NERIUM INDICUM

Common name: Oleander • Hindi: Kaner कनेर • Manipuri: কবীৰৈ Kabirei • Tamil: அரளி Arali • Bengali: Raktakarabi

Botanical name: Nerium oleander  

Family: Apocynaceae (oleander family)
Synonyms: Nerium indicum

Introduction:
Beautiful blossoms, of fragrant pink flowers in bunches, at the tip of branchlets rendering an eye-catching sight that is 'Oleander'. A native of India and the Mediterranean, it is now widely grown in tropical and subtropical gardens, parks, avenues, and is popular for its hue and fragrance. It rises up to 3 meters erect with its short branches and dark dusty green leathery narrow leaves, which grow in whorls. The are narrow lancelike, 5-21 cm long and 1-3.5 cm broad, and with an entire margin. The flowers grow in clusters at the end of each branch; they are white, pink or yellow, 2.5-5 cm diameter, with 5 petals fringed at the base. They are often, but not always, sweetly scented. The fruit is a long narrow capsule 5-23 cm long, which splits open at maturity to release numerous downy seeds. The plants are almost free from pests and diseases and untouched by cattle and goats, due to their toxicity. In India they are thus the most favoured plants for the road dividers, where a plant has to withstand heat and dust, and little water. There are single and double forms in white, pink and red. Several other cultivars have been developed - once example is a popular variety called 'Petit Salmon' which is a dwarf that grows to only 4 ft (1.2 m).

Chemical constituents

Root: glycosides, neriodorin, neriodorein, karabin, bitter glycosides fenolinic acid and aromatic oil 
Bark: scopoletin, scopolin. Besides this it contains tannins, red colouring matter, a aromatic oil, wax and flobefin and a yellow coloured stable oil.
It also contains oleandrin, neriodin, nerium D, rutin and anhydro-oleandrin.

Medicinal Uses

The leaves and the flowers: cardiotonic, diaphoretic, diuretic, anticancer, antibacterial, anti Fungal and expectorant.

A decoction of the leaves:In treatment of scabies and to reduce swellings. This is a very poisonous plant, containing a powerful cardiac toxin and should only be used with extreme caution.

The root :Used in the form of plasters and is applied to tumors because of its poisonous nature it is only used externally. It is beaten into a paste with water and applied to lesion and ulcers on the penis.

Bark : It is bitter and is used as cathartic, febrifuge and intermittent fever. Plants have an extensive root system and are often used to stabilize soil in warmer areas.

Oil prepared from the root bark: In the treatment of leprosy and skin diseases of a scaly nature.

Seeds are Poisonous. Abortifacient and alternative: They used as purgative in dropsy and rheumatism.

The whole plant is said to have anticancer properties. Nerium indicum has also been used in the treatment of cancer the flowers, leaves, leaf juice or latex, bark and roots have been used against corns, warts, cancerous ulcers, carcinoma, ulcerating or hard tumors.

 

MUSA SAPIENTUM(MUSA PARADISIACA LINN.)

 

Common name: Banana • Hindi: Kela केला • Manipuri: লফূ থরো Laphoo tharo • Tamil: Vaazha வாழை •Malayalam: Vaazha

Botanical name: Musa paradisiaca   

Family: Musaceae (Banana family)

Geographical composition

It occurs throughout India in tropical and subtropical regions and also cultivated.

Introduction: Banana is a tropical tree-like herb, with large leaves of which the overlapping bases form the so-called false trunk. Fully grown, the stem reaches a height of 10 - to 30 feet. From the center of the crown spring the flowers. Only female flowers develop into a banana fruit that vary in length from about 4 - 12 inches. The average weight of a bunch is about 25 lbs. Each banana plant bears fruit only once. The propagation is through shoots from the rhizomes, since most of the seeds species are sterile. In India, almost every part of the banana plant is used, either for food, or for wrapping food. The unripe fruit of banana, rich in starch, is commonly dried and fried as chips in south India. The banana stem is also eaten after cooking.

 

Chemical composition

The fruit contains sugar, starch, albuminoids and vitamin A, B and C. Ash is rich in potash salts.

Therapeutic uses

It is antiacidic, antidote to poisoning, antibilious, antiscorbutic, anthelmintic, aphrodisiac, astringent, carminative, cooling, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, laxative, nutritive, ophthalmic, styptic, sudorific and tonic. Useful in bladder irritability, bowel complaints, cholera-thirst, chronic bronchitis, cool dressings for blisters and burns, dry cough, colic, diabetes, dysentery, haemoptysis, haemorrhage, heart-burn, leucorrhoea, menorrhagia, nervous affections like hysteria and epilepsy, seminal weakness and small pox as a prophylactic.

