Dipeptide Health Dictionary

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Dipeptide: From 1 Different Sources

n. a compound consisting of two amino acids joined together by a peptide bond (e.g. glycylalanine, a combination of the amino acids glycine and alanine). See dipeptidase.
Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Derris Uliginosa

Benth. Derris indica (Lamk.) Bennet.

Synonym: Pongamia pinnata Pierre.

Family: Fabaceae.

Habitat: Native to the Western Ghats. Found all over India on the banks of rivers and streams.

English: Indian Beech. Pongamia oil tree.

Ayurvedic: Naktmaal, Guchpush- pak, Ghritpuur, Udkirya, Karanja.

Siddha/Tamil: Pungu.

Action: Used for skin diseases— eczema, scabies, leprosy, and for ulcers, tumours, piles, enlargement of spleen, vaginal and urinary discharges. Juice of root—used for closing fistulous sores and cleaning foul ulcers. Flowers— used in diabetes. Powder of seeds— used for whooping and irritating coughs of children. Seed oil—used in cutaneous affections, herpes and scabies.

The tree is rich in flavonoids and related compounds. These include simple flavones, furanoflavonoids, chro- menoflavones, chromenochalcones, coumarones, flavone glucosides, sterols, triterpenes and a modified pheny- lalanine dipeptide.

Synonym: D. trifoliate Lour.

Family: Fabaceae.

Habitat: Costal forests of India and the Andamans.

Folk: Paan-lataa (Bengal), Kitani (Maharashtra).

Action: Stimulant, antispasmodic, counter-irritant. Bark—alterative in rheumatism. An oil prepared from the plant is used externally as an embrocation.

The roots contain dehydrorotenone, lupeol and a ketone. Bark contains 9.3% tannic acid. Stems contain tan- nic acid, hexoic, arachidic and stearic acids, ceryl alcohol, isomerides of cholesterol, potassium nitrate, gums and resins.... derris uliginosa

Dolichos Biflorus

Linn.

Synonym: Vigna unquiculata (L.) Walp.

Family: Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.

Habitat: A pulse crop, particularly in Madras, Mysore, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

English: Horsegram.

Ayurvedic: Kulattha, Kulittha, Khalva, Vardhipatraka.

Unani: Kulthi.

Siddha/Tamil: Kollu, Kaanam.

Action: Plant—used in measles, smallpox, adenitis, burns, sores. Seeds—astringent, antipyretic, diuretic. Decoction or soup is used in affections of the liver and spleen, intestinal colic, in leucorrhoea and menstrual dissorders, urinary discharges. A valuable protein supplement.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India recommends the decoction of dry seeds in calculus and amenorrhoea.

The seeds contain crude protein 20.8, pentosan 10.8 and water-soluble gum 2.8%. The presence of antinu- tritional components such as haemag- glutinin and a protease inhibitor has been reported. The inhibitor activity decreased during germination.

The mean protein value of the seeds is 25.47% which is more or less equivalent to soybean, winged bean and gram. Nutritionally, the horsegram seeds are richer in lysine content when compared to Cajanus cajan (Arhar) pulse and gram pulse.

Presence of vitamin A in the green pods makes them a valuable diet for children; green leaves may be used in vitamin C deficiency syndrome, due to the presence of ascorbic acid and calcium. The seeds contain several common phytosterols.

Strepogenin—several times higher than in casein.

A decoction of seeds (soaked or boiled in water) is prescribed as diuretic and antilithiatic and has been clinically established.

Diuretic activity of a dipeptide (py- roglutamylglutamine) has been found to be 2-3 times that of acetazolamide in albino rats.

Globulin fraction of the seeds showed hypolipidaemic effects in rats.

A lectin-like glycoprotein from stems and leaves possesses carbohydrate- binding activity.

Dosage: Seed—6 g powder; decoction 50-100 ml. (CCRAS.)... dolichos biflorus

Ionidium Suffruticosum

Ging.

Synonym: Hybanthus enneaspermus (Linn.) F. Muell.

Family: Violaceae.

Habitat: The warmer parts of India from Delhi to Bengal and throughout Deccan Peninsula.

Ayurvedic: Amburuha.

Siddha/Tamil: Orilaithamarai.

Folk: Ratna-purush.

