Dodonaea viscosa Health Dictionary

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Dodonaea Viscosa: From 1 Different Sources

Linn. Jacq.

Family: Sapindaceae.

Habitat: North-western Himalaya up to 1,350 m, in Punjab, South India, ascending to 2,400 m on Nilgiris. Also planted as a hedge plant in Northern India.

English: Jamacia Switch Sorrel.

Ayurvedic: Raasnaa (substitute, used in Andhra Pradesh). (Raasnaa is equated with Pluchea lanceolata C. B. Clarke.)

Siddha/Tamil: Virali, Velari.

Action: Leaves—anti-inflammatory and antibacterial (used in the treatment of swellings, burns, wounds), febrifuge, embrocation of leaves is applied to sprains. Bark— astringent and anti-inflammatory. Aerial parts—hypoglycaemic.

The plant contains bioflavonoids (vitamin P) which are biologically active in improving blood circulation and strengthening capillaries. Aqueous and alcoholic extracts of the plant exhibited cardioinhibitory and coronory constricting, also spasmolytic, sedative and hypotensive activity.

The leaves and pods gave iso-rham- netin-3-O-rutinoside, quercetin-3-O- galactoside and quercetin-3-O-rutino- side. Resin gave a diterpene carboxylic acid (hautriwaic acid). Flowers gave kaempferol.
Health Source: Indian Medicinal Plants
Author: Health Dictionary

Alpinia Galanga

Willd.

Family: Zingiberaceae.

Habitat: The Himalayas and southern region of western Ghats.

English: Greater Galangal.

Ayurvedic: Kulanjana, Sthuula- granthi, Sugandhaa, Ugragandhaa, Malaya Vachaa, Mahaabhari- Vachaa. Substitute for Raasnaa (Pluchea lanceolata).

Unani: Khulanjaan.

Siddha/Tamil: Perarattai.

Action: Rhizome—carminative (in dyspepsia), stomachic, circulatory stimulant, diaphoretic, anti- inflammatory.

Throughout southern India, the rhizome of Alpinia galanga is used as Raasnaa for rheumatism, intermittent fever, dyspepsia and respiratory ailments. (In the north, Vanda tessellata or Pluchea lanceolata is used as Raas- naa.)

EtOH extract of the plant shows anti-inflammatory activity. The ethano- lic extract also showed significant anti- ulcer activity in rats, which has been attributed to the antisecretory and cy- toprotective properties of the plant.

Major constituents of the essential oil are methyl cinnamate, cineole and d-pinene. In moderate doses, the oil exhibits antispasmodic action.

Unani physicians use A. galanga as a sex tonic. In mice, the drug caused a significant gain in the weight of sexual organs and increased sperm motility and sperm count.

Plants used as Raasnaa in Indian medicine: Alpinia galanga Willd. (Zingiberaceae) in southern India; Pluchea lanceolata C. B. Clarke (Compositae; Asteraceae) in Uttar Pradesh; Van- da roxburghii R. Br. (Orchidaceae) in eastern Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal; Blepharispermum subsessile DC. (Compositae; Asteraceae) in Madhya Pradesh; and Dodonaea viscosa (Linn.) Jacq. (Sapindaceae)inAndhraPradesh.

Dosage: Rhizome—1-3 g powder. Decoction—50-100 ml. (CCRAS.)... alpinia galanga

Cleome Icosandra

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).... cleome icosandra

Gynandropsis Gynandra

(Linn.) Briq.

Synonym: G. pentaphylla DC. Cleome gynandra Linn.

Family: Capparidaceae.

Habitat: Throughout warmer parts of India.

Ayurvedic: Tilaparni (white var.), (Pita or yellow-flowered var. is equated with Cleome viscosa Linn.), Ajagandhaa, Pashugandhaa, Ugragandhaa, Puutigandhaa, Barbaraka. Suuryaavartta has been equated with G. pentaphylla DC.

Siddha/Tamil: Thaivelai, Nalvelai.

Action: Leaves and seeds—used in the same way as mustard. Bruised leaves—rubefacient and vesicant, used as counter-irritant in headache, neuralgia, rheumatic affections. Roots—decoction, febrifuge. Seeds—anthelmintic; externally counter-irritant. Applied as poultice to sores with maggots. An infusion is given for coughs.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia ofIn- dia recommended the use of the seed in chlorsis, chronic obstructive jaundice and enlarged prostate.

The seeds are reported to contain cleomin, hexacosanol, free beta-sitos- terol and kaempferol; also glucosino- lates.

Alcoholic extract of the whole plant exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced inflammation in rats.

The medicinal properties of the seeds are attributed to the presence of cleomin. Seeds also contain 1% tannins.

Dosage: Seed—1-3 g powder. (API Vol. I.) Leaf—50-100 ml decoction. (CCRAS.)... gynandropsis gynandra

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