BITTER OLEANDER: HISTORY, HEALTH BENEFITS AND AN UNUSUAL INGREDIENT FOR REMEDIES WITH BITTER OLEANDER


BITTER OLEANDER, HOLARRHENA ANTIDYSENTERICA
The bitter oleander is native to the Indian subcontinent and as its Latin name, antidysenterica, might suggest its primary use in traditional medicine is for the treatment of diarrhoea and amoebic dysentery. It is a member of the Apocynaceae family of plants so is related to oleander and the periwinkle. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree and has a long use as a medicinal herb in medicine systems in the Indian subcontinent where it is known by many names including kurchi, kuda and kutaja.
  It has been mainly used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery and is sometimes mixed with a little castor oil and isphagol (plantain) for diarrhoea. The seeds, which are long and light brown, are powdered and placed on wounds to cleanse them and they are also used against fevers. The seed powder was a common household staple to treat children with intestinal worms.
  In Ayurvedic medicine apart from the ailments mentioned the plant is also used to treat a variety of skin problems. It has been found to have antibacterial properties as well as being beneficial against malaria: G. Verma et al February 2011, “Anti-malarial activity of Holarrhena antidysenterica and Viola canescens, plants traditionally used against malaria in the Garhwal region of north-west Himalaya.” This study concludes “The present investigation reflects the use of these traditional medicinal plants against malaria…” and ends with a hope that they will form the basis of “herbal formulations” for the treatment of this disease in the future.
   The plant is also used to treat impotence and to enhance sperm quality as well as for other erectile dysfunctions in traditional medicine. Some of the traditional remedies seem rather unpalatable as they require the plant to be mixed with “cow’s urine”! (On reflection castor oil seems a better bet.) Better sounding remedies are the seeds or grated bark mixed with cow’s milk.
  Extracts of the plant have been found to have anti-cancer effects in lab rats and research is still ongoing into its properties, with several new steroidal alkaloids having been identified in it. One of its alkaloids is conessine, and it is sometimes referred to as the connessi tree.
  The bark of the plant has astringent qualities and it is this that is used for stomach problems and dysentery. It has also been used to relieve stomach pains and as a tonic for anaemia. It is also used to stop piles bleeding and for epilepsy.
  

JHAND, MESQUITE TREE - FLOURISHES IN DESERTS: HISTORY AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF PROSOPIS CINERARIA


HONEY MESQUITE TREE, JHAND, KANDI, KHEJRI, PROSOPIS CINERARIA 
This mesquite tree is native to the Indian sub-continent, Afghanistan and Iran through to the Arabian Peninsula, although it was introduced into Abu Dhabi to stabilize sand dunes. It is a member of the Fabaceae or Leguminoseae family and so related to peas and beans, as well as kudzu or pueraria, senna, the dhak tree, alfalfa, carob, broom, lupins, chickpeas and peanuts to name just a few.
  It can flourish in drought-ridden areas and is a nitrogen-fixer, making the soil it grows in more fertile. And because it has a tap root which can grow to 3 metres it does not compete with plants which grow around it for moisture. In India and Pakistan sorghum and millet are grown under it as it protects them from the blistering summer sun under its canopy. It can also protect maize (sweet corn), wheat and mustard which can also be found growing in its vicinity.
  Its bark and leaf galls are used for tanning in the leather industry as it contains tannins, which give it astringent qualities. The bark is a little sweet and edible in times of famine, and like Babul (Acacia nilotica) it produces a gum which can be substituted for gum Arabic, produced between the months of May and June.
  Its trunk is not formed in a way which lends the wood to timber but it is strong and durable and used for posts, tool handles, bat frames and firewood and charcoal.
  Its unripe pods are pickled and used in curries in some parts of India, but the pods and leaves are fodder for animals, providing a good source of protein. There are prickles on the thin branch stems and care must be taken to avoid them.
  In folk medicine the tree and its parts are used as a heart tonic, astringent and soother of the stomach, and is used for a variety of complaints. In India the flowers mixed with gur are given to prevent miscarriages. The smoke from the leaves is used to relieve eye problems while the bark is said to help concentration, get rid of intestinal worms, help with asthma and bronchitis, dysentery, leucoderma, leprosy and pile among other ailments. The fruit is indigestible, reportedly, and destroys nails and hair and makes people vomit. The pod has astringent properties.
  It has been found that an extract of the bark has antifungal properties, and this is traditionally used for venomous snake and insect bites. The leaves and fruit are used in medicines for nervous disorders. An extract of the roots has been found to have analgesic actions, and the palutibin isolated from the flowers (which look a little like a hairy caterpillar as do those of Grevillea robusta the silk oak) is thought to be cytotoxic, although more research needs to be done on all parts of this tree.
  It also has religious significance as it was used to kindle the sacred fire in Vedic times and Ram is said to have worshipped this tree which represents the goddess of power, before he lead his army to defeat Ravanna.
  In these ways it is of great importance in India and in medicine throughout the range of its natural habitat. In Pakistan it is the symbol of the Province of Sindh as it grows well in the Tahr desert there.

