene ke- tones) and gall bladder emptying (due to cucuminoid constituents).The sesquiterpenes, germacrone, germacrone epoxide, curzerenone and curcumenol showed CNS depressant properties. Curzerenone also showed a potent protective effect against induced lesions in rats. Both curz- erenone and curcumenol showed a moderate analgesic action.The terpenoid furanogermenone exhibits antiallergic activity. (Powdered zedoary, mixed with fructose, is used as an antiallergant in Japan.)Curcumenol and curdione are shown to possess tumour-inhibiting property. The rhizome is used in China for extradural haematomas and certain types of tumours. It has been reported in China that zedoary reduced cervical cancer and increased the effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.The volatile oil of zedoary exhibits antimicrobial and antifungal activity. The antifungal constituent of the oil has been reported as methyl-p-methoxy- cinnamate.Dosage: Dried rhizome—1-3 g powder. (API Vol. IV.)... curcuma zedoariaHabitat: Himalayas from Kashmir to Assam, ascending up to more than 300 m and in the north-western plains.
Ayurvedic: Bhuutikaa, Laamajja- ka, Laamajja. (Subs. Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash.)Unani: Izkhar.Action: Blood purifier, bechic, anticholerin, emmenagogue, febrifuge, antirheumatic (also used in gout). Flower—styptic. Essential oil—antimicrobial.
Major constituent of the essential oil is piperitone (64.7%) others include borneol, cadinene, camphene, camphor, farnesene, geraniol, alpha-and beta-pinene. The antibacterial activity is attributed to piperitone.... cymbopogon jwarancusaHabitat: Damp situations in Uttar Pradesh and eastern and southern parts of India.
English: Nut grass.Ayurvedic: Bhadramustaa, Musta, Amoda, Naagaramustaka. (Naagara is a different drug, equated with Zingiber officinale Rosc.)Siddha: Korai-kilangu (Tamil).Folk: Naagara-mothaa.Action: Essential oil—hypotensive, anti-inflammatory, CNS stimulant, antimicrobial. Rhizome—stomachic, cordial, antidiarrhoeal and diuretic.
See C. rotundus.... cyperus scariosusHabitat: Throughout India, up to 2,438 m.
Ayurvedic: Brahma-suvarchalaa (doubtful synonym).Folk: Mukhjali. (Drosera burmannii Vahl is also known as Mukhjali.)Action: Resin from plant—used in bronchitis and whooping cough. Plant—antisyphyilitic. Bruised leaves, mixed with salt are applied for treating blisters.
Key application: Drosera rotundifo- lia—in dry cough and coughing fits, as bronchoantispasmodic. (German Commission E.).The leaves contain napthaquinones, plumbagin (0.5%), droserone (3-hy- droxyplumbagin) and hydroxydro- serone (0.01%), and the flavonoids, quercetin, gossypetin, gossypin and isogossypitrin. The antispasmodic action of the herb has been attributed to naphthoquinones. Plumbagin is antimicrobial in vitro against some Gram-positive and Gram-negativebac- teria, influenza virus, pathogenic fungi and parasitic protozoa, and is active against some species of Leishmania. In large doses plumbagin is cytotoxic, but in small doses exhibits immunostimu- lating activity in vitro.A related species, Drosera indica Linn., is found in Deccan peninsula, particularly in the West coast. Plum- bagone, isolated from the plant, depresses the isolated intestine of the guinea-pig and suppresses the effect of acetylcholine. In Indo-China, a maceration of the plant is applied topically to corns.In Western herbal, Sundew is obtained from the aerial parts of Drosera rotundifolia which grows throughout Europe.... drosera peltataHabitat: Grown as an ornamental.
English: Indian Coral tree.Ayurvedic: Paaribhadra, Paarib- hadraka, Paarijaataka, Mandaara, Dadap. Kantaki-palaasha, Kant- kimshuka, Raktapushpa; Nimba- taru. (Erythrina suberosa Roxb. is also equated with Paaribhadra.)Siddha/Tamil: Kaliyanamurukkan.Folk: Farhad.Action: Leaf—cathartic, diuretic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory. Applied externally for dispersing venereal buboes. Bark—antibilious, anthelmintic, febrifuge, astringent, expectorant. (E. variegata is an adulterant to the Ayurvedic drug Rohitaka.) Different parts of the plant are used as nervine sedative, antiepileptic, astringent, antiasthmatic and antiseptic. Bark is used in liver ailments, fever and rheumatism.
