CREOSOTE BUSH IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR INTERNAL USE AS MEDICINE: HISTORY AND POSSIBLE FUTURE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CREOSOTE BUSH

CREOSOTE BUSH OR CHAPARRAL, LARREA TRIDENTATA   

The creosote bush is so named because after a rainfall it smells like a wooden telegraph pole that has been treated with pitch. However commercial creosote does not come from this plant. It is native to the arid areas of the US and Mexico and has its homes in deserts and canyons. It is a member of the Zygophyllaceae family, so is a relative of Guaiacum officinale from which we get lignum vitae, puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris) and Syrian rue, among other plants.                                                

  Like the Jurupa oak it can boast of being one of the oldest living organisms on the planet as one clone range of plants in the Mohave Desert, has been dated to around 11,700 tears old. The plant splits its crown when it is between thirty and ninety years old and produces clones of itself, and all the plants have come from just one seed.

  It was much used by Native Americans as a medicinal plant, but it also useful as it can absorb chromium from the soil it grows in. However nothing can grow near it as it is very competitive in terms of the water it needs. Plants growing under it can only survive for a limited time due to the highly toxic substances it produces at root level.

  The plant can cause contact dermatitis and is thought to be toxic to the liver, and for this reason its internal use has been banned by the US Food and Drug Administration. However it contains Norhydroguaiacetic larreic acid (NDGA) which, before synthetic antioxidative materials were produced, was added to processed meats to prolong their shelf-life.

  NDGA is currently being researched to discover its potential in treating HIV/AIDS and cancers, among other diseases. It is a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory agent, anti-tumour and anti-microbial.

  The plant possesses antiviral properties and is successful in treating herpes, and is anti-inflammatory, helping with rheumatism and arthritis and other inflammations.                                       

  The Native Americans used it for a number of diseases, including colds, as an expectorant in chest complaints, for cancer, toothache (they dripped the hot resin from the young twigs onto the tooth or place where the tooth ached) and a paste made from the leaves was used to heal wounds, lesions and bruises.

  A decoction of the leaves was given for diarrhoea and stomach problems. To allay thirst, the twigs may be chewed, if you are in the heat of the desert. The resin from the leaves and twigs is helpful in that it can prevent other fats or oils from turning rancid, or it can at least delay that process. It can also be used as a massage oil (if you like the smell), and can also provide some protection from the sun’s harmful rays.

  The flower buds can be pickled in vinegar and used as a substitute for capers. The plant can also be used for animal fodder, and is used to make roofing material for adobe dwellings. The twigs and leaves were washed and sun-dried to make a tisane, but the internal use of the plant is not to be recommended.

CASSABANANA OR MUSK MELON: HISTORY OF USES AND POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF CASSABANANA

CASSABANANA, SICANA ODORIFERA NAUD.

The cassabanana is a rather strange-looking fruit which, when black or dark purple looks like a huge aubergine, although they are not related. Nor, as the name might suggest is this fruit in any way related to the banana. In fact it is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, so is a relative of the kiwano or horned melon, honey melons, watermelons, butternut squash, bottle gourds, the ash gourd or petha, cucumbers, courgettes, and marrows to name just a few of its relations. It is the only plant in the Sicana genus, although sometimes it is known by its botanical synonym, Cucurbita odorifera Vell.

  It grows on a vine like other melons, although it needs strong support as the fruit is hefty. (It reminds me of that of the sausage tree, Kigelia africana) The fruit is also called the musk melon, because of its aroma. It is grown as an ornamental as well as for its fruit.

  It is believed to have originated in Brazil and spread throughout South America and tropical North America from there. There is archaeological evidence to show that it was being cultivated in Ecuador before the arrivals of the Spanish conquistadores. It was first documented by Europeans in 1658, as being cultivated and a popular fruit in Peru.

