Logan Health Dictionary

Linn.

Family: Gentianaceae.

Habitat: Native to Britain and Europe; found in Kashmir.

English: Bogbean, Buckbean, Goat's bean, Marsh Trefoil.

Folk: Buckbean.

Action: Bitter tonic, deobstruent. Laxative in large doses. Used for diseases of liver and gallbladder, and rheumatism. (Contraindicated in diarrhoea, dysentery and colitis.)

Key application: Leaf—in loss of appetite, peptic discomforts. (German Commission E.) As a bitter tonic. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.) The drug stimulates saliva and gastric juice secretion. (German Commission E.)

The herb contains iridoid glyco- sides, foliamenthin, dihydrofoliamen- thin, menthiafolin and loganin; pyri- dine alkaloids including gentianine; coumarins (scopoletin); phenolic acids (caffeic, with protocatechuic, ferulic, sinapic, vanillic including others; fla- vonoids including rutin, hyperoside.

Choleretic action of the herb is attributed to the synergistic action of caffeic and ferulic acids and iridoid glycosides.

Scoparone and scopoletin (cou- marins isolated from the aerial parts) exhibit antihepatotoxic, choleretic and cholagogue properties.

The rhizomes contain dihydrofolia- menthin, loganin, menthiafolin and a triterpenoid saponin menyantho- side. Aqueous extract of the rhizome showed greater preserved renal function and higher glomerular filtration rate, possibly due to Platelet Activating Factor (PAF)-antagonistic effect of the extract.... menyanthes trifoliata

Spigelia marilandica. N.O. Loganiaceae.

Synonym: Carolina Pink, Indian Pink, Maryland Pink, Worm-grass.

Habitat: Southern states of U.S.A

Features ? Imported root is rather less than a quarter of an inch thick, cup-shaped scars on upper surface, many rootlets underneath.

Part used ? Root.

Action: Anthelmintic.

Widely used throughout the United States, where it is considered the best of the vermifuges, and is given to both children and adults suffering from the pests. A purgative such as Senna is usually added, as it is said to cause the Spigelia to act more quickly and effectively. An infusion of 1 ounce to

1 pint is given night and morning, in doses varying with the patient's age up to one teacupful for adults.

In this country such remedies as Tansy and Wormwood are more commonly prescribed in the treatment of worms.... pinkroot

auct. non-Krause.

Synonym: S. koenigii Vahl. S. taccada (Gaertn.) Roxb.

Family: Goodeniaceae.

Habitat: Sea coasts all around India and in the Andaman Islands.

English: Fan Flower, Malay Rice Paper Plant.

Siddha/Tamil: Vella-muttangam.

Folk: Bhadraka, Bhadraaksha.

Action: Leaves—digestive, carminative; applied externally on tumours and swollen legs. Fruit—juice, internally for inducing menstruation. Roots—used for dysentery.

A decoction of the leaves and the bark is reported to combat tachycardia, one of the principal symptoms of beriberi. The drug reduces the frequency of heartbeat, slows down pulse rate and at the same time stimulates the heart to normal contraction (does not possess cumulative action of digitalis). The drug acts as a diuretic by increasing the tension in the renal arteries without causing irritation of the kidney parenchyma; and is used for dropsy.

The aerial parts gave loganin, sylve- stroside III, its dimethyl acetal, cant- leyoside and its dimethyl acetal.... scaevola frutescens

Bergius.

Family: Loganiaceae; Strychnaceae.

Habitat: Native to the Philippines. Seeds are imported into India.

English: Ignatus Beans.

Unani: Papitaa Vilaayati. (Papitaa Desi is equated with Carica papaya Linn.)

Siddha/Tamil: Kayappankottai.

Action: Properties similar to those of Nux vomica. Used as a stimulant and nervine tonic, also for asthma and rheumatism.

The seeds contain indole alkaloids; brucine and its N-oxide, alpha-and beta-colubrine, diaboline, icajine, no- vacine, strychnine and its N-oxide, and 12-hydroxyderivatives, vomicine, and others. Share of strychnine is 45-60%, in indole alkaloids (2.5-5.6%).... strychnos ignatii

Strychnos nux-vomica

Loganiaceae

San: Karaskara;

Hin: Kajra, Kuchila;

Mal: Kanjiram; ;

Tam: Itti, Kagodi, Kanjirai Mar:Jharkhatchura;

Kan: Hemmushti, Ittangi;

Tel: Mushti, Mushidi; Ori: Kora, Kachila

Importance: It is a large deciduous tree, with simple leaves and white fragrant flowers.

Strychnos is highly toxic to man and animals producing stiffness of muscles and convulsions, ultimately leading to death. However, in small doses it can also serve as efficacious cure forms of paralysis and other nervous disorders. The seeds are used as a remedy in intermittent fever, dyspepsia, chronic dysentery, paralytic and neuralgic affections, worms, epilepsy, chronic rheumatism, insomnia and colic. It is also useful in impotence, neuralgia of face, heart disease, spermatorrhoea, skin diseases, toxins, wounds, emaciation, cough and cholera. Leaves are applied as poultice in the treatment of chronic wounds and ulcers and the leaf decoction is useful in paralytic complaints. Root and root bark used in fever and dysentery (Nadkarni, 1982; Kurup et al, 1979).

Distribution: The plant is distributed throughout India in deciduous forests up to 1200m. It is also found in Sri Lanka, Siam, Indochina and Malaysia.

Botany: Strychnos nux-vomica Linn. is a large tree belonging to the family Loganiaceae. Leaves are simple, opposite, orbicular to ovate, 6-11.5x6-9.5cm, coriaceous, glabrous, 5 nerved, apex obtuse, acute or apiculate, transverse nerves irregular and inconspicuous. Inflorescence is many flowered terminal cymes, 2.5-5cm across. Bracts (5mm) and bracteoles (1.5mm) small. Flowers are white or greenish white and fragrant. Calyx 5 lobed, pubescent and small (2mm). Corolla salver shaped, tube cylindrical slightly hairy near the base within and greenish white, tube much elongate than the lobes. Tube 7mm and lobes 2.5mm long. Lobes 5 and valvate. Stamens 5, filaments short, 0.1mm long. Anthers 1.5mm subexerted, linear oblong. Ovary 1.5 mm, pubescent, 2 celled, ovules one to many. Style 9mm, stigma capitate. Fruit is a berry, 5-6cm diameter, globose, indehiscent, thick shelled, orange red when ripe with fleshy pulp enclosing the seeds. Seeds 1-many, discoid, compressed, coin like, concave on one side and convex on the other, covered with fine grey silky hairs.

The leaf fall is during December (do not shed all the leaves at a time) and new foliage appears in February. Flowering is during March - April and fruiting during May - December. Fruits take about 8-9 months to mature.

Properties and activity: Strychnine and brucine are the most important and toxic alkaloids present in the plant. They occur not only in the seeds but also in roots, wood, bark, fruit pulp and hard fruit shells. The minor alkaloids present in the plant are vomicine, -colubrine, -colubrine, pseudostrychnine and N-methyl-sec-pseudobrucine (novacine). Loganin a glycoside is also present (Warnat, 1932; Martin et al, 1953; Guggisberg et al, 1966; Bisset and Chaudhary, 1974). Chatterji and Basa (1967) reported vomicine as the major constituent alkaloid along with unidentified alkaloid in leaves and identified another alkaloid kajine (N-methyl pseudostrychnine) from the leaves of very young plants.

Root bark of S. nux-vomica yeilded 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy strychnine, 4 hydroxy strychine, nor-macusine, a new alkaloid 12 , 13 dihydro-12 -hydroxy isostrychnine named protostrychnine (Baser et al, 1979) methoxy strychnine, and mavacurine (Guggisberg et al, 1966). Leaves and root bark also yeilded 11 new alkaloids. 10-hydroxy strychnine, 3-12-dihydroxystrychnine, 12-hydroxy–11- methoxy strychnine, 3-12-dihydroxy- 11-methoxy strychnine,12-hydroxy strychnine-N- oxide 12-hydroxy-11-methoxy strychnine- N-oxide-19,20–dihydro isostrychnine, 16 , 17 dihydro-17 -hydroxy isostrychnine, O- methyl-macusine B, 16-epi-o-methyl–macusine B and normelinone B (Baser and Bisset, 1982).

De and Datta (1988) isolated 5 tertiary indole alkaloids viz. strychnine, brucine, vomicine, icajine and novacine from S.nux-vomica flowers. Bisset et al (1989) isolated and identified two phenolic glycosides salidroside and cuchiloside – a compound consisting of salidroside and an attached xylose unit, from the fruit of S.nux-vomica.

