Unani Kuvet.
Siddha/Tamil Vilamaram, Vilangai, Narivila.
Folk Kaith.
Action Fruit—antiscorbutic, carminative, stimulates the digestive
system bark. Pulp is included in a paste to tone the breast. Leaves— astringent; used for indigestion, flatulence, diarrhoea, dysentery and haemorrhoids.
Unripe fruit—prescribed in sprue, malabsorption syndrome. (The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India.)
The leaves and stem bark contain the coumarins, luvangetin, xanthotoxin and limonin and the steroids, sitosterol and sitosterol-O-beta-D-glucoside.
Antifungal compounds, psoralene from stem bark; xanthotoxin and osthenol from root bark and 2,6-dimeth- oxybenzo-quinone from the fruit shell are reported. Roots contain xanthotoxin and bergapten, used for the treatment of leucoderma, characterized by vitiligo.
Dosage Dried pulp of mature
fruit—1—3 g powder. (API Vol. II.)
Ferula foetida Regel.
Synonym F assafoetida Linn.
Family Umbellferae; Apiaceae.
Habitat Native to Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. F narthex occurs in Kashmir.
English Asafoetida.
Ayurvedic Hingu, Hinguka, Raamattha, Baahlika, Jatuka, Sahasravedhi, Vedhi.
Unani Hilteet, Hing.
Siddha/Tamil Perunkaayam.
Action Olea-gum-resin—stimulates the intestinal and respiratory
262 Ferula galbaniflua Boiss. exBuhse.
tracts and the nervous system bark. Used for simple digestive problems such as bloating, indigestion, constipation; for congested mucus, bronchitis, whooping cough, also for neurological affections, epilepsy, cramps and convulsions.
Key application In dyspepsia,
chronic, gastritis, irritable colon; as spasmolytic. (The British Herbal Pharmocopoeia.) Contraindicated in bleeding disorders, pregnancy, infectious or inflammatory Gi
diseases. (Sharon M. Herr.)
Ferulafoetida contains: resins about 40—60%, consisting of asaresionotannols and their esters;
