Asteracantha longifolia Health Dictionary

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Asteracantha Longifolia: From 1 Different Sources

Nees.

Synonym: Hygrophila spinosa T. Anders

Family: Acanthaceae.

Habitat: Common in moist places, paddy fields, throughout India and Sri Lanka.

Ayurvedic: Kokilaaksha, Kokilaak- shi, Ikshura, Ikshuraka, Kaakekshu, Kshurak, Bhikshu.

Unani: Taalmakhaanaa. (Wrongly equated with Euryaleferox Salisb. (Fox Nut) in National Formulary of Unani Medicine, Part I, first edn., 1981.)

Siddha/Tamil: Neermulli, Nerugobbi.

Action: Diuretic, used for catarrh of the urinary organs, also for dropsy when accompanied by hepatic obstruction.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia ofIn- dia recommends the seed in lithiasis; the whole plant and root for gout.

Aqueous extract of herb ash—diuretic in albino rats. EtOH (50%)— spasmolytic and hypotensive. The herb exhibits antihepatotoxic activity in dogs. Essential oil from whole plant—antibacterial.

The plant gave lupeol, stigmasterol and hydrocarbons; seed gave sterols; flowers, apigenin glucuronide.

Aqueous extract decreased fasting glucose and improved glucose tolerance in rats. (Sharon M. Herr.)

Dosage: Whole plant—3-6 g, powder; dried seed—3-6 g powder; dried root—3-6 g for decoction. (API Vol. II.) Herb ash—1-3 g (CCRAS.)
Health Source: Indian Medicinal Plants
Author: Health Dictionary

Bassia Longifolia

Koen.

Synonym: Madhuca longifolia (Linn.) Macbride.

Family: Sapotaceae.

Habitat: South India; common in the monsoon forests of Western Ghats.

English: Mowra Butter tree, South Indian Mahua.

Siddha/Tamil: Illupei, Elupa, Naatu, Iluppei, Iruppei.

Action: Flowers—laxative, bechic (used in coughs, colds and bronchitis), stimulant and nervine tonic. Seed oil—galactogenic, anticephalalgic, laxative in cases of habitual constipation and piles; used externally in rheumatism and skin affections. Bark, seed oil and gum—antirheumatic.

The herb contains 17% tannins and is used for bleeding and spongy gums, tonsillitis, ulcers, rheumatism and diabetes mellitus. Roots are applied to ulcers.

Seed kernel gave protobassic acid (a sapogenol) and two major saponins— Mi-saponins A and B. Mi-saponins (bisdesmosides of protobassic acid) exhibit anti-inflammatory activity in rheumatism.

The carollas are a rich source of sugars and contain an appreciable amount of vitamins and calcium (total sugars 72.9%, calcium 140 mg/100 g). Sugars are identified as sucrose, maltose, glucose, fructose, arabinose and rham- nose. Flowers are largely used in the preparation of distilled liquors. They constitute the most important raw material for fermentative production of alcohol.... bassia longifolia

Madhuca Longifolia

(Koen.) Macb.

Synonym: Bassia longifolia Koenig.

Family: Sapotaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhara Pradesh, Karnataka, Bengal and Maharas- tra.

English: South Indian Mahua.

Siddha/Tamil: Illupei, Elupa, Naatu Iluppai, Iruppai.

Folk: Madhuulaka, Jala-Madhuuka, Jala-Mahuaa.

Action: Same as that of Madhuca indica.

Seed kernel gave protobassic acid (a sapogenol) and two major sapo- nins named Mi-saponins A and B and a minor one Mi-saponin C—all bis- desmosides of protobassic acid. Mi- saponins exhibit anti-inflammatory and antiulcerogenic activities.

Mahua oil causes total but reversible sterility in male rats as it shows testicu- lar atrophy with degeneration of seminiferous tubules.

A related species, Madhuca neri- ifolia (Moon) H. J. Lam., synonym Bassia neriifolia Moon, Bassia mal- abarica Bedd. (known as Atta Illuppei in Tamil), is found in Western Ghats and coastal region of South India.

The flowers are used in renal diseases; fruits in rheumatism, cough, asthma and consumption; seed oil is used in rheumatism.... madhuca longifolia

Mentha Longifolia

(Linn.) Huds.

Synonym: M. sylvestris Linn.

Family: Labiatae; Lamiaceae.

Habitat: Native to Europe and Asia; cultivated in Kashmir, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

English: English Horsemint.

Unani: Pudinaa-Barri, Jangali Pudinaa.

Action: Leaf and flowering top— carminative, stimulant, antiseptic, febrifuge. Used for digestive disorders and headaches. Essential oil—antibacterial.

Chief components of the volatile oil are 1,8-cineole 28.8, piperitone 13.9, cis- piperitone oxide 15.4 and piperitenone 13.8%. The aerial parts contain flavonoids—3'-hydroxy-4',5,6,7-tetra- methoxyflavone, hesperetin-7-rutino- side, luteolin, ursolic acid and beta- sitosterol. The essential oil acts as a CNS depressant and has somnifacient properties. Phenolic extract showed stimulative effect on CNS of mice. Administration of the oil leads to a drop in body temperature.

American Horsemint is equated with Monarda punctata L. The major component of the volatile oil is thymol. The leaves and tops are used as stimulant, carminative and emmenagogue.... mentha longifolia

Polyalthia Longifolia

Thw.

Family: Annonaceae.

Habitat: Native to Sri Lanka; grown in gardens throughout the warmer parts of India.

English: Mast tree, Fake Asoka tree, False Devadaru, Cemetry tree

Ayurvedic: Devadaari (Devadaaru is equated with Cedrus deodara). (An adulterant to the bark of Saraca asoca.)

Siddha/Tamil: Nettilingam.

Action: Febrifuge. Causes cardiac depression.

The stem bark contains clerodane diterpenes, polyalthialdoic acid and kolavenic acid. The stem and its bark also contain the cytotoxic aporphine alkaloid, liriodenine, besides nor-oli- veroline and oliveroline-beta-N-oxide. Azafluorene alkaloids are also present in the bark and leaves. The leaf exhibits fungitoxic activity.

Polyalthia simiarum Hook. f. & Thoms. (Orissa, Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Eastern Himalaya) is also equated with Fake Ashoka tree. It is known as Boga-khamtou in Assam, Wojarah, Mongai in Orissa and Labshi, Kutti in Nepal.

Polyalthia suberosa Thw. (from Assam to Uttar Pradesh in the North and Kerala in the South) is known as Chamkhirni. The leaves contain alpha-and beta-amyrin, lupeol, beta- sitosterol, stigmasterol and campes- terol. The stems and leaves contain the triterpene, suberosol, which showed anti-HIV replication activity. The stem bark contains alkaloids, oxostepha- nine and lanuginosine, which exhibited antibacterial activity against several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.... polyalthia longifolia

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