Rodriguez et al (1979) isolated an indole alkaloid from the seeds of S. nux- vomica and identified as a 3-methoxy icajine. A new alkaloid 15-hydroxy strychnine has been isolated from the seeds and the structure of the alkaloid established by spectroscopic data (Galeffi et al, 1979). Cai et al (1990a) isolated 4 new alkaloids isobrucine, isobrucine N-oxide, isostrychnine N-oxide and 2 hydroxy–3-methoxy strychnine from the heat treated seeds of S. nuxvomica and the structure of the alkaloids were determined by 13 CNMR (Cai et al, 1994). Cai et al (1990 b) studied the changes in the alkaloid composition of the seeds during drug processing. Saily et al (1994) determined the mineral elements in Strychnos nux-vomica. Corsaro et al (1995) reported polysaccharides from the seeds of Strychnos species.

Seeger and Neumann (1986) reviewed the physico-chemical characteristics, occurrence, identification, utilisation, poisoning, toxicity, kinetics, differential diagnosis and therapeutic uses of strychnine and brucine. Aspergillus niger, A. flavus and Pencillium citrinum showed regular association with Strychnos seeds and effectively deteriorated the alkaloid content of the seeds (Dutta, 1988; Dutta and Roy, 1992). Nicholson (1993) described the history, structure and synthesis of strychnine which occur in the seeds of S. nux-vomica. Rawal and Michoud (1991) developed a general solution for the synthesis of 2- azabicyclo (3.3.1) nonane substructure of Strychnos alkaloids.

Villar et al (1984) and Hayakawa et al (1984) developed HPLC method for the analysis of strychnine and brucine. Graf and Wittliner (1985), Kostennikova (1986) and Gaitonde and Joshi (1986) suggested different methods for the assay of strychnine and brucine. Biala et al, (1996) developed new method for the assay of alkaloids in S. nux- vomica.

The seeds are bitter, acrid, alexeteric, aphrodisiac, appetiser, antiperiodic, anthelmintic, digestive, febrifuge, emmenagogue, purgative, spinal, respiratory and cardiac stimulant and stomachic. The bark is bitter, and tonic and febrifuge (Nadkarni, 1954; Kurup et al, 1979; Warrier et al, 1996).

The quarternery alkaloid from the root bark of the Sri Lankan plant exhibited muscle-relaxant activity (Baser and Bisset, 1982). Antimicrobial activity of indole alkaloid isolated from the Strychnos nux-vomica was studied by Verpoorte et al, 1983. Shukla et al (1985) evaluated the efficacy of Rasnadigugglu compound consisting of S. nux-vomica, on rheumatoid arthritis and found to be effective in reducing inflammatory oedoma and rheumatoid arthritis. It also exhibited analgesic activity. A compound Unani formulation containing S. nux-vomica significantly attenuated withdrawal intensity in morphine dependent rats (Zatar et al, 1991). Shahana et al (1994) studied the effect of Unani drug combination (UDC) having Strychnos nux-vomica on the abstinence syndrome in moderately and severely morphine dependent rats. The UDC strikingly suppressed the abstinence syndrome was seen to possess central depressant and analgesic action.

Melone et al (1992) reported brucine-lethality in mice. Panda and Panda (1993) and Satyanarayanan et al (1994) reported antigastric ulcer activity of nux vomica in Shay rats. Banerjee and Pal (1994) reported the medicinal plants used by the tribals of plain land in India for hair and scalp preparation and S. nux-vomica being used to cure alopecia (baldness) by the tribals. Tripathi and Chaurasia (1996) studied the effect of S. nux-vomica alcohol extract on lipid peroxidation in rat liver.... strychnine tree

Linn.

Family: Loganiaceae; Strychnaceae.

Habitat: Tropical India up to an altitude of 360 m.

English: Nux vomica.

Ayurvedic: Kapilu, Kaakatin- duka, Kaakendu, Kaakapiluka, Vishamushtikaa, Vishamushti, Vishatinduka, Kuchilaa, Ksuchalaa.

Unani: Azaraaqi, Kuchlaa.

Siddha: Yettikkottai.

Action: Nervine tonic and a potent CNS stimulant.

Seeds—used in emotional disorders, insomnia, hysteria, epilepsy, paralytic and neurological affections, retention or nocturnal incontinence of urine, spermatorrhoea, sexual debility and impotence, general exhaustion; as antidote to alcoholism; GIT disorders. Bark—juice given in acute dysentery, diarrhoea and colic. Root—given in intermittent fevers. In Chinese medicine a paste made of Nux vomica seeds is applied topically for treating facial paralysis.

Included among unapproved herbs by German Commission E.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia ofIn- dia recommends detoxified seeds in paralysis, facial paralysis, sciatica and impotency.

