Digitalis purpurea Health Dictionary

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Digitalis Purpurea: From 1 Different Sources

Linn.

Family: Scrophulariaceae.

Habitat: Native to West Europe. Cultivated in Tangmarg and Kishtawar in Kashmir, Darjeeling and the Nilgiris.

English: Digitalis, Foxglove.

Ayurvedic: Hritpatri, Tilapushpi (non-classical). (Purple var.)

Action: Main source of digoxin for the pharmaceutical industry. Digitalis glycosides increase the force of contraction of heart without increasing the oxygen consumption and slow the heart rate when auricular fibrillation is present. To be used only under strict medical supervision.

Not used as a herbal drug.
Health Source: Indian Medicinal Plants
Author: Health Dictionary

Digitalis

See: FOXGLOVE. ... digitalis

Bauhinia Purpurea

Linn.

Habitat: The Himalayas, and distributed in Northern India, Assam, Khasi Hills. Also cultivated in gardens.

English: Camel's Foot tree, Pink Bauhinia, Butterfly tree, Geramium tree, Orchid tree.

Ayurvedic: Kovidaara, Rakta Kaanchanaara.

Unani/Siddha: Sivappu mandaarai.

Siddha: Mandarai.

Folk: Koilaara, Khairwaal, Kaliaar, Rakta Kanchan.

Action: Bark—astringent, antidiar- rhoeal. Flower buds and flowers, fried in purified butter, are given to patients suffering from dysentery. Extract of stems are used internally and externally for fractured bones. Plant is used in goitre. It exhibited antithyroid-like activity in experimental animals.

The flowers contain astragalin, iso- quercitrin and quercetin, also antho- cyanins. Seeds contain chalcone gly- cosides.... bauhinia purpurea

Claviceps Purpurea

(Fr.) Tul.

Family: Hypocreaceae.

Habitat: A fungous parasite on a number of grasses particularly in rye, cultivated in the Nilgiris and at Chakrohi farm in Jammu.

English: Ergot of Rye. Fungus of Rye.

Ayurvedic: Annamaya, Sraavikaa.

Unani: Argot.

Siddha/Tamil: Ergot.

Action: Uterine stimulant. Oxy- tocic, abortifacient, parturient, vasoconstrictor, haemostatic. Used in obstetrics (difficult childbirth, for exciting uterine contractions in the final stages of parturition). Also used after abortion for removal of the placenta. It is no more employed in internal haemorrhages, as it has been found to raise blood pressure in pulmonary and cerebral haemorrhage. Included among unapproved herbs by German Commission E.

The fungus gave indole alkaloids. The ergometrine or ergonovine group includes ergometrine and ergometri- nine. The ergotamine group includes ergotamine and ergotaminine. The er- gotoxine group includes ergocristine, ergocristinine, ergocryptine, ergo- cryptinine, ergocornine and ergo- corninine. The fungus also contains histamine, tyramine and other amines, sterols and acetylcholine.

The alkaloids of ergot are being used independently (not as a herbal medicine). Ergotamine is used to relieve migrainous headaches as it is a vasoconstrictor and has antisero- tonin activity. Ergometrine is used after childbirth in the third stage of labour and for post-partum haemorrhage, as it is a powerful uterine stimulant, particularly of the puerperal uterus. (Both the constituents are used under medical supervision). Er- gocornine significantly inhibited the development of induced mammary tumours in rats. The derivatives of ergot alkaloids are known to have suppressing effect on human breast cancer in initial stages. This activity is linked to prolactin inhibitory action.

The extract is toxic at 1.0-3.9 g, ergot alkaloids at 1 g in adults, 12 mg in infants. (Francis Brinker).

Dosage: Whole plant—10-30 ml infusion. (CCRAS.)... claviceps purpurea

Digitalis Lanata

Ehrh.

Habitat: Native to Europe. Now cultivated mainly in Kashmir (Yarikhah), also occurs wild.

English: Grecian Foxglove.

Ayurvedic: Hritpatri, Tilapushpi (non-classical). (Yellow var.)

Action: See D. purpurea.

Earlier, the herb was used to treat ulcers, boils, abscesses, headaches and paralysis. William Withering, an 18th century English country doctor, explored the plant's hidden properties. His work led to the production of digoxin, a life-saving medicine.

