The root gave phytosterols, glycosides and alkaloids, the major one being machiline, shown to be identical with dl-coclaurine. Machiline exhibits hypotensive activity.
The leaves are used in external applications for ulcers.
Petiveria alliacea Linn.
Family Phytolaccaceae.
Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Airy-Shaw.
475
Habitat Native to America; introduced into India, grown in gardens.
Action Root—diuretic, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, abortifacient. Used for whooping cough, also for rheumatism and nervous diseases. (Long term use in high doses causes brain damage.)
Ethanolic extract of the leaves contains leridal, leridol, 5-0-methylleri- dol and 3-0-rhamnosides of dihydrokaempferol, dihydroquercetin and myricetin. The presence of high nitrate content in the plant has been reported and is considered a risk factor in humans.
Petroselinum crispum
(Mill.) Airy-Shaw.
Synonym Apium crispum Mill. Family Umbellferae; Apiaceae. Habitat Native to Europe, now
cultivated throughout India. English Parsley.
U nani Fitraasaaliyum, Karafs-eKohi.
Action Diuretic (used for bladder disorders, painful urination, retention of excess fluid in the tissues), antispasmodic, uterine tonic, emmenagogue, sedative (used for PMS and menopausal hot flushes, also in prostatitis), carminative, expectorant, aperient, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory.
Key application For flushing out the efferent urinary tract in
disorders of the same and in
prevention and treatment of kidney gravel. (German Commission
E.) Contraindicated in kidney inflammations.
The British Herbal Compendium approves the internal use of the herb for flatulent dyspepsia, dysuria and rheumatic conditions.
The leaves and roots contain furocoumarins—psoralen, 5-and 8 -methoxy psoralen, imperatorin, oxypeucedanin, iso-pimpinelin. Myristicin has been isolated from the leaf oil. The plant gave flavonoids—apiin, luteolin, apigenin-7-gluco side, luteolin-7-glu- coside among others.
Myristicin showed high activity as an inducer of the detoxifying enzyme system, Glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the liver and small intestines of female mice (may be considered as a cancer
