Cleome icosandra Health Dictionary

Linn.

Synonym: C. viscosa Linn.

Family: Capparidaceae.

Habitat: Throughout India; Tripura, West Bengal and Gangetic valley, as a weed.

English: Wild Mustard.

Ayurvedic: Tilaparni, Hurhur (yellow var.), Aadityabhakta.

Unani: Panwaar, Hulhul.

Siddha/Tamil: Nayikkadugu, Nalvellai.

Action: Seed—carminative, antiseptic, anthelmintic (for round worms). Leaf—sudorific. Bark— externally rubefacient, vesicant. Root—vermifuge.

The aerial parts contain a macro- cyclic diterpene, cleomaldeic acid, and a bicyclic diterpene, cleomeolide. The seeds contain coumarino-lignans, cleomiscosin A,B,C and D. The leaf extract exhibited fungitoxicity against ringworm causing fungi with reported mycelian inhibitions.

The aqueous extract of seeds exhibited significant analgesic and local anaesthetic activities in mice and guinea pigs, respectively. It failed to protect rats against convulsions induced by picrotoxin, though it potentiated the barbiturate sleeping time.

The purple var. of Hurhur is equated with Cleome monophylla L. (Bihar, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu).