Thuja orientalis Health Dictionary

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Thuja Orientalis: From 1 Different Sources

Linn.

Synonym: Biota orientalis Endl.

Family: Cupressaceae.

Habitat: Native to China; planted all over India in gardens.

English: Oriental Arbor-Vitae.

Folk: Morepankhi.

Action: Leaves—diuretic, insectici- dal antipyretic.

The leaves contain rhodoxanthin, amentoflavone, hinokiflavone, querce- tin, myricetin, carotene (20.8 mg/100 g dry basis), xanthophyll and ascorbic acid (68 mg/100 g). Essential oil, obtained from twigs (0.32) and berries (0.25%), contains alpha-thujene, (+)- sabinene, (+)-camphene, cedrol, ce- drenol and alpha-and beta-pinenes as major constituents.

American Arbor-Vitae and White Cedar has been equated with T. occidentals and is used as Thuja.

It was introduced into India from North America, and grows as a Christmas tree in the plains of India.

Leaves—aninfusionisusedasa uterine stimulant, emmenagogue and diuretic. Boiled in lard, are applied externally for rheumatism. Bark—astringent, emmenagogue, diuretic. Oil— poisonous, disinfectant, insecticidal. Seed and fruit— antibacterial; inhibited the growth of Gram-positive microorganisms.

The leaves yields a volatile oil, containing thujone as major component, with iso-thujone, borneol, bornyl acetate, l-fenchone, limonene, sabinene, camphor, l-alpha-thujene; flavonoids, mucilage, tannins.

The heartwood yields a non-toxic antibiotic substance. It gave sesquiter- pene alcohols—occidentalol and oc- cidol; also alpha-beta-and gamma- eudesmol.

Thuja is used in homoeopathy for tissue degeneration and tumours, warts and fungoid growths, both internally and externally.
Health Source: Indian Medicinal Plants
Author: Health Dictionary

Liquidambar Orientalis

Mill.

Family: Altingiaceae; Hamameli- daceae.

Habitat: Native to Asia Minor.

English: Storax, Oriental Sweet Gum.

Ayurvedic: Turushka, Silhaka, Kapitaila.

Unani: Ambar Saayil, Silaaras.

Siddha/Tamil: Neri-arishippal.

Action: Balsam—anti-inflammatory, stimulating expectorant, antipara- sitic, antiseptic, antimicrobial. Used externally in scabies, ringworm and other skin diseases. Used for coughs and bronchitis as an inhalation.

Storax contained cinnamic acid up to 30%—cinnamin acid esters, cin- namyl cinnamate (styracin), phenyl- propyl cinnamate; triterpene acids; vanillin; styrene; aromatic alcohols. Pentacyclic triterpene aldehydes—liq- uidambronal and ambronal—have been isolated from nonvolatile part of resin along with bornyl trans-cinna- mate.

Dosage: Gum—1-3 g. (CCRAS.)... liquidambar orientalis

Platanus Orientalis

Linn.

Family: Platanaceae.

Habitat: Native to eastern Mediterranean region; cultivated in Kashmir and North-western Himalayas at 1,200-2,400 m.

English: Oriental Plane, Oriental Sycamore. European Plane tree.

Folk: Chinaar, Buin (Kashmir and Punjab).

Action: Bark—antidiarrhoeal, antiscorbutic, antirheumatic. Leaf—astringent. Buds—antiseptic, used for urinary infection.

The buds yielded kaempferol, its derivatives and caffeic acid. The me- thanolic extract exhibits antiseptic and antimicrobial activities.

The bark contains 1.5% of platanin, also 5.9% tannin and 7.3% non-tans. The shoots and leaves contain alan- toin; roots phlobaphene. The sap of the tree contains up to 90% mannitol. A triterpene, platanolic acid, is found in most parts of the plant except the fruit.... platanus orientalis

Siegesbeckia Orientalis

Linn.

Family: Compositae; Asteraceae.

Habitat: Throughout India up to 2,000 m.

English: The Holy Herb, Siegesbeckia.

Siddha/Tamil: Katampam, Kadambu.

Folk: Pili-badkadi (Gujarat), Lat- latiaa (Bihar), Lichkuraa (Garhwal).

Action: Plant—antiscorbutic, sial- agogue, cardiotonic, diaphoretic. Used for the treatment of rheumatism, renal colic and ague. Also used as a lotion for gangrenous ulcers and sores, syphilis, leprosy, ringworm.

