bacillary dysentery; also in hypercholesterolemia.
Key application In chronic constipation and irritable bowel. (German Commission E.) Also in constipation due to duodenal ulcer or diverticulitis (WHO.) German Commission E also noted that Blond Psyllium seed lowers serum cholesterol levels. It has also been shown to slow sugar absorption thereby reducing blood glucose. (ESCOP) Use of Blond Psyllium husk up to six months did not clinically alter vitamin or mineral status in a review of eight human trials. It did not reduce absorption of calcium. (I Am Geriatr Soc, 43, 1995; Am I Clin Nutr, 71, 2000; Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)
The seed contains amino acids including valine, alanine, glutamic acid, glycine, cystine, lysine, leucine and tyrosine; and a mucilage consisting of a mixture of polysaccharides composed mainly of xylose, arabinose and
Plectranthus mollis Spreng. 499
galacturonic acid; rhamnose and galactose are also present. The seeds also gave aucubin, the antibacterial principle. The seed coat contains fatty acids mainly linoleic, oleic and palmitic acids in decreasing concentrations.
The seeds show a liver protective effect on induced hepatotoxicity in mice. In China, the plant is used clinically to treat certain types of hepatitis (activity due to aucubin content).
Dosage Husk—S—b g. (CCRAS.)
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, Bum (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 methanolic 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 alantom; 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.
Platycodon grandiflorum
