Medical Plants7

							              SHAMBALU(VITEX AGNUS CASTUS)




                       Scientific classification


Kingdom: Plantae


Order:     Lamiales


Family:    Lamiaceae


Genus:     Vitex


Species:   V. agnus-castus
Vitex agnus-castus, also called Vitex, Chaste
Tree, Chasteberry, Abraham's Balm orMonk's Pepper, is a native of
the Mediterranean region. It is one of the few temperate-zone species
of Vitex, which is on the whole a genus of tropical and sub-
tropical flowering plants.
Uses
Vitex, also a traditional plant in Africa, is a little-known fruit plant that
has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural
development and support sustainable landcare.
Herbal medicine
The leaves and tender stem growth of the upper 10 cm (4 inches), along
with the flowers and ripening seeds, are harvested for medicinal
purposes. The berries are harvested by gently rubbing the berries loose
from the stem. The leaves, flowers, and/or berries may be consumed as
a decoction, traditional tincture, cider vinegar tincture, syrup, elixir, or
simply eaten straight off the plant as a medicinal food. A popular way of
taking Vitex is on awakening as a simple 1:1 fluid extract, which is said
to interact with hormonal circadian rhythms most effectively.
The berries are considered a tonic herb for both the male and
female reproductive systems. The leaves are believed to have the same
effect but to a lesser degree.
Medical use
Clinical studies have demonstrated effectivness of standardised and
controlled medications produced from extract of the plant in the
management of premenstrual stress syndrome (PMS) and cyclical
breast pain (mastalgia). The medication is recommended in Germany.
Flavonoids, alkaloids, diterpenoids, Vitexin, Casticin and steroidal horm
one precursors have been isolated from the chemical analysis of Vitex
agnus-castus. It is believed that some of these compounds work on
the pituitary gland which would explain its effects on hormonal levels. A
study has shown that extracts of the fruit of VAC can bind to opiate
receptors; this could explain why intake of VAC reduces PMS
discomforts.
Current uses
Vitex agnus-castus is used to alleviate symptoms of various
gynecological problems. All evidence is limited to standardised
controlled extracts such as used in Germany, different extracts or
herbal mixes may have significantly different properties and safety
issues.
Good evidence and safety exists for this uses:

    PMS
    Cyclical mastalgia
    Mild hyperprolactinemia
    Luteal phase defect
No specific clinical studies but use partially supported by clinical
evidence on symptoms and mechanism of action:

    Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), improvement of symptoms
    Uterine fibroids, control of bleeding symptoms
Emerging uses:

    Menopause, mechanism of action completely unclear.
Prostate disorders Rarely used, but given its mode of action
theoretically intersting,
Contraindications
It is recommended that Vitex agnus-castus be avoided during
pregnancy due to the possibility of complications.
                        SHAMBALU
MAHIYATH: the leaves of shambalu resemble
pomegranate leaves. It has a strong odour and the
flowers are white in colour.
MIZAJ: hot and dry
AFAL: berg e shambalu: jali, musakkin e dard, mohallil e
auraam, mujaffif and dafa e tafun.
ISTEMAAL: the water of the leaves is extracted and is
added as drops in the eyes for strenghthening.
It is used to give relief in mouth ulcers.
It is used externally as zimaad to relieve auraam e sulb.
NAFA E KHAAS: mufatteh e sudha e tihaal o jigar.
MIQDAAR E QURAAQ: the leaves are not used internally.
SHAHETRA(FUMARIA PARVIFLORA)

                Fumaria parviflora




            Scientific classification

Kingdom:           Plantae

Division:          Magnoliophyta

Class:             Magnoliopsida

Order:             Ranunculales

Family:            Fumariaceae

Genus:             Fumaria

Species:           F. parviflora
Fumaria indica (Haussk) Pugsley is aslo known as Fumaria Indica
Hausskn, Fumaria indica Linn, Fumaria Officinalis Linn., Fumaria
parviflora Lamk, belongs to Fumariaceae family.
The Arabic Names for this herb are Hashishatul Rakhs Hindi, Shahtaraj.
The English Names for this herb are Beggary, Common Fumitory, Earth-
smoke, Fumitory, Wax dolls.
The Urdu Names for this herb are Baqlatul-Malik, Pitpapra, Shahtarah,
Shahtaro, Shahtera.

Fumaria parviflora is a species of flowering plant known by the common
names fineleaf fumitory and Indian fumitory. It is native to Europe,
Asia, and Africa, but it is common and widely distributed in many other
parts of the world. It is sometimes weedy. The small flowers are dull
white with purple tips. The fruit is a rounded nutlet with a central crest.
Fumaria has numerous traditional medicinal uses. Some of its many
uses are: as a liver tonic, as a gallbladder tonic, as an emollient and as a
diuretic. More uses are listed in the medicinal properties section.
Fumitory is only to be administered with proper professional
knowledge. Herbal remedies are only prepared from the flowers. It is
toxic in excessive doses.
It is used in fevers, chronic skin diseases, diarrhea, haemoptysis.
SHAHETRA
MAHIYATH: it is a herb which usually grows in wheat fields. The
leaves have a resemblance to the leaves of dhania plant.
Shahetra is bitter to taste.
MIZAJ:motadil
AFAL: musaffie khoon, mudir e boul, muqhawi e medha, and
induces hunger.
ISTEMAAL: shahetra is used in diseases of blood like syphilis,
itching, boils etc. it is used either as a single drug or mixed with
other suitable advias. It is used in chronic fevers.
NAFA E KHAAS: musaffi e khoon
MIQDAAR E QURAAQ: 5 masha to 7 masha
                    ALUM(SHAB E YAMANI)