A number of tetracyclic alkaloids have been isolated from the plant.The alkaloids showed a muscle relaxant activity and increased the sedative effects of hexabarbital. The alkaloids extracted from the leaves are reported to have anti-inflammatory activity. Bark alkaloids are neuromus- cular blocking, smooth muscle relaxant, CNS depressant, hydrocholeretic and anticonvulsant. The bark contains 0.05% alkaloids.The root extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity in vitro against Staphy- lococcus aureus and Mycobacterium smegmatis.The seeds of many of the species of Erythrina contain alkaloids with curare-like activity. Clinical trials on biologically standardized beta-ery- throidine hydrochloride and dihydro- beta-erythroidine hydrochloride have shown promising results in the treatment of conditions involving certain types of muscular rigidity.Dosage: Stem bark—6-12 g powder; 12-24 g for decoction. (API Vol. II.)... erythrina indicaHabitat: Throughout warmer parts of India.
Ayurvedic: Mayura-shikhaa, Gojihvaa. (Actinopteris dichotoma Bedd. and Celosia cristata Linn. are also used as Mayura-shikhaa. Anchusa strigosa Lebill., and other Boraginaecae sp. are used as Gojihvaa.)Siddha/Tamil: Yaanaichhuvadi.Folk: Mayurjuti, Maaraajuti.Action: Plant—astringent, cardiac tonic, diuretic, mucilaginous, emmolient (used in dysuria, diarrhoea, dysentery. Leaves—
Family: Zingiberaceae.Habitat: Cultivated either as pure plantation crop, or as subsidiary to coffee and arecanut in hilly forests regions of Western Ghats in Karnataka and Kerala, and in parts of Madurai, the Nilgiris and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.
English: Lesser Cardamom.Ayurvedic: Elaa, Sukshmailaa, Kshudrailaa, Bhrngaparnikaa, Tutthaa, Draavidi, Prithvikaa, Triputaa, Truti, Upkunchikaa.Unani: Heel Khurd.Siddha/Tamil: Yelakkai, Ilam.Action: Carminative antiemetic, stomachic, orexigenic, anti-gripe, antiasthmatic, bechic, Oil— antispasmodic, antiseptic. Used for flatulence, loss of appetite, colic, bronchitis, asthma. Paste used as balm for headache, husk for rheumatism.
Key application: In dyspepsia; also as cholagogue. (German Commission E.)The seeds yield an essential oil (611% dry basis). The major constituents are, 1,8-cineole and alpha-terpinylace- tate, with limonene, alpha-terpineol, sabinene and linalool. The seeds contain palmitic and oleic as dominant fatty acids, besides linoleic and linolenic acids, along with alpha-tocopherol, desmosterol and campesterol.The extracts of cardamom cause a significant decrease in gastric secretion after 3 h of treatment. The effect of methanol extract is primarily observed as decreased pepsin output.Terpineol and acetylterpineol, the active principles of cardamom seeds, showed greater penetration enhancing capacities than Azone which was used as a comparative penetration enhancer for the diffusion of Pred- nisolone through mouse skin in vitro.Volatile components exhibit antimicrobial activity. The oil inhibits afla- toxin synthesis.The cardamom seed can trigger gallstone colic (spasmodic pain) and is not recommended for self-medication in patients with gallstone. (German Commission E, PDR, Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)Dosage: Seed of dried fruit—1-2 g powder. (API Vol I.)... elettaria cardamomumBuch.-Ham.
Family: Euphorbiaceae.
Habitat: Northern and central India, often planted in dry areas.Ayurvedic: Snuhi (substitute), Patra-Snuhi.Siddha/Tamil: Kalli, Naga-kalli.
Action: Latex—used for treating jaundice, dropsy, enlargement of liver and spleen; colic; syphilis, leprosy; applied to haemorrhoids. Coagulated latex is used for bronchitis. Leaf—juice is used as a purgative. Warmed in mustard oil, applied in cold and headache.The latex gave cycloart-25-en-3 beta-ol, and cyclolaudenol; stem contained cyclolaudenol and sitosterol; leaves gave sitosterol. (None of these triterpenes have been reported from E. neriifolia.) These triterpenes exhibited antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli.
... euphorbia nivuliaHabitat: Smaller var., equated with E. thymifolia, is found in tropical plains and low hills of India, ascending to 1,750 m. Bigger var., E. pilulifera/E. hirta Linn. is found in warmer parts of India from Punjab eastwards, and southwards to Kanyakumari.
Ayurvedic: Dudhi (smaller var.), Dugdhikaa, Naagaarjuni, Swaaduparni.Siddha/Tamil: Sittrapaladi.Action: Plant—antispasmodic, bronchodilator, antiasthmat- ic (used in bronchial asthma), galactagogue (also used for spermatorrhoea). Root—used in amenorrhoea. Latex—used in ringworm, dandruff. Leaf, seed and latex—purgative. A decoction of the plant, with honey, is given to treat haematuria.
