Opuntia dillenii Health Dictionary

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Opuntia Dillenii: From 1 Different Sources

(Ker-Gawl.) Haw.

Synonym: O. stricta Haw. var. dillenii (Ker-Gawl.) Benson.

Family: Cactaceae.

Habitat: Native of Mexico; well- acclimatized throughout India.

English: Prickly Pear, Slipper Thorn.

Ayurvedic: Naagaphani, Kanthaari.

Unani: Naagphani.

Siddha/Tamil: Sappathikalli, Nagathali.

Action: Leaves—applied as poultice to allay inflammation and heat. Fruit—baked and given in whooping cough.

Dried or fresh flowers of cactus (opuntia series)—astringent and haemostatic. An infusion is given in irritable bowel, mucous colitis, and prostatitis. Ash of the aerial portion, mixed with sugar candy, is given for 21 days for birth control in tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh.

The Plant is recommended for growing in high pollution zones for abating sulphur dioxide pollution.

Pods contain a polysaccharide, ar- binogalactan. Betanin has been isolated from ripe fruits. Flowers contain the glycosides of isorhamnetin and quer- cetin, with smal amounts of the free flavonols.
Health Source: Indian Medicinal Plants
Author: Health Dictionary

Opuntia Cochinellifera

Mill.

Synonym: Nopalea cochenillifera Salm-Dyck.

Family: Cactaceae.

Habitat: Indian gardens. Introduced into India towards the end of the 18th century.

English: Cochineal Cactus. (A host for cochineal insect, Dactylopius cacti Linn.)

Siddha/Tamil: Puchikalli.

Action: Fruits—emollient, bechic. Mucilaginous joints—used as poultices in cases of articular rheumatism, inflammations, scalds, burns and skin diseases.... opuntia cochinellifera

Opuntia Ficus-indica

(Linn.) Mill., known as Prickly Pear or Indian Fig, is a spineless cactus, mostly cultivated in Indian gardens. Ripe fruits are nutritious. Flowers are astringent and reduce bleeding; used for diarrhoea and irritable bowel syndrome; also for enlarged prostate. The flower decoction exhibits a strong diuretic effect.

The cladodes are used as a topical anti-inflammatory remedy for oedemata and arthrosis, as regulators of smooth muscles in the treatment of whooping cough and as anti-infective agent.

The stem or their crude preparations showed hypoglycaemic effect in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mel- litus patients (irrespective of its being heated or blended during preparation).

Neobetanin (14,15-dehydro betanin) is the major constituent in the fruit.... opuntia ficus-indica

Opuntia Vulgaris

Mill.

Family: Cactaceae.

Habitat: Throughout the greater part of India.

English: Prickly Pear.

Ayurvedic: Naagaphani (var.).

Action: In homoeopathy, a tincture made from the flowers and wood, is given for diarrhoea and splenomegaly.

The fresh stalks yielded calcium magnesium pectate which exhibited antihaemorrhagic action. A flavono- side has been obtained from dried flowers. It resembles rutoside in its action of inhibiting capillary fragility. The flavonoside on hydrolysis produces trihydroxy-methoxy-flavonol and glucose. The plant is reported to contain an alkaloid. It also yields a mucilage which gives arabinose and galactose. to convalescents suffering from chronic diarrhoea and bilious fevers. Allays irritation of gastrointestinal tracts.

Orchis species (Salep) contain mucilage (up to 50%)-glucans, gluco- mannans (partially acetylized), starch (25%), proteins (5-15%).

The leaves of Orchis latifolia contain a glucoside, loroglossin. Most of the Salep used in Unani medicine is imported from Iran and Afghanistan.

Allium macleanii Baker (Afghanistan) is known as Baadashaahi (royal) Saalab, and is used as a substitute for Munjaataka.

Dosage: Tuber—3-5 g powder. (CCRAS.)... opuntia vulgaris

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