  Interestingly, it is used in Northern Peru to protect against jealousy. The remedy is to take the plant material (perhaps the whole plant) and sleep with it for seven days and nights, being sure to wash it every morning. After the stipulated period of time it needs to be disposed of in a “far away” place where it can’t be found by others. (“Healing the body and soul: Traditional remedies for “magical” ailments, nervous system and psychosomatic disorders in Northern Peru” Rainer W. Bussman et al. September 2010, African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Vol. 4 (9), pp 580-623.)                                                                       

  The fruit is eaten raw and is cooling and refreshing during the hot months of the year. It is also used to make jams and preserves. The immature fruit is used as a vegetable and added to soups and stews.

  The fruit is nutritious, containing the minerals calcium, phosphorous and iron, along with carotene (which explains the colour of its flesh), and the B-complex vitamins, B1 thiamin, B2 riboflavin and B3 niacin, as well as vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid.

  It is believed to be a moth repellent and kept with linen and clothes rather as we used to hang lavender in wardrobes, for its long-lasting aroma. During Holy Week (Easter) the fruit can be found decorating church altars too.

  In some countries it is used for sore throats, seeds are strung into necklaces and at the same time, the fruit is sliced and steeped in sugared water overnight, so that it begins to ferment, and then the water is sipped frequently to get rid of the sore throat, and the fruit that has been steeped in the sugared water may also be eaten.

  In Brazil an infusion of the seeds is used for fevers, as a laxative to get rid of intestinal worms, and as a purgative. The leaves are used for STDs for uterine haemorrhages and other complaints.                                                     

  In Yucatan, a decoction of the leaves and flowers is used as a laxative, for worms and as an emmenagogue, although the dose is small as these parts of the plant contain hydrocyanic acid.

  There are anthocyanins and flavonols in the rind of the cassabanana which means it has antioxidant actions (Jaramilla K. et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2011 Vol. 59 (3) pp975-83 “Identification of antioxidative flavonols and anthocyanins in Sicana odorifera fruit peel”)

  Anthocyanin-rich fruit are currently being investigated for their potential cancer-inhibiting properties, so perhaps this fruit has a lot more to offer us than simply being a cooling fruit to eat in summer.

LAMB'S EARS OR WOOLLY BETONY: HEALTH BENEFITS AND POSSIBILITIES FOR FUTURE TREATMENTS

LAMB’S EARS, WOOLLY BETONY, STACHYS BYZANTINA 

As a member of the Stachys genus (there are between two and three hundred species in this genus) Lambs’ ears or woolly betony is related to wood betony (Stachys officinalis).A synonym for this genus is Stachys lantana.

It gets both names because of the silky grey or white hairs that cover the aerial parts of the plant. It is a member of the Lamiaceae or Labiatae family or mint family, making it a relative of to purple, yellow and white dead nettles, marsh woundwort, the teak tree, marjoram, basil, Holy basil, oregano, savory, thyme, lavender, lemon balm, Scarlet bee balm as well as bugle, motherwort, self-heal, catnip, the chaste tree, the small-flowered chaste tree, sage, ground ivy, Jupiter’s sage, wall germander, horsemint, Fragrant premna and hyssop along with many other plants.                              

  In the past its leaves were used as a bandage to staunch the flow of blood from a cut and it is reportedly good to stop the pain of a bee sting. Other betony plants were used much more extensively than this one it would seem, as it has been cultivated in temperate parts of the world for centuries. It has more importance in the traditional systems of medicine in the countries to which it is native, no doubt, and those are Turkey, Armenia and Iran.

  It flowers in June through to September, and has white or pink or mauve flowers. It is an evergreen although it might die back if the winter is a particularly cold one.

  It has been discovered that the aerial parts of lamb’s ears have antioxidant, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, so this supports its use as a wound healer. Phenolic compounds have been found in it along with tannins and flavonoids. Its essential oil is rich in sesquiterpenes for example a-capaene and spathulenol, both of which are used in the perfume industry, and beta-carophyllene which is also a component of clove oil. This last substance is a dietary cannabinoid and the first to be approved by the US food and Drug Administration (USFDA) as a food additive. It seems to have a local anaesthetic action and is anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and according to some studies has anti-cancer properties.                         