Aerial parts gave epitaraxerol, n- hexacosanol, euphorbol, two derivatives of deoxyphorbol-OAC, 24-meth- ylene cycloartenol and quercetin galactoside. Co-carcinogenic activity is due to phorbol derivatives. The plant exhibits antimicrobial activity due to alkaloids.Dosage: Whole plant—10-20 g paste. (CCRAS.)Family: Euphorbiaceae.Habitat: Native to Africa; naturalized in the warmer parts of India.
English: Milk-Bush, Milk Hedge, Indian tree Spurge, Aveloz, Petroleum PlantAyurvedic: Saptalaa, Saatalaa.Siddha/Tamil: Tirukalli.Folk: Angulia-thuuhar.Action: Purgative, emetic, antiasthmatic, bechic. Used for whooping cough, asthma, dyspepsia, biliousness, jaundice, enlargement of spleen, leucorrhoea. Latex—applied externally on warts.
Used as a purgative and for rheumatism and neuralgia. Stem bark—used for gastralgia, colic, asthma.The latex contains an ingol ester besides triterpenoids, euphorbinol and cycloeuphordenol.Presence of a number of ingenol and phorbol esters (diterpenoids), and tri- terpenoids are reported from the plant. The stem gave hentriacontane, hentri- acontanol, beta-sitosterol, Me-ellagic and ellagic acids and kaempferol glu- coside.The latex is a weak tumour promoter.... euphorbia thymifoliaHabitat: Western India, upper Gangetic plains and Peninsular India.
Ayurvedic: Dhanvayaasa, Dhan- vayavaasa, Dhanvayaasaka, Duraal- abhaa, Samudraantaa. Gaandhaari, Kachhuraa, Anantaa, Duhsparshaa. (Alhagi pseudalhagi is used as a substitute for F. cretica.)Unani: Dhamaasaa.Action: Astringent, antiseptic, blood-purifier and febrifuge. Applied to abscesses, scrofulous glands and wounds; also given as a prophylactic against smallpox. Bark—used for dermatosis Extract of aerial parts—antiviral, antiamphetaminic, spasmogenic. Plant ash—given to children suffering from anaemia.
The aerial parts contain several tri- terpenoid saponins which gave sa- pogenin, nahagenin, oleanolic acid. Aerial parts also gave diterpenes, fa- gonone and its derivatives, besides flavonoids.The flavonoids, quercetin and kaem- pferol, isolated from the leaves and flowers, showed antimicrobial activity.The fruits are rich in ascorbic acid.Dosage: Whole plant—50-100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)... fagonia creticaHabitat: Native to Central Asia; now grown as minor grain-crop in hilly regions of North India and the Nilgiris.
English: Buckwheat.Ayurvedic: Kotu.Folk: Kutu, Phaapar.Action: Used for treating fragile capillaries, chilbains and for strengthening varicose veins. Used at a supporting herb for treating high blood pressure. Rutin is obtained from fresh or dried leaves and flowers. (Rutin is used in a variety of haemorrhagic conditions.)
The seed are commonly used in colic, choleraic diarrhoea and abdominal obstructions. Root decoction is used in rheumatic pains, lung diseases and typhoid; juice in urinary disorders. In China, used in pulmonary sepsis.The plant is used as a venous and capillary tonic, and for alleviating venous stasis and vericose veins.It is a potential source of rutin (yield 3-5%). The leaves and blossoms contain most of the rutin (80-90%).Quercetin caused significant decrease in ulcer index in acute gastric ulcer with respect to control group in rats. Quercetin, rutin or kaempferol inhibited, in dose-dependent manner, gastric damage produced by acidified- ethanol in rats.The plant also gave hyperoside and anthracene derivatives.Buckwheat is a good source of lysine and other amino acids. The flour is reported to repress exogenous hy- percholesterolemia and promotes accumulation of triglyceride in the liver of rats.Seed oil exhibits antimicrobial activity against Bacillus anthrasis, E.coli and Salmonella paratyphi.Whole plant, dried or green, can cause photosensitization.... fagopyrum esculentumHabitat: Kashmir.
English: Narthex asafoetida.Ayurvedic: Hingu (var.).Unani: Hilteet, Hing.Siddha/Tamil: Perungayam.Action: The gum-resin is used as asafoetida.