Safety of the herb cannot be established due to variable amounts of cardiac glycosides. The powder is toxic at 520 mg.... digitalis lanata

Ipomoea Purpurea

(Linn.) Roth.

Family: Convolvulaceae.

Habitat: Native of tropical America; found throughout greater part of India, grown in gardens.

English: Tall Morning-Glory.

Folk: Karakatiyaa (seeds).

Action: Purgative. Seed extract— antibacterial.

The stem contains a soft resin (4.8%), essential oil (0.08%) and tannin. The resin is the active principle, it contains ipuranol, which is identical with sitosterol glucoside, ipurolic acid, d- methyl acetic acid, hydroxylauric acid and glucose.... ipomoea purpurea

Digitalis Drugs

A group of drugs that are extracted from plants belonging to the foxglove family.

They are used to treat heart conditions, most commonly atrial fibrillation.

Those most frequently used are digitoxin and digoxin.... digitalis drugs

Tephrosia Purpurea

(L.) Pers.

Synonym: T. hamiltonii Drumm.

Family: Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.

Habitat: All over India; also grown as green manure and as cover crop.

English: Purple Tephrosia, Wild Indigo.

Ayurvedic: Sharapunkhaa, Vishikha-punkhaa, Sarphokaa.

Unani: Sarponkhaa, Sarphukaa.

Siddha/Tamil: Kattu-kolingi, Kolingi, Paavali, Mollukkay, Kollukkayvelai.

Action: The drug is considered specific for the treatment of inflammation of spleen and liver (is known as Plihaa-shatru, Plihaari in Indian medicine).

Dried herb—diuretic, deobstruent, laxative. Given for the treatment of cough, bronchitis, bilious febrile attacks, insufficiency of the liver, jaundice (not effective in infantile cirrhosis), kidney disorders and for the treatment of bleeding piles, boils, pimples. Also used as a gargle. Root—decoction used in dyspepsia, diarrhoea, cough, bronchitis, adenoids, asthma and rheumatism. Juice is applied to skin eruptions. A liniment prepared from the root is employed in elephantiasis. Oil from seeds—specific against eruptions of the skin, eczema, scabies, leprosy. Seed extract—hypoglycaemic.

Powdered aerial parts prevented elevation of SGOP, SGPT and bilirubin levels.

Hepatoprotective effect of aerial parts was evaluated against (+)-galac- tosamine-induced and carbon tetra- chloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

The leaves contain rutin and rote- noids (0.65-0.80% on dry basis). Rote- noid content is highest in the seed (1.60-1.80%).

The leaves also contain a triterpe- noid, lupeol, and beta-sitosterol.

Seeds contain a diketone-pongamol; a dimethylchromene flavanone iso- lonchocarpin; furanoflavones karan- jin and kanjone; a flavanone purpurin; and sitosterol. A flavonoid, lanceolarin B, is also present in seeds.

The plant extract led to marked lowering of blood glucose level in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits. In diabetic rabbits the extract exerted 60-70% hypoglycaemic effect as compared to tolbutamide.

Shveta Sharapunkhaa (stems: covered with white hair; flowers: pale pink or pale violet) is equated with T. villosa Pers.

The roots gave a prenylated fla- vanone 7-methylglabranin; pods contain rotenoids—villosin, villon, vil- losol, villosinol, villinol and villosone.

The fresh root is credited with hy- poglycaemic properties, but leaves did not show any such effect. The juice of the leaf is given in dropsy. Ayurve- dic classical texts describe it as a special drug for treating sterility in women.

Boiled leaves of T. uniflora subspecies petrosa (Kant-punkhaa) are used for the treatment of syphilis. The medicinal properties of the plant are more or less similar to those of T. purpurea, but to a milder degree.

T. spinosa Pers. (South India, ascending to 400 m in hills) is also known as Kant-punkhaa (Mulukolingi in Tamil Nadu).

The root is applied to inflammations and swellings of joints; a decoction is given in rheumatism.

Chalcones, spinochalones A and B and flemistrictin A have been isolated from the root. Spinochalone C and spinoflavonones A and B, and fulvin- ervin A have been isolated from the plant.

Dosage: Plant, root, seed—3-5 g powder. (CCRAS.)... tephrosia purpurea

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