Folk medicinal uses

The fresh, terminal leaves coated with some bland oil make a very efficacious surgical dressing for inflamed and blistered surfaces. The juice of the flower is given with curds in dysmenorrhoea and menorrhagia cooked flowers are eaten in diabetes. 20 stamens of saffron (Crocus sativus) mixed with 15 gm. roots of Banana given only once in the morning. This is said to cure even the most complicated case of typhoid.

Preparations

Kadalyadi-ghrita, kadaliphaladiyog.

Flowers : April-June

Fruits : Rainy season

 

 

MURRAYA EXOTICA

Common name: Orange Jasmine, Chinese box • Hindi: Kamini कामिनी • Manipuri: কামিনী কুসুম Kamini kusum • Tamil: வெங்காரை Vengarai • Telugu: Nagagolungu • Marathi: कुन्ती Kunti • Kannada: Kadu karibevu • Malayalam: Maramulla

Botanical name: Murraya paniculata   

Family: Rutaceae (citrus family)

Synonyms: Murraya exotica

Introduction:

Kamini flowers have an aromatic orange-like fragrance. Native to India, Kamini is a large, multi-trunked shrub, but can grow to become a small tree. It can be pruned and also grown as garden hedge! The evergreen leaflets are dark green and pinnately compound with three to nine leaflets arranged alternately along the spine. The dark green leaves make a dramatic backdrop for the highly fragrant cream colored flowers. The shrub blooms most of the year. The flowers are followed by small oval red fruits with one or two seeds. The shrub is usually propagated from seed.

Chemical constituents

Mahanimbine, girinimbine, murrayanine, murrayafoline- A, Bismurrayafoline- A and chrestifoline- A. Murranimbine, Murrayamine- O and murrayamine- P, 3-formyl-2, 7- dimethoxycarbazole, 7-methoxy murrayacine, 3-formyl-2- methoxycarbazole or methylmukonal, 9-carbethoxy-3-methylcarbazole and 9-formyl-3-methylcarbazole.

 Medicinal uses

The carbazole alkaloids- antiimplantation, hypoglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, mosquitocidal, anti-diabetic, antilipdemic; wheras the coumarins show anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antimicrobial potential.

The coumarins :-  used as antidote against snake venom.

The leaves of Murraya koengii can be utilized in Alzheimer’s disease and in dementia.

The different parts of the plants of this genus help in scavenging free radicals and to control the oxidative stress.

MURRAYA KOENIGII

Common name: Curry Leaf • Hindi: Kari patta करी पत्ता • Marathi: Kudianim • Tamil: கரிவேப்பிலை Karivepillai • Malayalam: Kareapela • Telugu: karepaku, karepeku, kari-vepa-chettu • Kannada: gandhabevu, kari-bevinagida • Bengali: Barsunga • Oriya: lesunadando • Assamese: Bishahari, Narasingha • Mizo: Arpatil • Sanskrit: Alakavhaya, Chhardighna, गिरिनिम्ब Girinimba, Kadarya

Botanical name: Bergera koenigii    

Family: Rutaceae (Citrus family)

Synonyms: Murraya koenigii, Chalcas koenigii

Geographical distribution

The plant occurs throughout India, in damp and hot parts and also cultivated in houses and gardens.

Introduction: Curry Leaf tree is a small or medium sized tree, most famous for its aromatic leaves that provide curry spice. Curry leaves are extensively used in Southern India and Sri Lanka (and are absolutely necessary for the authentic flavour), but are also of some importance in Northern India. It is a small tree, growing 4-6 m tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm diameter. The leaves are pinnate, with 11-21 leaflets, each leaflet 2-4 cm long and 1-2 cm broad. They are highly aromatic. The flowers are small white, and fragrant. The small black, shiny berries are edible, but their seeds are poisonous. Together with South Indian immigrants, curry leaves reached Malaysia, South Africa and Réunion island. When cooking, the leaves are generally used fresh off of the tree. Outside the Indian sphere of influence, they are rarely found. The yellow "curry powder" that is common in Western countries is actually not curry at all, but a mix of spices intended to mimic the true curry flavor. The yellow color comes from turmeric root.

Medicinal uses: information Leaves are digestive, tonic, stimulant, rich in vitamin A and calcium. Leaves are also used for diarrhoea, dysentry and checking vomitting. Bark-paste is antisceptic, applied to skin eruptions. Root extract is taken for relief from renal pain.