The oil is reported to be bacteriocidal. It exhibited antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria.The essential oil, obtained from seeds, shows antioxidant activity comparable to BHT.The plant gave coumarin derivatives including umbelliferone and scopo- letin.Dosage: Gum-resin—125-500 mg. (CCRAS.)... ferula sumbulHabitat: Native to the Mediterranean region; now cultivated mainly in Punjab, Assam, Maharashtra and Vadodara (Gujarat).
English: Fennel. (Poison hemlock has been misidentified as fennel.)Ayurvedic: Mishreyaa, Mishi, Mad- hurikaa, Madhuraa, Shatapushpaa, Shataahvaa. (Shatpushpaa is equated with Saunf and Shataahvaa with Soyaa. Some authors treat these as vice-versa.)Unani: Baadiyaan, Saunf.Siddha/Tamil: Sombu.Action: Carminative, stomachic, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, galactagogue, anti-inflammatory, diuretic. Relieves bloating, nausea, settles stomach and stimulates appetite. Also used in amenorrhoea and enuresis.
Key application: In dyspepsias such as mild, spastic, gastrointestinal afflictions, fullness, flatulence. Fennel syrup or honey can be used for the catarrh of the upper respiratory tract in children. Fennel oil preparations not recommended during pregnancy. (German Commission E, ESCOP, WHO.)German Commission E reported that fennel seed promotes gastrointestinal motility and in higher concentrations acts as antispasmodic. In experiments anethole and fenchone have been shown to have a secre- tolytic action in respiratory tract. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Indian Herbal Pharmacopoeia report its carminative and spasmolytic property.Fennel seed contain about 8% volatile oil (about 50-60% anethole, among others 10-15% fenchone and methyl- chavicol), flavonoids, coumarins (including bergapten) and sterols.The extract of seeds inhibits the growth of micro-organism, especially Streptococcus mutans, that are responsible for dental caries and periodontal diseases.The essential oil from the seed is reported to be antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, emmenagogue, oxytocic and abortifacient.The fatty acid, petroselenic acid, obtained from the oil, exhibited antimicrobial activity.Anethole, a major constituent of fennel seed/oil has been found to be an active estrogenic agent with minimal hepatotoxicity and no teratogenic effect.The oil also exhibits anticarcino- genic activity and can be used as a che- moprotective agent.It possesses antioxidant activity close to BHT.Anethole and limonene are used in pharmaceutical compositions for decreasing the side effects of chemotherapy and increasing the immune function.Limonene showed the capacity to inhibit mammary tumours in rats.The boiling water extract of leaves shows hypotensive effect in rats.The methanolic extract of seed showed antispasmodic activity, while aqueous extract accelerated the spontaneous movement of rabbit stomach.Dosage: Dried fruit—3-6 g powder. (API Vol. I.)... foeniculum vulgareHabitat: Throughout India on the hills.
Ayurvedic: Parpata.Unani: Shaahtaraa.Folk: Pittapaaparaa.Action: The plant is used as a substitute for Fumaria parviflora.
A decoction of the herb is used for blood purification and in skin diseases, especially psoriasis.Methanolic extract of the plant exhibits antimicrobial activity against Sarcina subflava.The herb contains several isoquino- line alkaloids which are common to Fumaria officinalis and Fumaria parviflora.Protopine showed smooth muscle relaxant activity in guinea-pigs, rabbits and albino rats and hydrocholeretic activity in anaesthetized dogs. L-tetra- hydrocoptisine showed antipsychotic (neuroleptic) activity in albino rats and mice. Narceimine, narlumidine, adlu- midine and protopine nitrate exhibit anti-inflammatory activity Alkaloids, narlumidine and pro- topine, exhibit significant antifungal activity.... fumaria vaillantiiHabitat: Tropical forests of Assam, Bengal, Orissa and the Andamans.
Ayurvedic: Paaraavata, Kowaa.Folk: Kaphal (Nepal), Kujithekera (Assam).Action: Sun-dried slices of the fruit are used in dysentery. The latex is used as febrifuge. Gum-resin— drastic cathartic (may produce nausea and vomiting).
The fruits from Assam contain: total soluble solids 9.8, titrable acidity 4.7, total sugars 3.8% and vitamin C 8.64 mg/gThe latex gave xanthones, cowanin, cowanol, cowaxanthone and norcow- anin.The bark contains cowanin, cow- anol, cowaxanthone and rubraxan- thone.Cawanol and cowaxanthone are reported to exhibit moderate antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus au- reus.... garcinia cowaHabitat: Native to Malaysia. Now cultivated mainly on lower slopes of the Nilgiris.
English: Mangosteen, Dodol.Siddha/Tamil: Sulambuli, Mangusta.Folk: Mangustaan.Action: Fruit—antileucorrhoeic, astringent, antifungal, antibacterial; used in cystitis, diseases of the genitourinary tract, diarrhoea, tropical dysentery and fevers. Pericarp—used externally for eczema and other skin diseases. Leaves—anti-inflammatory, anti- immunosuppressive, antiprotozoal, antimicrobial.
The plant contains anthocyanin gly- cosides, a benzophenone, maclurin and several prenylated and related xan- thones. The leaves contain terpenoids, xanthones and long chain hydrocarbons.The pericarp (fruit hull) contains the xanthone derivatives, mangostin, nor- mangostin, beta-mangostin, gamma- mangostin, isomangostin as major constituents.Mangostin, isolated from the rind of fruit, inhibited primary and secondary responses to adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Mangostin, isoman- gostin and mangostin triacetate exhibited pronounced anti-inflammatory activity in rats both by i.p. and oral routes.Mangostin also produced antiulcer activity in rats.Mangostin and some of its derivatives produced CNS depression, characterized by ptosis, sedation and decreased motor activity.Gamma-mangostin showed more potent radical scavenging and antioxi- dant activity than BHA.... garcinia mangostanaHabitat: Central India and Deccan Peninsula.
Ayurvedic: Naadihingu (related species), Jantuka.Unani: Dikaamaali.Siddha/Tamil: Kambil, Kumbai, Dikkamalli.Action: Gum—antimicrobial, anthelmintic; used in skin diseases. Gum gave flavonoids—gardenins, wagonin derivatives, de-Me- tangeretin, nevadensin, hexacosyl- p-coumarate. See G. gummifera.... gardenia resinifera
Habitat: Plains of Northern and Western India and Deccan Peninsula.
Ayurvedic: Parpata (substitute). (Fumaria parvifolora Linn., Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lam synonym Oldenlandia corymbosa Linn., Mollugo cerviana (L.) Ser., Justicia procumbens Linn., Polycarpea corymbosa Lam are also used as Parpata for fevers.)Siddha: Parapalanamu.Action: Used as emmenagogue.
The essential oil from the plant is antimicrobial, that from flowers an- thelmintic.... glossocardia bosvalliaHabitat: Konkan and Western Ghats.
Folk: Miyili, Atangi, Ola, Nagette, Thorilla (Tamil Nadu).Action: Leaves—stomachic, appetizer.
Leaves contain 0.04% alkaloid and tannic acid. The bark contains ellagic acid and coumarin.English: Tree Cotton, Desi Cotton.Ayurvedic: Kaarpaasi.Siddha/Tamil: Sempartthi (Red Cotton), Sivappuparutthi.Folk: Kapaasa.Action: Seed—anticatarrhal (used in consumption), antigonorrhoeic (used in gleet and chronic cystitis). Root—febrifuge. Plant (especially leaf)—uterine stimulant.
The glands contain 35-50% gossy- pol, a polyphenolic toxic compound. Seeds contain 18.5-25.4% protein, 0.57-2.38% free gossypol. Gossypol is a male contraceptive. At an initial dose of 20 mg/day orally for 3 months, followed by 50-60 mg weekly maintenance dose, sperm motility is reduced initially as it inhibits important enzymes of metabolic pathways thus affecting availability of enzyme to spermatozoa. Subsequently sperm production is blocked.Gossypol is reported to cause a transient weakness early in therapy, hy- pokalaemia and changes in ECG among other side effects.Gossypol also assists menstrual flow and effectively inhibits eggs implantation.Gossypol and its derivatives have been shown to have significant antimicrobial activity as well as wound healing effect. It is reported to kill herpes virus.... gordonia obtusaHabitat: Central Himalaya at 1,1002,500 m, East India and hills of South India.
English: Spiked Ginger Lily.Ayurvedic: Shathi, Shati, Gand- hashathi, Gandhapalaashi, Kapu- urkachari, Suvrataa, Gandhaarikaa, Gandhavadhuu, Gandhamuulikaa.Unani: Kapuurkachari.Siddha/Tamil: Poolankizangu, Kichilikizangu.Folk: Ban-haldi (Kumaon).Action: Rhizome—carminative, spasmolytic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, antidiarrhoeal, analgesic, expectorant, antiasthmatic, emmenagogue, hypoglycaemic, hypotensive, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, insect- repellent.