Alum is both a specific chemical compound and a class of chemical
compounds. The specific compound is
the hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate (Potassium alum) with
the formulaKAl(SO4)2.12H2O. The wider class of compounds known as
alums have the related empirical formula, AB(SO4)2.12H2O.

Uses
Medicinal

      Alum is used in many subunit vaccines as an adjuvant to enhance
    the body's response to immunogens. Such vaccines include hepatitis
    A, hepatitis B, and DTaP.
      Alum in powder or crystal form, or in styptic pencils, is sometimes
    applied to cuts to prevent or treat infection.
      Powdered alum is commonly cited as a home remedy for canker
    sores.
      Preparations containing alum are used by pet owners to stem
    bleeding associated with animal injuries caused by improper nail
    clipping.
      Alum is listed as an ingredient of some brands of toothpaste or
    toothpowder.
      Alum powder dissolved in 5 parts water has been used to
    shrink hemorrhoids and stop them from bleeding.
          SHOKAI(VOLUTARELLA DIVARICATA)




Volutarella divaricata Benth is aslo known as Amberboa ramosa,
Centaurea divaricata Benth. && Hk., Microlonchus divaricatus DC.,
Oligochaeta ramosa {Roxb} Wagenitz, belongs to Asteraceae,
Compositae family.
The Arabic Name for this herb is Shokat-al-Baida.
The English Name for this herb is Oligochaeta.
The Urdu Names for this herb are Badaward, Daaba, Damaho, Shuka`i.

The pharmacological Actions of Volutarella divaricata Benth are Anti-
diarrhoeal, Anti-Periodic, Aperient, Deobstruent, Febrifuge, Tonic.

Seed:
                     SHAKKARE TAIGHAL




Honeydew is a sugar-rich sticky liquid, secreted by aphids and some
scale insects as they feed on plant sap.Honeydew is particularly
common as a secretion in the Hemipteran insects
               KALONJI

                 Nigella sativa




            Scientific classification


Kingdom:          Plantae


Division:         Magnoliophyta


Class:            Magnoliopsida


Order:            Ranunculales


Family:           Ranunculaceae


Genus:            Nigella


Species:          N. sativa
In English, Nigella sativa seed is variously called fennel flower, nutmeg
flower, Roman coriander, blackseed or black caraway. Other names
used, sometimes misleadingly, are onion seed and black sesame, both
of which are similar-looking, but unrelated. The seeds are frequently
referred to as black cumin (as
in Assamese: kaljeera or kolajeeraor Bengali kalo jeeray), but this is also
used for a different spice, Bunium persicum. The scientific name is a
derivative of Latin niger (black). Original black cumin seed is Carum
bulbocastanum.
An older English name gith is now used for thecorncockle. In English-
speaking countries with large immigrant populations, it is also variously
known as kaljeera (Assamese kalzira or kolazira), kalo
jira (Bengali: kalojira, black cumin)
History of medicine
In Islam, it is regarded as one of the greatest forms of healing medicine
available. In the Unani Tibb system of medicine, black cumin is regarded
as a valuable remedy for a number of diseases. Sayings
of Mohammed clearly underline the significance of Nigella sativa.
According to a hadith narrated by Abu Hurerah, he says, "I have heard
Hazrat Muhammad saying that the black granules (kalonji) is the
remedy for all diseases except death."
The seeds have been traditionally used in the Middle East
and Southeast Asian countries to treat ailments
including asthma, bronchitis,rheumatism and related inflammatory
diseases, to increase milk production in nursing mothers, to promote
digestion and to fight parasitic infections. Its oil has been used to treat
skin conditions, such as eczema and boils, and to treat cold symptoms.
Many researchers have recently also studied its reaction towards
cancer, and it is said to have many anticancer properties. Its many uses
have earned black cumin seed the Arabic approbation Habbatul
barakah, meaning the "seed of blessing".
Scientific research
Nigella sativa oil (not black cumin seed oil) contains nigellone, which
protects guinea pigs from histamine-induced bronchial spasms (perhaps
explaining its use to relieve the symptoms of asthma, bronchitis,
and coughing).
The presence of an antitumor sterol, beta-sitosterol, lends credence to
its traditional use to treat abscesses and tumors of the abdomen, eyes,
and liver.
N. sativa oil has been reported to be effective in
treating opioid dependence.
N. sativa also has been reported to reduce calculi formation in rats'
kidneys.
The oil contains melanthin, nigilline, damascene and tannin. Melanthin
is toxic in large doses and nigelline is paralytic, so this spice must be
used in moderation.
SHEERKHIST(FRAXINUS ORNUS)


