Linn.Family: Ranunculaceae.
Habitat: Native to sub-alpine woods in Southern and Eastern Europe. Grown in Indian gardens.
English: Black Hellebore, Christmas Rose.Ayurvedic: Khuraasaani Kutaki.Unani: Kharbaq Siyah, Kutaki.Action: Digitalis-like action in cardiac disorders, drastic purgative, abortifacient, diuretic, local anaesthetic, narcotic.
The rhizome contains cardiac glycosides; helleborin, helleborein, hellebrin and others based on helleborigenin.Helleborin has a burning, acrid taste and is narcotic. Helleborein has a sweetish taste and is a highly active cardiac poison. Helleborin and veratrin (steroidal saponins), helle- brin or helleborein (steroid glycoside) are main constituents of the root and leaves. The plant irritates mucous membranes.A related species, Helleborus virdis Linn. (Bear's Foot, Green Hellebore) is known as Kaali Kutaki and Krishna- bhedi. The plant contains magno- florine and corytuberine. The roots and rhizomes gave hellebrin, desgluco- hellebrin, hellebrigenin, bufatetraeno- lide, beta-ecdysterone and 5beta-hy- droxyecdysterone.
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