Medicinal plant
Dr. Stacey Christian
TULSI (Sacred Basil, Holy Basil)
Scientific name: Ocimum sanctum L.
Family : Lamiaceae
Indian names: Hindi-Tulsi; Bengali-Tulsi; Gujarati— Tulsi; Kannada — Vishnu Tulsi;
Malayalam —Trittavu; Marathi— Tulas, Kalitulasi; Sanskrit-Krishna Tulsi, Manjari;
Tamil — Thulasi; Telugu —Thulasi;
DESCRIPTION
This is well-known sacred plant of the Indians. It is a much-branched erect herb, up to
about 75 cm high, hairy all over. Leaves opposite, about 5 cm long, margins entire or
toothed; hairy on upper as well as lower surface, dotted with minute glands, aromatic.
Flowers small, purplish or reddish, in small compact clusters on slender spikes. Fruits
small; seeds yellowish or reddish.
DISTRIBUTION
This plant is grown in houses, gardens, and temples all over India and is often
found as escape.
DRUG AND ITS PROPERTIES
The leaves and seeds of the plant are medicinal. The oil obtained from leaves has
the property of destroying bacteria and insects. The juice or infusion of the
leaves is useful in bronchitis, catarrh, and digestive complaints; it is applied
locally on ringworm and other skin diseases; it is dropped in ears to relieve
earache. A decoction of leaves is used in Indian homes to cure common cold.
Seeds are useful in complaints of urinary system. Decoction of root is given in
malarial fever to bring about sweating.
OTHER USES The plant is rather an essential article in the worship of Hindu gods
and goddesses.
OTHER SPECIES
Ocimum canum Sims (English-Hoary Basil, Hindi -Kali Tulsi, Ram Tulsi,
Bharbhari) is found almost throughout India, generally near habitations,
agricultural fields and in waste places. Its seeds are black. Seeds are considered
to be tonic and diuretic. The oil from its leaves has similar properties as the oil
from O. sanctum.
Uses
Promotes Healthy Heart: Holy basil contains vitamin C and antioxidants such as
eugenol, which protects the heart from the harmful effects of free radicals. Eugenol
also proves useful in reducing cholesterol levels in the blood.
Anti-aging: Vitamin C and A, phytonutrients, in Holy Basil are great antioxidants
and protect the skin from almost all the damages caused by free radicals.
Treats Kidney Stones: Tulsi acts a mild diuretic & detoxifying agent which helps in
lowering the uric acid levels in the body. Acetic acid present in holy basil helps in the
breakdown of the stones.
Relieves Headaches: Tulsi is a natural headache reliever which can also relieve
migraine pain.
Fights Acne: Holy basil helps kill bacteria and infections. The primary active
compound of holy basil oil is eugenol which helps fight skin related disorders.
Ocimum Sanctum helps treat skin infections both internally and externally.
Relives Fever: Tulsi is an age-old ingredient for treating fever. It is one of the
prime ingredients in the formulation of various ayurvedic medicines & home
remedies.
Eye Health: Tulsi's anti-inflammatory properties help promote eye health by
preventing viral, bacterial and fungal infections. It also soothes eye
inflammation and reduce stress.
Rich Source of Vitamin K: Vitamin K is an essential fat-soluble vitamin that
plays an important role in bone health and heart health.
ASHVAGANDHA
Withania somnifera Dunal
Family : Solanaceae
Indian names: Hindi -Ashvagandha; Gujarati-Asan, Ashvagandha, Ghoda asor,
Santhiana-popda; Kannada -Ashvagandhi; Malayalam-Amukkiram; All other
Indian languages - Ashvagandha.
The trade name is based on the Indian local names of the plant.
DESCRIPTION
A small or middle-sized undershrub, up to 1.5 m high; stem and branches
covered with minute star-shaped hairs. Leaves up to 10 cm long, ovate, hairy-
like branches. Flowers pale green, small about 1 cm long; few flowers borne
together in short axillary clusters. Fruit 6 mm diameter, globose, smooth red,
enclosed in the inflated and membranous calyx.
DISTRIBUTION
The plant occurs in drier regions of India; it is also cultivated.
DRUG AND ITS PROPERTIES
The drug consists of the dried roots of the plant. Ashwagandha is
useful in consumption, and general weakness and rheumatism. It is a
diuretic, i.e. it promotes urination, acts as a narcotic, and removes
functional obstructions of the body. The root powder is applied locally
on ulcers and inflammations. The antibiotic and antibacterial activity
of the roots as well as leaves has recently been shown experimentally.
OTHER SPECIES
Withania coagulens Dunal (Hindi-Akri, Punjabi-Khamjira) occurs in
north-western India. Its fruits are useful in digestive and liver
complaints.
Uses:
Heart health
Some people may use ashwagandha to boost their heart health, including:
lowering high blood pressure
lowering high cholesterol
easing chest pain
preventing heart disease
Athletic performance
A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysisTrusted Source indicates that
ashwagandha could help to improve physical performance. In particular,
ashwagandha supplementation could help enhance strength, fitness, and recovery
in healthy males and females.
Stress and anxiety
Ashwagandha may have a calming effect on anxiety symptoms. In a 2019
studyTrusted Source, researchers found that taking a daily dose of 240
milligrams (mg) of ashwagandha significantly reduced people’s stress levels
when compared with a placebo. This included reduced levels of cortisol,
which is a stress hormone.
