Gleet Health Dictionary

Asparagus racemosus

Liliaceae

San, Mar, Hin, Mal: Satavari;

Ben: Shatamuli,

Guj: Ekalkanto,

Tel: Pilligadalu, Philithaga

Tam: Ammaikodi, Kilwari,

Kan: Aheruballi, Ori: Manajolo

Importance: Asparagus is a climbing undershrub with widespread applications as diuretic, cooling agent and an excellent safe herbal medicine for ante-natal care. It is useful in nervous disorders, dyspepsia, diarrhoea, tumours, inflammations, vitiated conditions of vata and pitta, burning sensation, hyperdipsia, ophthalmopathy, nephropathy, hepatopathy, strangury, scalding of urine, throat infections, tuberculosis, cough, bronchitis, gleet, gonorrhoea, leucorrhoea, leprosy, epilepsy, fatigue, hyperacidity, colic haemorrhoids, hypertension, abortion, agalactia, cardiac and general debility (Warrier et al, 1993).

Shatavari is described in Rigveda and Atharvaveda. In Ayurvedic classics it is prescribed as a cooling agent and uterine tonic. It is the main ingredient in ayurvedic medicines like shatavari gulam and shatavari ghrtam. Besides quenching thirst, its root juice helps in cooling down the body from summer heat, curing hyper-acidity and peptic ulcer. It contains good amount of mucilage which soothes the inner cavity of stomach. It relieves burning sensation while passing urine and is used in urinary tract infections. It contains an anticancer agent asparagin which is useful against leukaemia. It also contains active antioxytocic saponins which have got antispasmodic effect and specific action on uterine musculature. It is very good relaxant to uterine muscles, especially during pregnancy and is used to prevent abortion and pre-term labour on the place of progesterone preparations. Its powder boiled with milk is generally used to prevent abortion. It increases milk production in cows and buffaloes. Its preparations in milk helps in increasing breast milk in lactating women. Its proper use helps in avoiding excessive blood loss during periods. It clears out infections and abnormalities of uterine cavity and hence it is used to rectify infertility in women. The leaves are used to prepare toilet soaps. The plant has also ornamental value both for indoor and out door decorations (Syamala, 1997).

Distribution: The plant is found wild in tropical and subtropical India including Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is distributed from mean sea level upto 1500m in the Himalayas from Kashmi r eastwards. The crop is cultivated in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Predesh and northern states in India. However, most of the requirement of the industry is met through wild collections from forests. It is also grown in gardens.

Botany: Satavari, Asparagus racemosus Willd. belongs to the lily family, Liliaceae. Asparagus adscendens Roxb., A. filicinus Lam., A. gonoclados Baker, A. officinalis Linn. and A. sarmentosus Willd. are the other important medicinal plant species of the genus. A. racemosus Willd. is an armed climbing undershrub with woody terete stems and recurved or rarely straight spines. The tuberous succulent roots are 30cm to 100cm or more in length, fascicled at the stem base, smooth tapering at both ends. Young stems are very delicate, brittle and smooth. Leaves are reduced to minute chaffy scales and spines; cladodes triquetrous, curved in tufts of 2-6. Flowers are white fragrant in simple or branched recemes on the naked nodes of the main shoots or in the axils of the thorns. Fruits are globular or obscurely 3-lobed, pulpy berries, purplish black when ripe; seeds with hard and brittle testa.

Agrotechnology: The plant comes up well under a wide range of tropical and subtropical climate. Fertile moist sandy loam soils are ideal for its cultivation though it grows in a wide range of soils. Better root development is observed in soils in increased proportion of sand. However, a decline in the yield of the crop is noticed in soils containing previous year’s residue of the roots. Asparagus plant is best grown from its tuberous roots even though it can be successfully propagated through seeds. Since root tubers are of commercial value seed propagation provides economic advantage to the farmers. Seeds usually start germinating after 40 days and average germination is 70% (Tewari and Misra, 1996).

For the cultivation of the crop, the land is ploughed well with pre-monsoon showers and seed nurseries are raised on seed beds of approximately 1m width, 15cm height and suitable length. Seed nursery should be irrigated regularly and kept weed free. With the onset of monsoon in June-July the main field is ploughed thoroughly and pits of size 30cm cube are dug at a spacing of 60-100cm. Tiwari and Misra (1996) have reported that irrespective of more number of roots and higher fresh weight per plant under wider spacings, the per hectare yields were highest in the closer spacing of 30cm x 30cm. The pit is filled with a mixture of top soil and well decomposed FYM or compost applied at 10 - 15 t/ha and the seedlings are transplanted. Application of N, P2O5 and K2O at 60:30:30 kg/ha increases the root yield. Regular irrigation and weeding are required to realize higher yields. Standards are to be provided for training the plant (Sharma et al, 1992). Few pests and diseases are observed on this crop. Harvesting the crop after two years provided higher root yield than annual harvests in pots as well as in field experiments. Irrigating the field prior to harvest enables easy harvesting of the root tubers. The average yield is 10 - 15 t/ha of fresh root tubers though yields over 60t/ha have been reported.

Properties and activity: Asparagus roots contain protein 22%, fat 6.2%, Carbohydrate 3.2%, Vitamin B 0.36%, Vitamin C 0.04% and traces of Vitamin A. It contains several alkaloids. Alcoholic extract yields asparagin- an anticancer agent. It also contains a number of antioxytocic saponins, viz. Shatavarisn - I to IV (Syamala, 1997). Leaves contain rutin, diosgenin and a flavonoid glycoside identified as quercetin - 3 - glucuronide. Flowers contain quercetin hyperoside and rutin. Fruits contain glycosides of quercetin, rutin and hyperoside while fully ripe fruits contain cyanidin - 3 - galactoside and cyanidin - 3 - glucorhamnoside.