                Fraxinus ornus




                Foliage and flowers


            Scientific classification


 Kingdom:                  Plantae


 Order:                    Lamiales


 Family:                   Oleaceae


 Genus:                    Fraxinus


 Species:                  F. ornus
Fraxinus ornus (Manna Ash or South European Flowering Ash) is a
species of Fraxinus native to southern Europe and southwestern Asia,
from Spain and Italy north to Austria and the Czech Republic, and east
through the Balkans, Turkey, and western Syria to the Lebanon.
It is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing to 15–25 m tall with a
trunk up to 1 m diameter. Thebark is dark grey, remaining smooth even
on old trees. The buds are pale pinkish-brown to grey-brown, with a
dense covering of short grey hairs. The leaves are in opposite pairs,
pinnate, 20-30 cm long, with 5-9 leaflets; the leaflets are broad ovoid,
5-10 cm long and 2-4 cm broad, with a finely serrated and wavy margin,
and short but distinct petiolules 5–15 mm long; the autumn colour is
variable, yellow to purplish. The flowers are produced in
dense panicles 10–20 cm long after the new leaves appear in late
spring, each flower with four slender creamy white petals 5–6 mm long;
they are pollinated by insects. The fruit is a slender samara 1.5-2.5 cm
long, the seed 2 mm broad and the wing 4–5 mm broad, green ripening
brown.
Cultivation and uses
A sugary extract from the sap is extracted by making a cut in the bark;
In fact, the sugar mannose and the sugar alcohol mannitol both derive
their name from the extract.
It is frequently grown as an ornamental tree in Europe north of its
native range, grown for its decorative flowers (the species is also
sometimes called "Flowering Ash"). Some cultivated specimens
are grafted on rootstocks of Fraxinus excelsior, with an often very
conspicuous change in the bark at the graft line to the fissured bark of
the rootstock species.
SHATRAJ HINDI(PLUMBAGO ZEYLANICA)


              Plumbago zeylanica




             Scientific classification


  Kingdom:        Plantae



  Order:          Caryophyllales


  Family:         Plumbaginaceae


  Genus:          Plumbago


  Species:        P. zeylanica
Plumbago zeylanica, commonly known as Ceylon
Leadwort or Doctorbush, is a species ofplumbago with
a pantropical distribution. Carl Linnaeus described the paleotropical P.
zeylanicaand neotropical P. scandens as separate species, but they are
currently considered synonymous.

Plumbago zeylanica Roots, bark and seed are used for variety of
medicinal treatments. The roots of the evergreen increase the digestion
and promote appetite, and small doses stimulate central nervous
system. The root of the plant is made into a paste and applied to the
skin to treat abscesses, and other skin diseases including ulcers and
scabies.The powder may be added to bath teas for acne prone skin or
for those suffering from chicken pox. In Africa, a cold infusion of the
root is used for influenza and black water fever. In Zimbabwe Plumbago
zeylanica root is cooked with meat in soup as an aphrodisiac. Bark of
the Plumbargo zeylanica used to stop bleeding, cure baldness, and treat
diarrheas. In Ethiopia powdered bark, root or leaves are used to treat
gonorrhoea, syphilis, tuberculosis, rheumatic pain, swellings and
wounds. Root-bark is useful to treat obesity. Also, Chitrak is used to
correct menstrual disorders, and viral warts.
        SHAQHAQHUL(PASTINACA SECACUL)




Wild parsnip is a member of the Umbelliferae (parsnip) family.
Rosettes grow close to the ground and bear leaves averaging six
inches in height. The plant has a long, thick taproot, which is
edible. Flowering plants produce a single, thick stem that
contains hundreds of yellow umbellate flowers. The lateral
flowers often overtop the terminal flowers.
ACTIONS:
Root is galactogogue, aphrodisiac, spermatogenetic.
         SHURA E QALMI(POTASSIUM NITRATE)




Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula KNO3.
It occurs as a mineral niter and is a natural solid source of nitrogen. Its
common names includesaltpetre (saltpeter in American English), from
medieval Latin sal petræ: "stone salt" or possibly "Salt of Petra"
and nitrate of potash. The mineral nitratite also named Peru
saltpetreor Chile saltpetre (American Peru saltpeter or Chile saltpeter)
refers not to potassium nitrate but to the natural mineral form of a
similar chemical sodium nitrate.
                Pharmacology
               Potassium nitrate can be found in
               some toothpastes for sensitive teeth. Recently, the use
               of potassium nitrate in toothpastes for treating sensitive
               teeth has increased and may be an effective treatment.
               Potassium nitrate in some toothpastes has shown to
               relieve asthmatic symptoms in some people. It was used
               in centuries past to treat asthma as well as arthritis.
Potassium nitrate successfully combats high blood
pressure and was once used as a hypotensive. Other
nitrates and nitrites such as glyceryl
trinitrate (nitroglycerin), amyl nitrite and isosorbide
derivatives are still used to relieve angina.
Potassium nitrate was once thought to
induce impotence, and is still falsely rumored to be in
institutional food (such as military fare) as
ananaphrodisiac; however, there is no scientific evidence
for such properties.