Cancer
Many people living with cancer may experience stress, anxiety, and fatigue.
For those seeking non-pharmaceutical options for relief from these symptoms,
ashwagandha may provide a suitable option.
Aloe
Botanical name: Aloe barbadensis miller
Family: Liliaceae
Vernacular names : Ghikanvar, Ghigvar (Hindi), Grita-kumari (Sans.), Girta-kunvar
(Beng.), Kunvar (Guj.), Koraphad (Mar.), Rattabolam (Tam.), Kalabanda (Tel.),
Kattuvala (Mal.).
Aloe (Aloe vera) is a perennial, succulent plant with stout, thick, cylindrical and woody
stem. Roots are fibrous and fleshy. Leaves are sessile, densely crowded on the short
stem with wide dilated bases. The flowers are borne in cylindrical, terminal racemes on
a scape, arising from the centre of the leaf tuft. Perianth members are tubular, rather
fleshy and bright yellow in colour. The fruit is an oblong-ovoid capsule and dehiscing
loculicidally. Seeds are numerous and compressed.
The plant is a native of north Africa, Canary Islands and Spain and has spread to East
and West Indies, India, China and other countries. Many of the forms of this species are
naturalized in India and are found in a semi-wild Slate in all parts from the dry
westward valleys of the Himalayas up to Cape Comorin. The plant is readily
propagated by suckers and grows well even in the driest situations and poorest soils.
In Indian medicine aloes are used as stomachic, purgative and emmenagogue. It
is regarded as valuable in the treatment of piles and rectal fissures.
The mucilage is cooling and is used as a poultice for application on inflamed
parts. It is an effective remedy for intestinal worms in children.
Fresh juice of leaves is cathartic and refrigerant, used in liver and spleen
ailments and for eye troubles.
Cathartic properties of aloe are due to the presence of glycosides called aloin.
Thickened juice of the leaves is used in haemorrhoidal congestion of stomach
and spleen.
The juice of the leaves is applied to painful inflammations of the body and to
chronic ulcers; its fresh pulp is soothing in case of burn. In recent times, it is
found its way into all sorts of cosmetics, emollients, lotions and shampoos, etc.
The cooling mucilage is applied onto inflammations caused by X-ray and other
radiation burns.
It is also used as a flavor ingredient in various food products, including alcoholic
and non-alcoholic beverages, frozen dairy desserts, candy, baked goods and
gelatins and puddings.
Leaves yield a good fiber. A dye is also obtained from this plant.
Neem Tree
Botanical name : Azadirachta indica
Family : Meliaceae
Vernacular names : Neem (Hindi), Nimbah (Sans.), Nim (Beng.), Limba (Guj.),
Kadunimba (Mar.), Nimb (Punj.), Vembu (Tam.), Kondavepa (Tel.), Veppu
(Mal.).
Neem (Azadirachta indica) is one of the most popular, auspicious and Ayurvedas
of Susruta. It is a tradition to eat neem leaves on the first day of Indian New year
to the 9th day of Chaitra month. Neem plant is an evergreen tree, 12-15 m or
more high, with a straight trunk and long spreading branches. Leaves are
alternate, extipulate, compound and imparipinate on long slender petioles.
Flowers are cream or yellowisn white in colour in axillary panicles. Fruits are
one-seeded drupes, Know scasty pulp and a hard bony endocarp, greenish yellow
when ripe and known as 'nimboli'. The plant is a native of India and China and is
now naturalized in many countries like Pakistan and Malaysia.
The plant grows on almost any kind of soil but it flourishes well on black
cotton soil. The sweet-scented flowers appear in March-May and the fruit is
ripe in July and August. The tree starts fruiting in 4-5 years and becomes fully
productive in 10 years and may live for more than 200 years.
Neem is the most useful plant to maintain dental hygiene. Fresh tender twigs
are used to clean teeth particularly in pyorrhoea.
The leaves are effective in ulcers and in obstinate skin diseases. They are
considered antiseptic, and applied to boils in the form of poultice.
Besides, neem leaves are also used in preventing diseases like measles,
chicken pox and small pox, etc.
The leaves are tied on the doors of the house and in infectious conditions
leaves can be spread on the bed of the patient in order to eliminate infections
from micro-organisms and germs.
A paste of fresh leaves is used for external application in the treatment of
rheumatic pain. The leaf juice is anthelmintic and is given in worms, jaundice
and skin diseases.
A decoction of the leaves is also useful in intermittent fevers complicated with
congestion of the liver.
The bark of the tree acts as prophylactic against malaria, and is useful in
intermittent and other paroxysmal fevers, general debility, and skin diseases.
Flowers are tonic and stomachic. An infusion of flowers is given in atonic
dyspepsia and general debility.
The seeds contain a resinous oil known as margosa or neem oil, which is used
as a dressing for foul ulcers, as a liniment to rheumatic affections and in
headache. It is an effective application in tetanus, leprosy, urticaria, eczema,
and skin diseases like ringworm, scabies, etc.
The fruits of neem tree are used in leprosy, Intestinal worms, piles and urinary
diseases. The fermented sap of the tree is valuable in atonic dyspepsia, general
ability, chronic leprosy and other skin diseases.
Besides, dried leaves are placed in books for keeping away the moths. Odour
of burning leaves kills insects. Neem oil may be mixed with other oils and fats
for the manufacture of medicated soaps.
THANK YOU