The rhizome shows hypotensive effect in dogs at low doses, lowers blood pressure in high doses.EtOH (50%) extract—anti-inflammatory and hypoglycaemic; gave encouraging results in tropical pulmonary eosinophilia in clinical studies. Alcoholic extract of the plant—vasodilator, mild hypotensive and antiseptic in animals. Essential oil from rhizome—mild tranquilizer in male albino rats; antimicrobial.Rhizome gave sitosterol and its glu- coside, a furanoid diterpene—hedy- chenone and 7-hydroxyhedychenone. The essential oil contains cineole, gamma-terpinene, limonene, beta- phellandrene, p-cymene, linalool and beta-terpineol as major constituents.The oil inhibits the growth of several fungi. The ethanol (95%) extract showed antibacterial activity. The 50% extract showed antimalarial activity in vitro against Plasmodium berghei strain.Dosage: Rhizome—1-3 g powder. (API Vol. I.)... hedychium spicatumHabitat: Western Himalaya, from Kashmir to Garhwal, up to 3,000 m.
Action: Fern—diuretic, astringent; used for diseases of the urinary tract, infirmities of spleen, also for treating jaundice.
The plant contains caffeic acid, neo- hesperidin, kaempferol-3, 7-digluco- side, chlorogenic acid and quercetol- 3-glucoside. The leaves gave methyl esters of the acids—myristic, palmitic,Synonym: H. nepalense D. Don. H. lanatum Michx.Family: Umbelliferae; Apiaceae.Habitat: Chamba, Kulu, Jammu & Kashmir, Bushahr, Garhwal and Kumaon Hills.
English: Cowparsnip.Folk: Kaindal (Kashmir), Gandhraayana (Garhwal).Action: Fruit—stimulant, nervine tonic, spasmolytic. Heraclenin (active principle)—hypoprothrom- binaemic.
Essential oil from the fruits is moderately antimicrobial.Furanocoumarins present in the whole fruit and leaves are psoralen, xanthotoxin and bergapten. Roots also contain furanocoumarins.The fruits of H. concanense Dalz. contain a coumarin which is effective against dermatophytosis. The fruits of H. regins Wall. ex DC. are used for cough and bronchitis, also for urinary concretions in Siddha medicine. H. thomsoni C. B. Clarke (Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh) also contains a coumarin; the fruit showed nonspecific spasmolytic activity equipotent to papaverine.... hemidictyum ceterachHabitat: Throughout Europe. Introduced into Indian gardens.
English: Rupture-Wort.Action: Plant—astringent, diuretic, antimicrobial, anticatarrhal. An infusion is used principally for bladder complaints for ruptures.
The plant gave a flavonic glycoside, rutoside; coumarins, herniarin and umbelliferone, and saponins.A related species, H. hirsuta L. (Himalaya, from Kashmir to Kumaon up to 3,000 m) gave umbelliferone, scopo- letin and herniarin.... herniaria glabraHabitat: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.
Ayurvedic: Waarasa.Siddha/Tamil: Barokalagoru.Folk: Pullunga, Paatang (Maharashtra).Action: Tar extracted from wood— used in skin diseases. Leaf juice— applied externally on toe sores and in chilblain.
The flowers gave hentriacontane and allantoin; the leaves contain ursolic acid and sitosterol. The seeds contain a saponin (rhamnoside), lupeol, beta- sitosterol, stigmasterol and cubulin. The essential oil from flowers exhibits antimicrobial activity.... heterophragma roxburghiiHabitat: Native to the West Indies; now cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Punjab, Assam and Tamil Nadu.
English: Roselle, Jamaican Sorrel, Natal Sorrel, Red Sorrel.Ayurvedic: Ambashtthaki.Siddha/Tamil: Sivappu Kashmakki, Pulichai-keerai, Gogu, Seemai Kaseru.Folk: Laal-ambaadi, Patavaa, Patsan.Action: Digestive, choleretic, antibilious, laxative, diuretic, hypotensive, antiscorbutic. Used as a cardiac and nervine tonic for disorders of circulation, also for calcified arteries.
Key application: Flowers—used for loss of appetite, for colds, catarrhs of the upper respiratory tract and stomach, for disorders of circulation. (Included among unapproved herbs by German Commission E.)The seeds contain sterols, including 3.2% ergosterol; leaves contain sitosterol-beta-D-galactoside. Flowers contain myricetin, kaempferol and quercetin, but did not contain free mutagenic flavonol aglycons.The aqueous extract of flower buds has been reported to decrease blood pressure, cause relaxation of rat uterus. Succulent sepals and leaves—hypoten- sive, antimicrobial and anthelmintic.Oil and unsapanofiable matter—antibacterial, antifungal.Dosage: Root—5-10 g. (API Vol. III.)... hibiscus sabdariffa
Mint (Mentha species).