  Spathulenol may have immunomodulatory effects, but more research need to be carried out on Lamb’s Ears so that scientists can ascertain what health benefits this plant has to offer us.

CANCER BUSH - ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE, BUT MORE RESEARCH NEEDED: HEALTH BENEFITS AND TRADITIONAL USES OF CANCER BUSH

CANCER BUSH, SUTHERLANDIA FRUTESCENS

The cancer bush is indigenous to South Africa and has been use for centuries in traditional systems of medicines, of the native peoples and the European colonists and their descendants. It is also grown around the world as an ornamental, and looks a little like the firecracker plant.

  It is a member of the Leguminoseae or Fabaceae family and so is related to the pongam tree, the lead tree or ipil-ipil, the Indian Coral tree, the Monkey Pod tree, the tree from which we get Gum Tragacanth or gond katira, jhand the mesquite tree, dhak or Flame of the forest tree, the Pacific teak tree, the ashoka tree (Saraca indica), European laburnum, amaltas, the Indian laburnum, the Burmese rosewood tree, lupins, indigo, field restharrow, carob, melilot or sweet clover, milk vetch, the hyacinth bean, alfalfa, the butterfly pea, peas, green beans, chickpeas, borlotti beans and lentils just to name a few of its relatives. Now it is in the Papilionidaceae family. There are five species of Sutherlandia that we currently know of, all native to South Africa.                                                                           

  The name Sutherlandia honours the Scottish botanist, James Sutherland (c.1639-1719) who was the first superintendent of the Edinburgh Botanic Garden. The Latin frutescens means ‘bushy’, describing this shrub which grows to just over a metre high and can be erect or creeping. The plant has bladder shaped pods in which the black seeds make a rattling sound when ripe. They float and children play with them like toy ducks.

  The plant has been used to treat a vast array of diseases, ranging from the common cold to cancer, T.B. and HIV/AIDS. Traditionally it has been used in decoctions to wash wounds, and as an eyewash as well as to reduce the high temperatures of fevers. The early colonists from Europe used it for chicken pox, stomach problems and internal cancers. It is considered to be good for “female complaints’ both for the menopause and for menstruation. It is said to be good to treat peptic ulcers, for liver problems, diarrhoea and dysentery, varicose veins, appetite and digestion, diabetes, stress, as a blood purifier and to boost the immune system.                                                            

  It is considered an adaptogen as are Eleuthero, American ginseng and rose root, which means that over a period of time it will bring about changes in the body and enable it to better deal with emotional, mental and physical stress. It is believed to strengthen the whole body and act as a general tonic, especially boosting the actions of the immune system, thus enabling it to better deal with infection.

  There is much anecdotal evidence to suggest that it improves a cancer, HIV/AIDS and T.B patient’s quality of life, as it appears to halt the wasting process which accompanies these diseases. However research is still underway to identify precisely how and why the plant works in the way it would seem to.

  The cancer bush contains tannins, cardiac glycosides, amino acids, saponins or anthraquinones, and gamma aminobytric acid (GABA) has been isolated from the leaves, which is probably responsible for its stress-relieving and mood enhancing abilities. It also contains L-carnavanine which has antiviral, antifungal and anti-cancer properties. It also contains pinitol which has a positive effect on diabetes, and this substance may be responsible at least in part for the halting of the wasting process mentioned above. Research is ongoing into the novel triterpenoid glycosides which have also been isolated from the plant.

  It has anti-inflammatory properties and is immunomodulatory and the phenolic compounds it contains are probably responsible for its antioxidant properties. (Fernandes A, Cromarty D, Albrecht C, Jansen van Rensburg C. “The antioxidant potential of Sutherlandia frutescens” Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2004; Vol. 95: pp1-5.)

  The San people call this plant “insisa” which means ‘one that dispels darkness’ which probably refers to its anti-depressant and mood enhancing properties. The Tswana people have been using this plant to treat gonorrhea and syphilis for centuries but there is no evidence that this works.

  Clearly this is another plant which warrants further research if we are to utilize its apparent health benefits.