The aerial parts contain sesquiter- pene lactone, orientin; melampolides including orientolide; diterpene, dru- tigenol and the corresponding gluco- side darutoside. The whole plant, in addition, gave 3,7-dimethylquercetin.

The plant exhibited antiviral, CVS active, spasmolytic and hypoglycaemic activity.... siegesbeckia orientalis

Trema Orientalis

Blume.

Synonym: T. amboinensis auct. non Blume.

Family: Ulmaceae.

Habitat: Throughout India in humid regions, up to 2,430 m.

English: Charcoal tree, Indian Nettle tree.

Siddha/Tamil: Ambaratthi, Chenko- lam.

Folk: Gio.

Action: Root—astringent and styptic; prescribed for diarrhoea, haematuria. Bark—analgesic.

Used as poultice for muscular pain. Root, bark and leaves—used in epilepsy.

The bark contains 16% tannin. Stem- bark gave triterpenoid alcohols simi- arenol and tremetol; a triterpene sim- iurenone; octacosanoic acid and 1- octacosanyl acetate.

Alcoholic extract of the roots produced a progressive depression of blood pressure (a total of 50% in 1 h) in cats.... trema orientalis

Zosima Orientalis

Hoffm.

Synonym: Z. absinthifolia Link.

Family: Umbelliferae; Apiaceae.

Habitat: West Asia. Recorded from Maharashtra.

Action: Herb—used for cough and bowel disorders.

The fruits and roots yield a mixture of coumarin lactones, 1.5% and 3.2% respectively; these include two isomeric dihydrofurocoumarins—zosimin and deltonin. On saponification, zosimin yielded a hydroxyacetone called zosi- mol and cis-2,3-dimethyl acrylic acid. It showed antitumour activity against Ehrlich ascites cells in vitro.

Herbal cheese is prepared from the fresh leaves and stems in Turkey.... zosima orientalis

Thuja

Thuja occidentalis

FAMILY: Cupressaceae

SYNONYMS: Swamp cedar, white cedar, northern white cedar, eastern white cedar, tree of life, American arborvitae, cedarleaf (oil).

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A graceful pyramid-shaped coniferous tree up to 20 metres high with scale-like leaves and broadly-winged seeds, sometimes planted as hedging. The tree must be at least fifteen years old before it is ready to be used for essential oil production.

DISTRIBUTION: Native to north eastern North America; cultivated in France. The oil is produced mainly in Canada and the USA, similar oils are also produced in the East – see here.

OTHER SPECIES: There are many forms and cultivated varieties of this tree: the western red cedar or Washington cedar (T. plicata); the Chinese or Japanese cedar (T. orientalis or Biota orientalis); the North African variety (T. articulata) which yields a resin known as ‘sanderac’.

The hiba tree (Thujopsis dolobrata) is used to produce hiba wood oil and hiba leaf oil in Japan. Hiba wood oil, according to available data, is non-toxic, non-irritant and non-sensitizing (unlike the other thuja oils), and has excellent resistance to fungi and bacteria due to the ketonic substances found in the oil. It is used extensively in Japan as an industrial perfume.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: Used as an incense by ancient civilizations for ritual purposes. A decoction of leaves has been used for coughs, fever, intestinal parasites, cystitis and venereal diseases. The ointment has been used for rheumatism, gout, warts, verrucae, psoriasis and other ailments.

The twigs are current in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, used specifically for bronchitis with cardiac weakness, and warts.

ACTIONS: Antirheumatic, astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, insect repellent, rubefacient, stimulant (nerve, uterus and heart muscles), tonic, vermifuge.

EXTRACTION: Essential oil by steam distillation from the fresh leaves, twigs and bark.

CHARACTERISTICS: A colourless to pale yellowy-green liquid with a sharp, fresh, camphoraceous odour.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Thujone (approx. 60 per cent), fenchone, camphor, sabinene and pinene, among others.

SAFETY DATA: Oral toxin – poisonous due to high thujone content. Abortifacient.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE None. ‘Should not be used in aromatherapy either internally or externally.’.

OTHER USES: Used in pharmaceutical products such as disinfectants and sprays; also as a counter-irritant in analgesic ointments and liniments. A fragrance component in some toiletries and perfumes. Employed as a flavour ingredient in most major food categories (provided that the finished food is recognized thujone-free).... thuja


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