Plant Part Used: Leaf, stalk, flower.Dominican Medicinal Uses: Leaves and stems: tea, orally, for stomach pain, indigestion, stress, anxiety, diabetes, menstrual cramps; poultice, externally, for topical burns and minor abrasions.Safety: Widely consumed and generally considered safe.Laboratory & Preclinical Data: Antispasmodic, antiflatulent, stimulant, antimicrobial and sedative.* See entry for Hierbabuena in “Part 3: Dominican Medicinal Plant Profiles” of this book for more information, including references.... hierbabuena Habitat: Assam and Tripura.
English: Chalmogra.Ayurvedic: Tuvaraka (related species, substitute for H. laurifolia.)Unani: Chaalmograa, Tukhm-e- Biranj Mograa.Siddha/Tamil: Niradi-muttu.Action: Antileprotic, dermatic, febrifuge, sedative. Used parenter- ally for leprosy; also for psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis.
The plant is a source of chaulmoogra oil (Oleum Chaulmoograe which contains hydnocarpic, chaulmoogric, gor- lic, oleic, palmitic acids and lower homologues of hydnocarpic acid. The oil mixed with neem oil or oil of Psoralea corylifolia is used in leprosy.In mice, intraperitoneal and subcutaneous administration of chaul- moogra fatty acids demonstrated antimicrobial activity against Mycobac- terium leprae. (PDR.)... hydnocarpus kurziiHabitat: Native to South America; cultivated in some Indian gardens. In northern India, grows in Lucknow.
English: Mate Tea, Yerba Mate. Paraguay Tea.Action: Stimulant to brain and nervous system, mild antispasmod- ic, eliminates uric acid. Used for physical exhaustion, rheumatism, gout and nervous headache. (A national drink of Paraguay and Brazil.) Causes purging and even vomiting in large doses.
Key application: In physical and mental fatigue. (German Commission E, WHO.) In fatigue, nervous depression, psychogenic headache especially from fatigue, rheumatic pains. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.) German Commission E reported analeptic, positively inotropic, positively chronotropic, glycogenolytic, lipolytic and diuretic properties.The leaves contain xanthine derivatives, including caffeine (0.2-2%), theobromine (0.3-00.5%), theophylline (absent in some samples), polyphe- nolics, tannins and chlorogenic acid, vanillin, vitamin C, volatile oil. Used in the same way as tea, due to its caffeine and theobromine content.Mate is a world famous tea and is commonly consumed in several South American countries.The flavour constituents exhibited moderate to weak broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against several Gram-positive bacteria. Some components are bactericidal, particularly against the most carcinogenic bacteria, Streptococcus mutans.... ilex paraguariensisHabitat: Native to Afghanistan and Western Tibet. Now cultivated as an ornamental.
English: Dyer's Woad.Action: Plant—used in the form of an ointment for ulcers, oedematous and malignant tumours. Leaves— antimicrobial, antifungal.
The aerial parts yield tryptanthrin, indole-3-acetonitrile and p-coumaric acid methylester.The roots contain anti-blood platelet aggregation constituents, uridine, hy- poxanthine, uracil and salicylic acid together with indigo, palmitic acid and beta-sitosterol.In China, tablets made from the leaves and roots of Isatis tinctoria and Artemisia scoparia have been found to be effective in treating hepatitis B patients.... isatis tinctoriaHabitat: South-western Peninsular India. Cultivated throughout India.
English: Jungleflame Ixora.Ayurvedic: Bandhuka, Paaranti.Siddha/Tamil: Vetchi, Thechii.Folk: Rukmini, Rangan.Action: Herb—astringent, antiseptic, blood-purifier, sedative, antileucorrhoeic, antidiarrhoeal, anti-catarrhal. Used in dysmenorrhoea, haemoptysis, bronchitis. Root—astringent, antiseptic (used against scabies and other skin diseases). Flowers—prescribed in dysentery and dysmenorrhoea.
The saponifiable fraction of the petroleum ether extract of roots exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in carrage- enan-induced paw oedema in albino rats.The leaves contain a triterpenoid, lu- peol, which shows anti-inflammatory activity. The crude alcoholic extract and the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited antigenic activity.The flowers contain an essential oil (0.5%) which possesses antimicrobial activity. Flower contain leucocyanidin glycoside.The plant substrate removes heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium and mercury from polluted water.... ixora coccineaHabitat: Gardens of Kerala and West Bengal.
Action: Leaves, flowers—cytotoxic, antitumour.