Action: Diuretic, antigonorrhoetic and demulcent. Root—given in urinary infections, for bowel complaints of children.

The plant gave a dipeptide alkaloid, aurantiamide acetate and a triterpene, iso-arborinol, and beta-sitosterol.... ionidium suffruticosum

Dipeptidase

n. an enzyme, found in digestive juices, that splits certain products of protein digestion (dipeptides) into their constituent amino acids. The latter are then absorbed by the body.... dipeptidase

Indian Beech

Pongamia pinnata

Papilionaceae

San: Karanj;

Hin: Karanja, Dittouri;

Ben: Dehar karanja;

Mal: Ungu, Pongu; Guj, Mar, Pun: Karanj;

Kan: Hongae;

Tel: Kangu;

Tam: Puggam; Ass: Karchaw; Ori: Koranjo

Importance: Indian beech, Pongam oil tree or Hongay oil tree is a handsome flowering tree with drooping branches, having shining green leaves laden with lilac or pinkish white flowers. The whole plant and the seed oil are used in ayurvedic formulations as effective remedy for all skin diseases like scabies, eczema, leprosy and ulcers. The roots are good for cleaning teeth, strengthening gums and in gonorrhoea and scrofulous enlargement. The bark is useful in haemorhoids, beriberi, ophthalmopathy and vaginopathy. Leaves are good for flatulence, dyspepsia, diarrhoea, leprosy, gonorrhoea, cough, rheumatalgia, piles and oedema. Flowers are given in diabetes. Fruits overcomes urinary disease and piles. The seeds are used in inflammations, otalgia, lumbago, pectoral diseases, chronic fevers, hydrocele, haemorrhoids and anaemia. The seed oil is recommended for ophthalmia, haemorrhoids, herpes and lumbagoThe seed oil is also valued for its industrial uses. The seed cake is suggested as a cheap cattle feed. The plant enters into the composition of ayurvedic preparations like nagaradi tailam, varanadi kasayam, varanadi ghrtam and karanjadi churna.

It is a host plant for the lac insect. It is grown as a shade tree. The wood is moderately hard and used as fuel and also for making agricultural implements and cart- wheels.

Distribution: The plant is distributed throughout India from the central or eastern Himalaya to Kanyakumari, especially along the banks of streams and rivers or beach forests and is often grown as an avenue tree. It is distributed in Sri Lanka, Burma, Malaya, Australia and Polynesia.

Botany: Pongamia pinnata (Linn.) Pierre syn. P. glabra Vent., Derris indica (Lam.) Bennet, Cystisus pinnatus Lam. comes under family Papilionaceae. P. pinnata is a moderate sized, semi -evergreen tree growing upto 18m or more high, with a short bole, spreading crown and greyish green or brown bark. Leaves imparipinnate, alternate, leaflets 5-7, ovate and opposite. Flowers lilac or pinkish white and fragrant in axillary recemes. Calyx cup-shaped, shortly 4-5 toothed, corolla papilionaceous. Stamens 10 and monadelphous, ovary subsessile, 2-ovuled with incurved, glabrous style ending in a capitate stigma. Pod compressed, woody, indehiscent, yellowish grey when ripe varying in size and shape, elliptic to obliquely oblong, 4.0-7.5cm long and 1.7-3.2cm broad with a short curved beak. Seeds usually 1, elliptic or reniform, wrinkled with reddish brown, leathery testa.

Agrotechnology: The plant comes up well in tropical areas with warm humid climate and well distributed rainfall. Though it grows in almost all types of soils, silty soils on river banks are most ideal. It is tolerant to drought and salinity. The tree is used for afforestation, especially in watersheds in the drier parts of the country. It is propagated by seeds and vegetatively by rootsuckers. Seed setting is usually in November. Seeds are soaked in water for few hours before sowing. Raised seed beds of convenient size are prepared, well rotten cattle manure is applied at 1kg/m2 and seeds are uniformly broadcasted. The seeds are covered with a thin layer of sand and irrigated. One month old seedlings can be transplanted into polybags, which after one month can be planted in the field. Pits of size 50cm cube are dug at a spacing of 4-5m, filled with top soil and manure and planted. Organic manure are applied annually. Regular weeding and irrigation are required for initial establishment. The trees flower and set fruits in 5 years. The harvest season extends from November- June. Pods are collected and seeds are removed by hand. Seed, leaves, bark and root are used for medicinal purposes. Bark can be collected after 10 years. No serious pests and diseases are reported in this crop.

