Linn.Synonym: X. indicum Koenig. ex Roxb.Family: Compositae; Asteraceae.
Habitat: Tropical India.
English: Cocklebur, Burweed.Ayurvedic: Shankheshwara, Arishta, Aartagala.Siddha/Tamil: Maruloomatham, Marlumutta.Folk: Bana-okraa.Action: Plant—used for leucoderma, ulcers, abscesses, strumous and malignant diseases.
Root—antitumour. Leaves and shoots—applied externally on venereal sores, herpes and scrofula.Leaves contain seaquiterpene lac- tones—xanthinin, xanthumin, xan- thanol and iso-xanthanol. Leaves also contain isohexacosane, chlorobu- tanol, stearyl alcohol, beta-sitosterol and palmitic acid. A highly toxic compound, carboxyatractyloside, has been isolated from the plant.Beta-sitosterol glucoside is anti-inflammatory, xanthumin is a central nervous system depressant. Alcoholic solution of xanthinin shows strong antibacterial activity against Gramnegative bacteria and fungi. A cy- totoxic compound, xanthatin (a seco- 4,5-guaianolide) has been detected in the resin.The root gave n-heptacosanol, stig- masterol, 3,4,-dihydro oxycinnamic acid, beta-sitosterol and its D-gluco- side, and campesterol.Xanthium spinosum Linn. (introduced from Europe into West Bengal and Assam), known as Spiny Clotbur, is used as a diuretic, antiperiodic (also in intermittent fevers), sudorific, antidiarrhoeal and styptic.The whole plant gave several xan- thanolides. The sesquiterpene lac- tones, xanthinin, solstitialin and sti- zolicin, isolated from the plant, demonstrated limited antitumour action in vitro. Xanthatin has also been isolated.
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