selinene; coumarins, furanocoumarins (bergapten); flavonoids (apiin and apigenin). Alkaloid fraction of seeds showed tranquilizing activity in animals. The phthalides are sedative in mice and exhibit antiepileptic activity in rats and mice. The aqueous extract of the celery has been shown to reduce adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats, and to be hypotensive in patients as well as animals. The tincture of the plant exhibits drop in blood pressure accompanied by an increase in urine output.
Apium leptophyllum
(Pers.) F. Muell. ex Benth.
Family Umbellferae.
Habitat Native to America; cultivated in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka.
Ayurvedic Ajmodaa, Dipyaka.
Unani Ajmod, Karafs-e-Hindi.
Siddha Omam.
Action See Apium graveolens.
The essential oil contains Meethers of thymol, carvacrol and thymoquinol; used as a carminative. The oil shows strong antifungal activity against Candida albicans, and moderate activity against Gram-positive and Gram- negative bacteria.
Dosage Dried fruit—3—6 g powder. (API Vol. II.)
Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.
Synonym A. malaccensis Lamk. Family Thymelaceae.
Habitat The hills of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura.
English Aloewood, Eaglewood, Agarwood.
Ayurvedic Aguru, Krimij, Krishnaaguru, Jongaka, Maaliyaka, Loha, Kaalaloha, Asitaka.
Unani Ood-ul Hindi, Ood Gharqi. Siddha/Tamil Akil kattai, Agil. Action Heartwood—astringent,
carminative, antiasthmatic, antidiarrhoeal, antidysenteric; used in gout, rheumatism and paralysis; as a stimulant in sexual debility; as a liniment in skin diseases.
The agarwood or eaglewood of commerce is derived from the fungus- infected tree through wounds caused by the species of Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, and also by some of Fungi Imperfecti. Agarwood on distillation yields an essential oil, known as Agar Oil.
The essential oil yields a number of agarofurans, sesquiterpene alcohols and spirosesquiterpene alcohols.
The stemwood yields sesquiterpenoids—gmelofuran and agarol; also a coumarinolignan— aquillochin.
(Agar is a different drug—extract of a seaweed, Gelidium Amansii, used as a mild laxative.)