Properties and activity: The plant is rich in flavonoids and related compounds. Seeds and seed oil, flowers and stem bark yield karanjin, pongapin, pongaglabrone, kanugin, desmethoxykanugin and pinnatin. Seed and its oil also contain kanjone, isolonchocarpin, karanjachromene, isopongachromene, glabrin, glabrachalcone, glabrachromene, isopongaflavone, pongol, 2’- methoxy-furano 2”,3”:7,8 -flavone and phospholipids. Stem-bark gives pongachromene, pongaflavone, tetra-O-methylfisetin, glabra I and II, lanceolatin B, gamatin, 5-methoxy- furano 2”,3”:7,8 -flavone, 5-methoxy-3’,4’-methelenedioxyfurano 2”,3”:7,8 -flavone and - sitosterol. Heartwood yields chromenochalcones and flavones. Flowers are reported to contain kanjone, gamatin, glabra saponin, kaempferol, -sitosterol, quercetin glycocides, pongaglabol, isopongaglabol, 6-methoxy isopongaglabol, lanceolatin B, 5-methoxy-3’,4’- methelenedioxyfurano 8,7:4”,5” -flavone, fisetin tetramethyl ether, isolonchocarpin, ovalichromene B, pongamol, ovalitenon, two triterpenes- cycloart-23-ene,3 ,25 diol and friedelin and a dipeptide aurantinamide acetate.

Roots and leaves give kanugin, desmethoxykanugin and pinnatin. Roots also yield a flavonol methyl ether-tetra-O-methyl fisetin. The leaves contain triterpenoids, glabrachromenes I and II, 3’-methoxypongapin and 4’-methoxyfurano 2”,3”:7,8 -flavone also. The gum reported to yield polysaccharides (Thakur et al, 1989; Husain et al, 1992).

Seeds, seed oil and leaves are carminative, antiseptic, anthelmintic and antirheumatic. Leaves are digestive, laxative, antidiarrhoeal, bechic, antigonorrheic and antileprotic. Seeds are haematinic, bitter and acrid. Seed oil is styptic and depurative. Karanjin is the principle responsible for the curative properties of the oil. Bark is sweet, anthelmintic and elexteric.... indian beech

Pongamia Pinnata

Pierre.

Synonym: P. glabra Vent. Derris indica (Lam.) Benett.

Family: Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.

Habitat: Western Ghats, tidal forests up to 1,200 m.

English: Pongam Oil tree, Indian Beech.

Ayurvedic: Karanja.

Siddha/Tamil: Pungam.

Action: Oil—applied in scabies, herpes, leucoderma and other cutaneous diseases; over chest in pneumonia and cold; also used internally as cholagogue in sluggish liver. Leaves—juice is prescribed in flatulence, dyspepsia, diarrhoea and cough. An infusion is given for leprosy and gonorrhoea. Root— a paste is used in scrofulous enlargements; juice is used for cleaning foul ulcers and closing fistulous sores. Stem bark—given internally in bleeding piles. Rind of pod and seed—prescribed in bronchitis and whooping cough. Leaf and seed—antileprotic. Leaf and seed oil—antirheumatic.

The tree is rich in flavonoids and related compounds. These include simple flavones, furanoflavonoids, chro- menoflavones, chromenochalcones, coumarones, flavone glucosides, sterols, triterpenes and a modified phenyl- alanine dipeptide. Seeds and seed oil gave karanjin, pongamol, pongapin and kanjone.

The aqueous extract of stem bark shows significant sedative and antipyretic effects in rats, and antispas- modic effect in vitro on smooth muscles.

In Indonesia, a decoction ofthe bark is drunk after child birth.

The aqueous extract of seeds showed significant antiviral activity against herpes simplex viruses HSV-1 and 2 cell lines experimentally. Albino rats, treated with the aqueous extract of seeds, recovered faster from induced infection and skin-burn than the untreated ones.

Dosage: Seed—250 mg powder; 510 g for decoction. (API, Vol. I.)... pongamia pinnata

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