The seeds contain indole alkaloids, the major one is strychnine (approx. 50% of the alkaloids); others include strychnine N-oxide, brucine and its N-oxide, alpha-and beta-colubrine, condylocarpine, diaboline, geissoschi- zine, icajine, isostrychnine, normacu- sine, novacine, pseudobrucine, pseu- do-alpha-colubrine, pseudo-beta-col- ubrine, pseudostrychnine and vom- icine (3-hydro-beta-colubrine). Loga- nin is also present. Pseudostrychnine is non-toxic. The alkaloidal content of the seeds ranges from 1.8 to 5.3%.

The leaves contain strychnine and brucine (together 1.6%), strychnine 0.025%; vomicine is the major constituent of leaves. The bark contains 9.9% total alkaloids (brucine 8%, strychnine 1.58%); pseudostrychnine, pseudobrucine and beta-colubrine in small amounts. The roots contain 0.99% alkaloids (brucine 0.28%, strychnine 0.71%).

Strychnine, when tested for an- tiulcer activity in shay rat model at a dose of 0.25 mg/kg body weight, complete absence of ulceration was observed which was comparable to cime- tidine. Exhausted Nux-vomica powder at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight, and brucine at a dose of 0.25 mg/kg body weight gave protection similar to strychnine.

Orally, 30-50 mg Nux-vomica (5 mg strychnine) is toxic.

Dosage: Detoxified seed—60- 125 mg. (API, Vol. IV.)... strychnos nux-vomica

Linn.f.

Family: Loganiaceae; Strychnaceae.

Habitat: Forests of West Bengal, Central and South India, up to 1,200 m.

English: Clearing Nut tree.

Ayurvedic: Kataka, Katakaphala, Payah-prasaadi, Chakshushya, Nirmali.

Unani: Nirmali.

Siddha/Tamil: Thettran, Thetrankot- tai.

Action: Seed—antidiabetic, antidysenteric, emetic.

Mannogalactan from seeds reduces cholesterol and triglycerides (one-tenth and one-fifth when compared to clofi- brate). Seeds are also applied to abscesses, and venereal sores (internally in gonorrhoea). Fruits—antidiabet- ic; antidysenteric, expectorant. (Pulp is used as a substitute for ipecacuanha.)

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia ofIn- dia recommends the seed in dysuria, polyuria, urolithiasis, also in epilepsy.

The seeds, leaves and trunk bark gave diabolin (major alkaloid) and acetyldiabolin. Seeds also gavebrucine, strychnine, novacine, icajine, oleanolic acid and its glycoside. Leaves and bark gave isomotiol, stigmasterol, campes- terol and sitosterol. Diabolin exhibits hypotensive activity.

A decoction of seeds is given to treat stammering.

The seeds resemble those of Nux- vomica but are non-poisonous. The ripe seeds are used for clearing muddy water.

Dosage: Seed—3-6 g. (API, Vol. IV.)... strychnos potatorum

C.B.Clarke.

Synonym: S. cinnamomifolia Thw. S. wallichiana Steud.

Family: Loganiaceae; Strychnaceae.

Habitat: Western Ghats, from South Kanara to Trivandrum, up to 900 m and in Andhra Pradesh.

Siddha/Tamil: Valli Kanjiram.

Action: Roots—antirheumatic, anti-inflammatory, febrifuge. Used for neurological affections, elephantiasis and muscular pains.

Indole type alkaloids have been reported from the plant.... strychnos rheedei

Linn.

Family: Verbenaceae.

Habitat: The Himalayas, Khasi and Lushai Hills, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

English: Vervain, Pigeon's Grass.

Unani: Saal-ul-hamaam, Faristari- un.

Action: Plant—nervine, antidepressant, anticonvulsant; prescribed in liver and gall bladder complaints (spasm of the bladder and strangury), nervous and menstrual disorders; also for bronchitis, asthma and febrile affections.

Included among unapproved herbs by German Commission E.

The plant contains an iridoid gly- coside, hastatoside; loganin; methyl- cyclopentane monoterpenoid, verbe- nalin; verbascoside and eukovoside. The stem and roots are quite rich in stachyose. Aerial parts gave lupeol, beta-sitosterol, ursolic acid, aucubin and artemetin.

The herb is credited with weak parasympathomimetic activity. Verbenalin exhibited mild purgative activity in animal studies. Emetic in high doses.

Vervain tea decreased absorption of non-heme iron by 59% in human subjects. (Sharon M. Herr.)... verbena officinalis