Pyrola rotundifolia Linn.
Family Pyrolaceae.
Habitat North-Western and
eastern Himalaya at altitudes of
2,700—3,000 m. and in Khasi and Jaintia hills up to 1,500 m.
Action Plant—astringent and antilithic. Used for healing
wounds. A decoction of the plant is prescribed against profuse menses, bloody stools, haemorrhages and
ulcers in urinary passages. The
whole herb is used in traditional chinese medicine for the treatment of arthritis.
The plant contains ursolic acid, chimaphilin, hyperin, quercetin, myricetin and gallic acid. Chimaphilin and ursolic acid inhibit carrageenaninduced oedema in rat paw. Other constituents act as protective antioxidants.
Pyrus communis Linn.
Family Rosaceae.
Habitat Distributed in the
temperate regions of Europe and West Asia. Grown in Punjab and Kashmir.
English Common or European Pear.
Folk Bagu-goshaa, Babbu-goshaa.
530 Pyrus communis Linn.
Action Fruits—a good source of pectin, help in maintaining a desirable acid balance in the body. Recommended to patients suffering from diabetes because of low sucrose content; and included in low antigen content diets to alleviate the symptoms in the management of immune-mediated disease.
Fresh pear juice exhibited good activity against Micrococcus pyogenes var. aureus and Escherichia coil.
An aqueous extract of the leaves was active against some strains of E. coil.
The leaves contain arbutin, isoquercitrin, sorbitol, ursolic acid, astragalin and tannin (0.8—2.9%). The bark contains friedelin, epifriedelanol and beta-sitosterol. Phloridzin is present in the root bark.
The plant extract controls the development of freckles and blemishes on the skin and prevents melanin formation. It finds application in skinlightening creams.
I
Synonym Samadera indica Gaertn. S. indica var. lucida Blatter.
