other complications associated with diabetes mellitus.
An antidiabetic compound, amellin, occurs in the leaves and stems of the green plant.
According to some researchers, hypoglycaemic compounds were not present in the extracts obtained from dry plant material.
The leaves contain the flavonoids, scutellarein and 7-O-methylscutella rein. Whole plant gave the triterpenoids, dulcitol, friedelin, scopadol, betulinic acid, dulcitolic acid and dulciolone. Benzoxazolinone, beta- sitosterol, D-mannitol, hexacosanol and tntriacontane were also obtained from the plant.
Scopolia anomala Airy Shaw.
Synonym S. lurida Dunal. Family Solanaceae.
Habitat The Himalayas from
Kumaon to Sikkim, up to 3,900 m. English Scopolia.
Action Used like belladonna.
Dried leaves contain 0.32% of alkaloids comprising hyoscyamine, hima line, atropine and scopolamine.
Ripe seeds contain a small amount of atropine but no hyoscyamine. Extracts of leaves, stalks and seeds showed presence of atropine, scopolamine, cuscohygrine, hellaradine, tropine, scopine. The alkaloid himaline exhibits atropine type activity. Roots (total alkaloid content 1.9—2.8%), in addition, contain hyoscyamine and himaline. The alkaloid content of the root is reported to be 4.64 times more than that of the leaves of Atropa belladonna.
Scutia myrtina Kurz. 593
Flavonoids occurring in the leaves and roots are chlorogenic acid, scopoletin, and scopoline; the leaves, in addition, contain rutin and caffeic acid.
A related species, S. carniolica Jacquin, (rhizome), has been approved by German Commission E, for use in spasm of gastrointestinal tract, bile ducts and urinary tract.
The rhizome of S. carniolica (Central and Eastern Europe) gave tropane aLkaloids, including hyoscine and hyoscyamine with cuscohygrine, tropine and pseudotropine.
Leaf extract of Indian species (S. anomala) is found to be more active than belladonna infusions.
Scutellaria galericulata Linn.
Family Labiatae; Lam iaceae.
Habitat Kashmir at 1,500—2,400 m.
English Skullcap (equated with S. laterflora Linn.), Scurvy Grass.
Action Central nervous relaxant and restorative, brain and CNS vasodilator, sedative, antispasmodic,
