Medicinal Herbs
Diagnostic Features of the family.
The members are distinguished by the aromatic leaves, sheathing leaf base, umbellate inflorescences,bicarpellate inferior ovary and a cremocarp.
Medicinal plants
1. Centella asiatica Urban. (Hydrocotyle asiatica Linn. Manduk parni/ Brahmi,
Gotu kola)
The triterpenoid glycosides like asiaticoside, indocentelloside, brahmoside, brahminoside, etc.
This is one plant recommended
for improving memory, reducing anxiety neurosis and hypertension and for treatment of leprosy and skin diseases.
Externally the paste of the fresh herb is applied for rheumatism, elephantiasis
and hydrocele.
It is valued as a tonic and used in asthma, catarrh, leucorrhoea, kidney problems and tuberculosis.
2. Coriandrum sativum Linn (Dhanya/Kottmir, Coriander).
The leaves yield isocoumarins like coriandrones A & B, coriandrin and dihydrocoriandrin and are good sources of vit. C and carotenoids.
Fruits contain fixed oil (15%), volatile oil (up to 1%), tannins and calcium oxalate. 65-70% of volatile oil is linalool.
Coriander is a well-known spice. It has got stomachic, spasmolytic and carminative properties.
The essential oil is antifungal in nature.
3. Ammi visnaga Lam. (Visnaga, Khella)
A native of Middle East, this plant is a tall robust herb.
The fruits yield 0.5 – 1.5% chromones consisting of khellin, visnagin, and a number of furanocoumarins such as bergaptene, marmelosin, marmesin and xanthotoxin. Protein (12%), fat (18%) and a volatile oil are the other constituents of fruits.
Fruits are used for expelling kidney stones and for renal colic. Khellin is antispasmodic and a vasoditator.
It is also used in treatment of angina pectoris and asthma.
4. Anethum graveolens Linn. (Peucedanum graveolens Linn. - European Dill)
The fruits contain 2.5-4% of volatile oil, 16-20% of fatty oil, and 15% proteins.
The major constituents of the volatile oil are carvone (30-60%) and d-limonene.
The volatile oil and its emulsion in water are stomachic, diuretic, anthelmintic and antiflatulent and form an important ingredient in gripe water preparations for children.
5. Anethum sowa Roxb.( A. graveolens DC,–Sowa, Indian Dill)
A. sowa is similar to A. graveolens Linn, but the fruits are subelliptical with three longitudinal ridges and vittae having marginal walls appearing irregular.
The fruits yield a
volatile oil (1.5 to 3.5%), proteins (20%), carbohydrates (31%), -sitosterol, piperine and flavonoids (kaempferol and quercetin).
Sowa is used as a carminative, antipyretic and anthelmintic and is a component of gripe water.
It is also used as a condiment and in
confectionery.
The seed oil is useful in preventing flatulence in children.
6. Angelica archangelica Linn. (Angelica)
This native of Syria, is a stout aromatic perennial herb, cultivated in Europe and W. Asia. All parts of the plant yield volatile oils.
The oil from roots, amounting to 1% dry basis, consists mainly of -phellandrene.
The vol. oil from fruit (up to 3.8%) contains -phellandrene, p-cymene, azulene and sesquiterpenes.
Roots are aromatic and used as diaphoretics, expectorants, and diuretics and in flatulent colic.
7. A. glauca Edgew.,
a native of Western Himalayas, yields a volatile oil
(from roots) containing sesquiterpenes.
The root is used as a spice and in medicine in bilious complaints, infantile atrophy, and menorrhagia and for treating rinderpest.
8. Apium graveolens Linn.(Celery)
This strongly aromatic perennial is a native of temperate Europe. The fruits yield a volatile oil (2-3%), a fatty oil (17%), resin, flavonoids, coumarins and alkaloids.
The principal component of vol. oil is limonene (50%), along with selinene.
The fruits are excellent medicines for uric acid.
The fatty oil also is used as an antispasmodic and nerve stimulant.
The vol. oil is shown to exhibit tranquilizing andanti-convulsant properties.
The leaves are used as salads and used in the cure of vitilago and
psoriasis.
9. Angelica sinensis Diels (Dong quai, Female ginseng)
Dong quai is an aromatic perennial herb, a native of China. The roots yield an essential oil containing ligustilide, safrole, p-cymene, butylidene dinaphthide and sesquiterpenes.
Also present are coumarin bergaptene and fatty alcohols. This drug (roots) is useful in relieving menopausal symptoms and for other menstrual disorders and dysmenorrhoea.
It is also
restorative in nature and used in general debility and anemia.
10. Bupleurum falcatum Linn. (Bupleurum)
A native of Europe and Himalayas,
Bupleurum is a perennial, much branched herb.
Roots are found to yield a number of saponins – saikosaponins A, C, & D being the principal ones.
The sapogenins are of oleanane type, e.g.., Saikogenin F. Roots are used as antiinflammatory, diaphoretic and often prescribed for liver troubles.
11. Carum carvi Linn.( Kala zira, Caraway).
This native of North India.
The principal constituents of vol. oil are carvone
(55-60%) and limonene.
They areprescribed in flatulent colic and stomach problems. Alcoholic extract is antispasmodic.
Caraway roots are edible and leaves are eaten as salads.
12. Conium maculatum Linn. (Poison Hemlock)
C. maculatum a much branches herb is a native of Europe.
The plant is extremely poisonous and was given to Socrates to kill him.
The dry unripe fruits, which are used as the drug, are used as antispasmodic, sedative, anodyne, in epilepsy, acute mania, and whooping cough. contain 1-2.5% of the liquid alkaloid coniine, along with other alkaloids like N-methyl coniine, conhydrine, pseudocohydrine, -coniceine.
In homeopathy it is used to prevent
cataract.
13. Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (Madhurika /Saunf, Fennel )
The fruits are anabolic, estrogenic, analgesic, antipyretic, and antimicrobial agents.
It reduces flatulence in infants.
14. Ferula asafoetida Bios (Hing, Asafoetida)
F. asafoetida and related plants, stout perennial herbs natives of Iran, India and Afghanistan yield the oleo-gum-resin asafoetida.
Cutting off successive horizontal slices collects the gum resin, occurring in the cortex of thick fleshy rootstock, from it, after removal of the crown.
The fresh resin oozing out and collected at the cut surface is yellowish white and translucent, but becomes a reddish brown opaque solid on standing.
Asafoetida possesses a
powerful alliaceous odour and a bitter acrid taste.
It contains a volatile oil (4-20%), resin (40-60%), gums (20%) and some impurities.
The oil consists chiefly of isobutyl propanyl disulphide
and related compounds, which are responsible for the characteristic, smell of the gum resin.
Asafoetida is extensively used in East for flavouring foodstuffs and in West as an ingredient of perfumes in dilute concentration.
Medicinally it is used as a carminative, expectorant, antispasmodic, laxative and against asthma, whooping cough, chronic bronchitis, hysteria, epilepsy and cholera.
Mammen Daniel
