Habitat: Tropical parts of India including hills. Common in eastern Himalayas.
Unani: Jangali Ushbaa.Siddha/Tamil: Malai-thaamara.Action: Root—used in prescriptions for venereal diseases. Decoction, used for abscesses, boils, swellings and rheumatism; also for dysentery Used as a substitute for S. ornata.
Diosgenin is reported from the root and leaf.Habitat: Common in plains as a hedge plant.
English: Ceylon Caper.Ayurvedic: Ahimsra (Himsraa and Ahimsra are synonyms). Vyaaghranakhi.Siddha/Tamil: Aathondai.Folk: Kareruaa.Action: Root bark—sedative, stomachic, anticholerin, diuretic febrifuge. Leaves—applied as poultice to piles, swellings, boils.
The plant contains a saponin and p- hydroxybenzoic, syringic, vanillic, fer- ulic and p-coumaric acids. The leaves contain beta-carotene. The leaves and seeds contain glucocapparin, alpha- amyrin, n-triacontane and a fixed oil.Aerial parts exhibited spasmolytic activity.... capparis zeylanicaHabitat: Throughout India, in moist and swampy places.
Ayurvedic: Wrongly equated with Laangali. (Laangali is equated with Gloriosa superba Linn.) Known as Ish-languulia (West Bengal).Action: Leaves and paste— used for callous ulcers. Plant— antiprotozoal.... hydrolea zeylanica
Habitat: The tropical forests of eastern Himalayas, Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Deccan Peninsula.
Ayurvedic: Dhanavalli (Kerala), Chhagul-bati (Bengal).Siddha/Tamil: Vathomkolli, Neen- davalli.Action: Astringent, antiinflammatory, vulnerary, anthelmintic. Used for colic, headache, inflammations, rheumatic pain, wounds and ulcers, intestinal worms, leprosy and skin diseases. Saps of stem—effective in onychia.... naravelia zeylanica
Habitat: Throughout greater part of India.
Siddha/Tamil: Sithamutti, Mammat- ti, Peraamutti.Action: Plant—purgative, an- thelmintic, febrifuge.
The stem gave a saponin, pavo- phylline, and a keto-ester, methyl 19- ketotetracosanoate.... pavonia zeylanicaHabitat: Cultivated in gardens throughout India; also found wild in Peninsular India.
English: Ceylon Leadwort, Leadwort.Ayurvedic: Chitraka, Agni, Vahni, Jvalanaakhya, Krshaanu, Hutaasha, Dahana, Sikhi.Unani: Sheetraj Hindi. Siddha/Tamil: Chittramoolam.Action: Root—intestinal flora normalizer, stimulates digestive processes; used for dyspepsia. Root paste is applied in order to open abscesses; a paste prepared with milk, vinegar or salt and water, is used externally in leprosy and other obstinate skin diseases. A cold infusion is used for influenza and black-water fever.
Key application: In sprue, malabsorption syndrome, piles and inflammatory diseases of ano-rectum. (The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India.)The root yielded naphthoquinone derivatives, plumbagin being the most important active principle.The root extract, after processing for plumbagin enhancement, has been used in a number of drug formulations for liver ailments. Experimentally, plumbagin prevented the accumulation of triglycerides in liver and aorta and regressed atheromatous plaques and abdominal aorta. The chloroform extract of the root showed significant activity against pencillin-resistant (also non-pencillin resistant) strains of Neisseria gonorrhoea. (The root is used for treating sexually transmitted diseases in traditional Indian medicine.)In Siddha medicine, in Tamil Nadu, the plant is an ingredient in a number of drug formulations for treating cancers of the uterus, breast, lungs and oral cavity, in addition to haemorrhoids.Plumbagin is abortifacient, antiovu- latory; causes selective testicular lesions in dogs; in lower doses it behaves like a spindle poison, in higher concentration exhibits radiomimetic nu- cleotoxic and cytotoxic effects.Dosage: Detoxified root—1-2 g powder. (API, Vol. I.)... plumbago zeylanicaHabitat: The tropical and temperate regions, from Kashmir, Sikkim and Assam to South India.
English: Italian Sarsaparilla.Action: Roots used as a substitute for Hemidesmus indicus. Rutin has been isolated as a major flavonoid from the plant.... smilax aspera
Habitat: Sikkim Himalayas, Assam and Manipur.
