Nees.
Family: Acanthaceae.
Habitat: Throughout India as a weed in moist places.
Ayurvedic: Parpata (substitute).
Siddha/Tamil: Kodaga-saleh.
Folk: Kharmor.
Action: Herb—vermifuge, diuretic; dried and pulverized herb is used for cough and fever. Fresh, bruised leaves, mixed with castor oil, are applied to scalp to cure tinea capitis (a scaly fungoid infection).
The flavonoid pigments in ivory- white and pale yellow flowers (the plant also bears blue and pink flowers) showed the presence of luteolin and chrysoerial (3'-O-methyl luteolin) and their glucosides. Deep yellow flowers contain isosalipurposide; the bluish pink flowers showed presence of delphinidin-3,5-diglucoside.
(Bartram) Small.
Synonym: Sabal serrulata (Michaux) Nichols.
Family: Palmae.
Habitat: Southeastern North America.
English: Sabal, Saw Palmetto.
Action: Ripe fruit—diuretic, urinary antiseptic, antiandrogenic, and antiexudative.
The fruit contains fatty acids, especially capric, caproic, caprylic, lau- ric, myristic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, stearic and palmitic acids; sterols, principally beta-sitosterol and its 3-gluco- side (and fatty acid derivatives), cam- pesterol and stigmasterol; triglycerides; triterpenes; alkanols; polysaccharides; flavonoids; essential oil and anthranilic acid.
Key application: In urination problems due to benign prostatic hyperplasia stages I and II (German Commission E, ESCOP, WHO.) (The lipophilic extracts of Saw Palmetto berries are used in France and Germany for the treatment of BPH. In a study (1999), shrinkage of the epithelial tissue in the transition zone of the prostate has been recorded. (Expanded Commission E Monographs.) (For Clinical studies, see ESCOP.)
In India, Sabal palmetto Lodd. Ex Roem. & Schult (Sabal or Cabbage Palm) is planted in gardens for ornament. The sweet drupes are eaten as such or cooked for preparing a syrup. Other species of Sabal introduced into Indian gardens are: S. mauritiiformis Griseb. & Wendl., S. mexicana Mart., S. umbraculifera Mart., and S. minor Pers. The leaves of S. mexicana contain cyanidin. The leaves of S. minor contain caffeic, p-coumaric and sinapic acids.... seronoa repens
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