Chemical composition

The leaves contain an essential oil and glucoside-koeinigin.

Therapeutic uses

The leaves are useful in dysentery, diarrhoea, diabetes and to check vomiting. The bark and roots are stimulants.

Folk medicinal uses

The leaves are eaten to check sugar in blood (to cure diabetes). In case of fever a decoction of the leaves is given with bitters. A poultice of the leaves is applied over eruptions and bruises.

Flowers and Fruits : Summer season 

MUCUNA PRURIENS

Common name: Velvet bean, Cowitch, Cowhage, Kapikachu, Nescafe, Sea bean • Hindi: Kiwach •Marathi: खाज कुइरी Khaj-kuiri • Malayalam: Naicorna • Nepali: काउसो Kauso • Telugu: Pilliadugu •Kannada: Nayisonanguballi • Bengali: Akolchi • Tamil: Punaippidukkan

Botanical name:   Mucuna pruriens    

Family: Fabaceae (bean family)

Introduction: Velvet bean is an annual, climbing shrub with long vines that can reach over 15 m. Leaves are trifoliate, gray-silky beneath; petioles are long and silky, 6-11 cm. Leaflets are membranous, terminal leaflets are smaller, lateral very unequal sided. Dark purple flowers (6 to 30) occur in drooping racemes. Fruits are curved, 4-6 seeded. The longitudinally ribbed pod, is densely covered with loose orange hairs which cause a severe itch if they come in contact with skin. The beans are shiny black or brown. It is found in tropical Africa, India and the Caribbean.

Medicinal uses:   Velvet bean can be beneficial, since it is high in levodopa which helps maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The seed powder of Mucuna pruriens has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine for diseases including parkinsonism, and has proven in medical tests to have equal or superior effectiveness in the treatment of parkinsons disease over conventional, synthetic levodopa medications. Another benefit of Mucuna is that it can increase the production of human growth hormone, and extracts are commonly sold as body-building supplements.

Chemical Constituents: M. pruriens seeds contain high concentrations of LDOPA, an unusual non protein amino acid and a direct precursor to the neuro transmitter dopamine, an important brain chemical involved in mood, sexuality and movement. Besides, it also contains some other amino acids, glutathione, lecithin, gallic acid and beta sitosterol. The mature seeds of the plant contain about 3.1 to 6.1% L-DOPA, with trace amounts of 5-hydroxy tryptamine (serotonin), nicotine, dimethyl tryptamine (DMT), bufotenine, 5-MeO-DMT and beta-carboline. The leaves contain about 0.5% L-DOPA, 0.006% dimethyl tryptamine and 0.0025% 5-MeO-DMT.

Medicinal Uses: All parts of Mucuna possess valuable medicinal properties. It is used against a wide range of disorders, such as urinary tract, neurological and menstruation disorders, constipation, edema, fever, tuberculosis, ulcers, PD and helminthiases like elephantiasis (Oudhia, 2002).

Traditionally, the powdered seeds of M. pruriens was found to increase the general mating behavior and thereby sexual activity in rats. Roots, according to the Ayurveda, are bitter, thermogenic, anthelmintic, diuretic, emollient, stimulant, aphrodisiac, purgative, febrifuge, and tonic. It is considered useful to relieve constipation, nephropathy, dysmenorrhoea, amenorrhoea, elephantiasis, dropsy, neuropathy, ulcers, helminthiasis, fever and delirum.

MORUS ALBA

Common name: White Mulberry, Russian Mulberry, Silkworm Mulberry • Hindi: शहतूत Shahtoot • Tamil: கம்பிளிச Kambli chedi • Manipuri: কব্রঙচাক অঙৌবা Kabrangchak angouba

Botanical name: Morus alba   

Family: Moraceae (Mulberry family)

Geographical distribution: The plant occurs throughout India in tropical and subtropical regions and also cultivated in most areas.

Introduction: A beatiful, large leaved, naturally well shaped tree that offers dense shade. Grows at about 1 ft/yr to 30 ft. Berries are mildly sweet, reminiscent of watermelon. This is the mulberry used to feed silkworms. Birds love the berries. The white mulberry is so-named for the color of its buds, rather than the color of its fruit. The thin, glossy, light green leaves are variously lobed even on the same plant. Some are unlobed while others are glove-shaped. Leaves of the red mulberry are larger and thicker, blunt toothed and often lobed. Mulberry trees are either dioecious or monoecious, and sometimes will change from one sex to another. The flowers are held on short, green, pendulous, nondescript catkins that appear in the axils of the current season's growth and on spurs on older wood. They are wind pollinated and some cultivars will set fruit without any pollination. Cross-pollination is not necessary. Botanically the fruit is not a berry but a collective fruit. The color of the fruit does not identify the mulberry species. White mulberries, for example, can produce white, lavender or black fruit. The white mulberry is native to eastern and central China.