INDIAN OR COUNTRY MALLOW, HERB WITH PAIN-KILLING PROPERTIES: HISTORY, HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF INDIAN MALLOW


INDIAN OR COUNTRY MALLOW, ABUTILON INDICUM 
Indian mallow has been used for centuries in traditional medicine systems and is native to the Indian subcontinent from where it has spread, becoming invasive in some Pacific islands. In ancient Sanskrit writings it is called Atibala and has been used to treat a number of illnesses including jaundice, piles, leprosy, headaches, peptic ulcers and gastro-intestinal problems as well as being used as a laxative, aphrodisiac and to increase semen production. It has the reputation of being an aphrodisiac for both genders.
   In some countries it has been cultivated as an ornamental and flowers between June and September. The seeds then ripen until November, and the pod as you can see from the picture, gives it the appearance of a seal so it is called “mudra” in some parts of India. It is a member of the Malvaceae family of plants and so is related to the common mallow and to hibiscus, durian fruit, okra and the red silk cotton tree.  Like the Evening primrose, it opens its flowers in the evening and these may be bright yellow or orange-yellow.
  In previous times the powdered plant was given to prospective brides, mixed with honey and taken once a day for six months before marriage to ensure a quick and safe pregnancy and delivery.
  The leaves are used for bladder infections and gonorrhoea as well as the ailments listed above and as a poultice for piles. It has been found that a petroleum ether extract of the plant can kill mosquito larvae which, is very useful in countries which are stricken with dengue fever such as Pakistan.
  It is said that the plant has rejuvenating properties in that it is a strong tonic for the heart and body. The roots have analgesic properties and in a study Tripathi P. et al. 2011, “Anti-inflammatory activity of Abutilon indicum extract” conclude that the extract used was comparable with the action of “standard ibuprofen” and “The results prove the traditional use of the plant in the treatment of inflammation.” More studies are needed of course to verify the claims.
  This plant has been the subject of various research studies with the leaves being tested in most of them. In The International Journal of Biological and Medical Research, 2011 Vol.2 (4) pp. 908-11 Ganga Suresh P. et al “Evaluation of wound healing activity of “abutilon indicum” Linn in wister albino rats” state “…the petroleum ether extract of “Abutilon indicum” Linn had greater wound healing activity than the ethanol extract.”
    Further studies include that of Dashputre N.L. and Naikwade N. S. 2011, International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research “Evaluation of Anti-Ulcer Activity of Methanolic Extract of Abutilon indicum Linn Leaves in Experimental Rats” conclude “the anti-ulcer properties of the extract may be attributed to the presence of phytochemicals like flavonoids (quercetin), alkaloids, and tannins present in the plant extract with various biological activities.” In other words it seems to work but more research is needed to discover how it works.
  Quercetin is found in many pants with good concentrations in red apple skins and is known to have antioxidant properties.
  Dashputre N.L.et al also published research in the International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research in 2010, Vol. 1 (3) “ Immunomodulatory Activity of Abutilon Indicum Linn on Albino Mice” and conclude that the “aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Abutilon indicum leaves may be beneficial in the treatment of impaired immunity.”
  The plant has also shown antifungal and anti-bacterial activity although more research is needed to establish the mechanisms of how it works in the human body. However it is clearly a plant that has some excellent health benefits, which have been shown in traditional medicine systems over thousands of years.

BERGAMOT ORANGES - PRODUCERS OF BERGAMOT OIL: HISTORY, HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF BERGAMOT ORANGES


BERGAMOT ORANGE, CITRUS BERGAMIA
Like lemons and oranges, the bergamot orange is a member of the Rutaceae family of plants. It is though to be a hybrid of the Seville orange (bitter orange) and either citron, Citrus medica or the lemon tree, or Citrus limetta, the latter would account for its slight pear shape. It is cultivated for its essential oil found in its peel rather than to eat. It is somewhat confusing because bergamot oil is also the name given to the essential oil obtained from bee balm, Monarda didyma, a member of the mint of Labiateae family, and not related to this citrus fruit.
  It is actually a native of tropical Asia, and appeared in Italy sometime before 1700, where it is now cultivated in Reggio Calabria in southern Italy and to a lesser extent in Sicily. Some say that Christopher Columbus took it to Italy from the Canary Islands. It has been used in Italy in the regions in which it grows, at least since 1725 in folk medicine, to treat tonsillitis, sore throats, respiratory and urinary tract infections. It is also used for oral problems including halitosis and for skin. It aids wound healing too.
  If you have drunk Earl Grey tea or Lady Grey you will have experienced the taste of bergamot oranges as this is what gives Earl Grey in particular its distinctive flavour. It is also used in ice cream, liqueurs and soft drinks.
  Today it is cultivated in Greece in the Vlachata region, the Ivory Coast, Morocco and Iran, but Calabria has the biggest share of the world market. In Greece it is used as a preserve with the peel being boiled in sugar syrup; this is also eaten in Turkey and Cyprus. In Sicily it is used to make marmalade too.
  It is not known if the fruit is actually eaten, although it is nutritious. It is bitter and acidic, more so than a grapefruit, and a little like a bitter orange, which is only used in cooking not eaten raw.
  In aromatherapy the essential oil is used for depression and stress and it is used in the perfume industry although 100 oranges yield only 3 ounces of bergamot oil. This contains two types of flavonoids, flavones and flavanones with the main components being linalool and limonene.
  Research has shown that the oil has antiseptic, and antibacterial properties as well as anti-fungal and antioxidant ones. It may also protect neurons from excitotoxicity according to a report (13th September 2011) from the European Medicines Agency and research into the oil is ongoing.
  The roots are aromatic and seem to protect neighbouring plants from having their roots attacked by pests, so it is good in gardens as a companion plant. It can be found in sun creams and lotions as it has cooling properties and new research has suggested that it may be of use for sickle cell anaemia sufferers and it could also be cholesterol–lowering and so protect the heart.
  In some Scandinavian countries the peel is used in snuff and in smokeless tobacco, apparently.