Caccinia crassifolia Health Dictionary

O. Kuntze.

Synonym: C. glauca Savi.

Family: Boraginaceae.

Habitat: Native to Baluchistan. Available in Indian market as Gaozabaan.

Unani: Gaozabaan. (According to National Formulary of Unani Medicine, Borago officinalis Linn. and other species of Boraginaceae are used as Gaozabaan.)

Action: Leaf—diuretic, antiinflammatory, demulcent; used for strangury, asthma and cough.

The stems and leaves gave sapoge- nins—caccigenin, caccigenin lactone and 23-deoxycaccigenin; rutin and a saponin derived from caccigenin. The leaves also gave a glucoside, cac- cinin. Caccinin and its aglucone cac- cinetin (which is the dimethylallyl ester of caffeic acid) is diuretic; saponins exhibit anti-inflammatory activity.

Flowers contain pyrrolizidine alkaloid, the diester of retronecine. Ben- zoic acid has also been isolated from the flowers.