Chemical Constituents: The plant is a very good source of ascorbic acid, of which over 90% is present in a reduced form, and also contains carotene, Vitamin B1, folic acid, folinic acid, isoquercetin, quercetin, tannins, flavonoids and saponins, which act as a good source of natural antioxidants. White mulberry leaf contains triterpenes (lupeol) Sterols (β- Sitosterol), bioflavonoids (rutin, moracetin, quercetin-3-triglucoside and isoquercitrin), coumarins, volatile oil, alkaloids, amino acids and organic acids. Morus alba leaves contain rutin, quercetin and apigenin as bioactive constituents. The one of major constituent of Morus alba is 1-deoxynojirimycin. Morus alba leaf extract has been found to produce nitric acid, prostaglandin E2 and cytokines in macrophages. Further, a polysaccharide isolated from Morus alba root bark. Many flavones were isolated from the root bark as active principles. Many biochemical compounds such as Moranoline, Albafuran, Albanol, Morusin, Kuwanol, Calystegin and Hydroxymoricin are isolated from mulberry plants which play an important role in pharmaceutical industry. Review shows the presence of thiamine, protein, carbohydrates. The plant is reported to contain the phytoconstituents tannins, phytosterols, sitosterols, saponins, triterpenes, flavonoids, benzofuran derivatives, morusimic acid, anthocyanins, anthroquinones, glycosides and oleanolic acid as the main active principles.

The plant is a very good source of ascorbic acid, of which over 90% is present in a reduced form, and also contains carotene, vitamin b1, folic acid, folinic acid, isoquercetin, quercetin, tannins, flavonoids and saponins. These reports are very encouraging and indicate that herb should be studied more extensively for its therapeutic benefits.

Medicinal Use: The review reveals the wide range of important Pharmacological activities including antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antimutagenic, antioxidant, anticancer, anxiolytic, anthelmintic, antistress, immunomodulatory, hypocholesterolemic, nephroprotective, hepatoprotective. Various other effects like adaptogenic effect, effect on hyperlipidemia, inhibition of melanin biosynthesis used in psychiatric disorder, also in gut and airways disorders.

Folk medicinal uses: A tea made from root is used to treat diarrhoea. Fruit preparation is given for high fever.

Flowers: February-March

Fruits : May-June

MORINGA OLEIFERA

Common name: Drumstick tree, Horseradish tree, Senjana सेंजन (Hindi), Muringai (Malayalam), முறுங்கை Murungai (Tamil), Shevga शेवगा (Marathi), Mashinga मशींग (Konkani)

Botanical name: Moringa oleifera    

Family: Moringaceae (drumstick family)

Geographical distribution

It occurs throughout India in tropical and sub-tropical regions and also cultivated.

Introduction: Drumstick tree is a small, deciduous tree, of the family Moringaceae, native to tropical Asia but also naturalized in Africa and tropical America. Drumstick trees can reach a height of about 9 m (30 feet); they have corky gray bark, branching and fernlike leaves. Highly scented white flowers and long bean like seed pods. Seed pods are used as a vegetable, especially in south Indian cuisine, e.g. drumstick sambar. An excellent oil is derived from the seeds, which is used for cooking and lubrication of delicate mechanisms. The leaves are extensively used as a vegetable in many parts of the world, and the root can be made into a condiment similar to horseradish

Chemical composition

Root and its bark contain spirochic, pterygospermin (an antibiotic), moringine and moringinene.

Therapeutic uses

The plant is used as a tonic, abortifacient, anthelmintic, antilithic, carminative, digestive, emmenagogue, rubifacient, stomachic, stimulant and vesicant. Oil obtained from the seeds is a useful remedy for gout and acute rheumatism.

Folk medicinal uses

The tender leaves are given in scurvy and catarrhal diseases; in doses of one and a half gm. A poultice of the fresh leaves is applied to wounds, boils and swellings. It is believed that by keeping roots of this tree in homes, snakes do not enter and keep away. Forest-ethnics often store the roots in their houses for this purpose as observed by their elders.

Preparations

Sobhanjanadi-lep, syamadi-churna, sudarsan-churna, sarva-jwar-hara-lauha (seeds) and sobhanjanadi-kwath.

Flowers : February-April Fruits : April-June