The ethanolic, extract of leaves showed cytotoxic activity against Dal- ton's lymphoma, Ehrlich ascites carcinoma and Sarcoma 180 tumour cells in vitro. The flowers have been found to contain antitumour principles, active against experimentally induced tumour models.Jacaranda acutifolia auct. non-Humb. & Bonpl.Synonym: J. mimosifolia D. Don J. ovalifolia R. Br.Family: Bignoniaceae.Habitat: Cultivated in Indian gardens.
Folk: Nili-gulmohar.Action: Leaves' volatile oil—applied to buboes. Leaves and bark of the plant—used for syphilis and blennorrhagia. An infusion of the bark is employed as a lotion for ulcers.
The leaves contain jacaranone, ver- bascoside and phenylacetic-beta-glu- coside along with a glucose ester, jaca- ranose. Flavonoid scutellarein and its 7-glucuronide, and hydroquinones were also isolated. Fruits contain beta- sitosterol, ursolic acid and hentriacon- tane; stem bark gave lupenone and beta-sitosterol.The flowers contain an anthocyanin. In Pakistan, the flowers are sold as a substitute for the Unani herb Gul-e- Gaozabaan.The lyophylized aqueous extract of the stem showed a high and broad antimicrobial activity against human urinary tract bacteria, especially Pseudomonas sp.The fatty acid, jacarandic acid, isolated from the seed oil, was found to be a strong inhibitor of prostaglandin biosynthesis in sheep.J. rhombifolia G. F. W. May., syn. J. filicifolia D. Don is grown in Indian gardens. Extracts of the plant show insecticidal properties.Several species of Jacaranda are used for syphilis in Brazil and other parts of South America under the names carobin, carabinha etc. A crystalline substance, carobin, besides resins, acids and caroba balsam, has been isolated from them.... ixora javanicaHabitat: Native to Iran; now cultivated in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh., Khasi Hills and the hills of Uttar Pradesh.
Ayurvedic: Akshoda, Akshoda- ka, Akshota, Shailbhava, Pilu, Karparaal, Vrantphala.Unani: Akhrot.Siddha/Tamil: Akrottu.Action: Leaves and bark— alterative, laxative, antiseptic, mild hypoglycaemic, anti-inflammatory, antiscrofula, detergent. An infusion of leaves and bark is used for herpes, eczema and other cutaneous affections; externally to skin eruptions and ulcers. Volatile oil— antifungal, antimicrobial.
Key application (leaf) ? In mild, superficial inflammation of the skin and excessive perspiration of hands and feet. (German Commission E.). When English Walnuts (Juglans regia) are added to low fat diet, total cholesterol may be decreased by 412% and LDL by 8-16%. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)Walnut hull preparations are used for skin diseases and abscesses.Walnut is eaten as a dry fruit. Because of its resemblance to the brain, it was thought, according to the "doctrine of signatures", to be a good brain tonic. Walnuts are also eaten to lower the cholesterol levels.From the volatile oil of the leaves terpenoid substances (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpene and triter- pene derivatives) and eugenol have been isolated. Fatty acids, including geranic acid; alpha-and beta-pinene, 1,8,cincole, limonene, beta-eudesmol and juglone are also important constituents of the volatile oil.The leaves contain napthoquinones, mainly juglone. The root bark gave 3, 3',-bis-juglone and oligomeric ju- glones. Unripe fruit husk also gave napthoquinones.The kernels of Indian walnuts contain 15.6% protein, 11% carbohydrates, 1.8% mineral matter (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus, sulphur and chorine). Iodine (2.8 mcg/100 g), arsenic, zinc, cobalt and manganese are also reported. Kernels are also rich in vitamins of the B group, vitamin A (30 IU/100 g), and ascorbic acid (3 mg/100 g).The juice of unripe fruits showed significant thyroid hormone enhancing activity (prolonged use of such extract may cause serious side effect).White Walnut, Lemon Walnut, Butternut, Oilnut of the USA is equated with Juglans cineraria L. The inner bark gave napthoquinones, including juglone, juglandin, juglandic acid, tannins and an essential oil.Butternut is used as a dermatologi- cal and antihaemorrhoidal agent. Ju- glone exhibits antimicrobial, antipara- sitic and antineoplastic activities.Dosage: Dried cotyledons—10-25 g (API, Vol. II.)... juglans regiaHabitat: Eastern Himalayas and Khasi Hills.
English: Rush, Matting Rush.Action: Pith—antilithic, discutient, diuretic, depurative, pectoral. Root—diuretic, especially in strangury.
The leaves gave flavonoids, lutcoline- 7-glucoside, diosmin and hesperidin; aerial parts gave phenolic constituents, effusol and juncusol. Juncusol is antimicrobial. A dihydrodibenzoxepin, isolated from the plant, showed cyto- toxic activity.... juncus effusus
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