Root is demulcent, diuretic, aphrodisiac, tonic, alterative, antiseptic, antidiarrhoeal, glalctogogue and antispasmodic. Aerial part is spasmolytic, antiarrhythmic and anticancer. Bark is antibacterial and antifungal.... asparagus

Salisb.

Family: Nymphaeaceae.

Habitat: Kashmir, Bihar, Rajasthan, Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, in lakes and ponds.

English: Gorgan Nut, Fox Nut.

Ayurvedic: Makhaann, Paaniyapha- la, Padma-bijaabha, Ankalodya.

Unani: Makhaanaa.

Action: Seed—deobstruent, astringent, nervine tonic. Used in spermatorrhoea and sexual affections (restrains seminal gleet) and debility.

Edible parts of the seeds gave the following values: moisture 12.8, protein 9.7, fat 0.1, mineral matter 0.5, carbohydrates 76.9, calcium 0.02, and phosphorus 0.09%; iron 1.4 mg/100 g.... euryale ferox

Wall.

Family: Theaceae.

Habitat: Konkan and Western Ghats.

Folk: Miyili, Atangi, Ola, Nagette, Thorilla (Tamil Nadu).

Action: Leaves—stomachic, appetizer.

Leaves contain 0.04% alkaloid and tannic acid. The bark contains ellagic acid and coumarin.

English: Tree Cotton, Desi Cotton.

Ayurvedic: Kaarpaasi.

Siddha/Tamil: Sempartthi (Red Cotton), Sivappuparutthi.

Folk: Kapaasa.

Action: Seed—anticatarrhal (used in consumption), antigonorrhoeic (used in gleet and chronic cystitis). Root—febrifuge. Plant (especially leaf)—uterine stimulant.

The glands contain 35-50% gossy- pol, a polyphenolic toxic compound. Seeds contain 18.5-25.4% protein, 0.57-2.38% free gossypol. Gossypol is a male contraceptive. At an initial dose of 20 mg/day orally for 3 months, followed by 50-60 mg weekly maintenance dose, sperm motility is reduced initially as it inhibits important enzymes of metabolic pathways thus affecting availability of enzyme to spermatozoa. Subsequently sperm production is blocked.

Gossypol is reported to cause a transient weakness early in therapy, hy- pokalaemia and changes in ECG among other side effects.

Gossypol also assists menstrual flow and effectively inhibits eggs implantation.

Gossypol and its derivatives have been shown to have significant antimicrobial activity as well as wound healing effect. It is reported to kill herpes virus.... gordonia obtusa

(Mill.) Airy-Shaw.

Synonym: Apium crispum Mill.

Family: Umbelliferae; Apiaceae.

Habitat: Native to Europe, now cultivated throughout India.

English: Parsley.

Unani: Fitraasaaliyum, Karafs-e- Kohi.

Action: Diuretic (used for bladder disorders, painful urination, retention of excess fluid in the tissues), antispasmodic, uterine tonic, emmenagogue, sedative (used for PMS and menopausal hot flushes, also in prostatitis), carminative, expectorant, aperient, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory.

Key application: For flushing out the efferent urinary tract in disorders of the same and in prevention and treatment of kidney gravel. (German Commission E.) Contraindicated in kidney inflammations.

The British Herbal Compendium approves the internal use of the herb for flatulent dyspepsia, dysuria and rheumatic conditions.

The leaves and roots contain furo- coumarins—psoralen, 5-and 8-meth- oxy psoralen, imperatorin, oxypeuce- danin, iso-pimpinelin. Myristicin has been isolated from the leaf oil. The plant gave flavonoids—apiin, luteolin, apigenin-7-glucoside, luteolin-7-glu- coside among others.

Myristicin showed high activity as an inducer of the detoxifying enzyme system, Glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the liver and small intestines of female mice (may be considered as a cancer chemoprotective agent).

The flavonoids, particularly api- genin, have been shown to be anti- inflammatory, to inhibit histamine release and to act as a free radical scavenger. Apiole, a constituent of the volatile oil, is reportedly antipyretic and phthalides of the root, seed and leaf are sedative in mice.

Both apiole and myristicin exhibit aquaretic and uterine stimulant activity, while sodium retention has been observed. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)

In homoeopathy, the herb is used for the treatment urinary disorders—sudden urge to urinate with severe pain, dribbling of urine after urination, gleet discharge and for amenorrhoea and neuralgic dysmenorrhoea.... petroselinum crispum

Linn.

Family: Polygonaceae.

Habitat: The Himalayas from Kashmir to Sikkim at 3,3004,800 m.

English: Viviparous Bistort.

Unani: Anjabaar. (substitute).

Folk: Billori, Maamekh (Punjab).

Action: Rootstock—astringent, antidiarrhoeal, antileucorrhoeic, antiseptic, antiperiodic. Used in haemoptysis; also for gleet. A decoction is used as a gargle for sore throat and spungy gums, as a lotion for ulcers.... polygonum viviparum

n. a sexually transmitted disease, caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, that affects the genital mucous membranes of either sex. Symptoms develop about a week after infection and include pain on passing urine and discharge of pus (known as gleet) from the penis (in men) or vagina (in women); some infected women, however, experience no symptoms. If a pregnant woman has gonorrhoea, her baby’s eyes may become infected during passage through the birth canal (see ophthalmia neonatorum). In untreated cases, the infection may spread throughout the reproductive system, causing sterility; severe inflammation of the urethra in men can prevent passage of urine (a condition known as *stricture). Later complications include arthritis, inflammation of the heart valves (*endocarditis), and infection of the eyes, causing conjunctivitis. Treatment with ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, or cefotaxime is usually effective.... gonorrhoea