Ayurvedic: Hindi Chobachini.Folk: Shukchin (Maharashtra), Hariaa.Action: Roots—used for rheumatic affections.... smilax lanceifolia
Habitat: Tropical Himalayas from Kumaon eastwards to Khasi, Garo and Naga Hills, and in Bihar.
Unani: Ushbaa. (Jamaica sak- saparilla.)Action: Roots—used as a blood purifying drug.... smilax ornata
Habitat: Native to tropical America and the West Indies.
English: Sarsaparilla.Unani: Ushbaa Maghrabi (Ushbaa Desi is equated with Decalepis hamiltonii.)Action: Alterative, anti- inflammatory, antipruritic, blood purifier, antiseptic. (It was first introduced in 1563 as a drug for syphilis.)
In Western herbal, Sarsaparilla is equated with Smilax aristolochiaefo- lia (American, Mexican, Vera Cruz or Grey Sarsaparilla); S. medica, S. regelii (Jamaican, Honduras or Brown Sarsaparilla); S.febrifuga (Ecuadorian or Guayaquil Sarsaparilla). Hemides- mus indicus is equated with Indian Sarsaparilla.Key application: Preparations of sarsaparilla root are used for skin diseases, psoriasis and its sequel, rheumatic complaints, kidney diseases, and as a diaphoretic and diuretic. (The claimed efficacy has not been established clinically.) Included among unapproved herbs by German Commission E.The roots and rhizomes of sarsaparil- la contain saponins based on aglycones sarsapogenin and smilagenin, the major one being parillin (sarsaponin), with smilasaponin (smilacin) and sar- saparilloside; beta-sitosterol, stigmas- terol and their glucosides. Chief components of saponins (0.5-3%) are sar- saparilloside, along with parillin as a breakdown product. Parillin shows antibiotic activity.Sarsaparilla root sterols are not anabolic steroids, nor are they converted in vivo to anabolic steroids. Testosterone, till now, has not been detected in any plant including sarsaparilla. Hemidesmus indicus contains none of the saponins or principal constituents found in sarsaparilla. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)... smilax aristolochiaefoliaHabitat: Japan, China and Cochin China.
Ayurvedic: Chobachini, Chopachi- ni, Dweepaantar-Vachaa, Madhus- nuhi, Hriddhaatri.Unani: Chobchini.Siddha/Tamil: Parangi chakkai.Action: Tubers—used as alterative in venereal diseases, chronic skin diseases and rheumatic affections. Used as official sarsaparilla. (China of homoeopathic medicine is Peruvian bark, not Smilax china.)
Sarsaparilla (Smilax species) is used in Oriental as well as in Western herbal for its alterative, gentle circulatory stimulant and mild testosterone activity.The root is known for its steroidal saponins. Pro-sapogenin-A of dioscin, dioscin, gracillin. Me-protogracillin, Me-protodioscin and its 22-hydroxy- analog; besides beta-sitosterol gluco- side, smilaxin, two furostan and one spirostane glycosides have been isolated from the root.Dosage: Root—50-100 mg powder. (CCRAS.)... smilax chinaHabitat: Assam, Khasi and Garo Hills, eastwards to upper Burma, Indo-China and southern China.
Ayurvedic: Dweepaantara-Vachaa, Chobachini (bigger var.).Action: Roots—used for syphilis, venereal diseases and sores, as a blood purifier.
Astilbin, 3-O-caffeoyl-shikimic, fer- ulic, palmitic, shikimic and succinic acids; engeletin, isoengeletin; glucose; daucosterol, beta-sitosterol, stigmas- terol are major constituents of the root.Crude saponins, isolated from the plant, produced preventive effect on cholesterol-fed atherosclerosis in quails.Ayurvedic: Maitri.Unani: Ushbaa (wild species).Folk: Ghot-vel (Maharashtra).Action: Roots—used as a substitute for Hemidesmus indicus. Used for venereal diseases, urinary infections, rheumatism. Also used for dysentery. (S. perfoliata Lour., synonym S. prolifera Roxb. is used as a substitute for S. ovalifolia.)... smilax glabra
Habitat: Tropical parts of India.... smilax ovalifolia
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