Medicinal herbs

PHYTOMANIA : MEDICINAL HERBS

ARECA CATECHU
 
medicinal herbs : betel nut, areca nut
Family: Palmae
Common name: Betel nut palm, pinang, areca nut.

Description: solitary, slender and erect palm tree, with whitish flowers. The fruit is green and orange-yellow when ripe, reaching 5cm (betel nut).

Parts used: seed, inside the nut, brown oval and flattened at one end

Constituents: tanins, alcaloids (0,2 to 0,5%(main alcaloid =arecolin), 50 to 60% of glucids and 15% lipids

Actions: astringent, parasympatholytic but also stimulant, antihelmintic (China)

Main indications: traditional masticatory (betel quid or betel chewing)in south east Asia, India, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia : betel nut mixed with Peper betle (betel) leaf or flower and lime. In ayurvedic medicine, the nut is used in the treatment of headaches, fever and rheumatism.

Contra indications: chewing betel quid with tobacco is carcinogenic to humans(oral cancer, cancer of the pharynx, and cancer of the oesophagus )

Drug: fresh nut, powdered nut, arecolin

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ARTOCARPUS ALTILIS
 
MEDICINAL HERBS : breadfruit, artocarpus altilis
Family: Moraceae
Common name: Breadfruit tree, uru, maiore

Description: Tall tree with globulous fleshy fruits, sometimes with seeds(nut), originally from the pacific ocean region; abundant white latex in all parts

Parts used :fruit, seeds, latex, yellow leaves

Constituents: tanins, proteolytic enzyme (papayotine, artocarpine), glucids and proteins, vitamins

Actions: astringent, anti-inflammatory, nutritious

Main indications: traditional staple food in the pacific ocean region(mainly polynesia), storage food (preserved using lactic fermentation), post traumatic swelling, sprain, high blood pressure
Contra indications: none

Drug: fresh fruit, dry fruit, fermented fruit, latex, enzymes
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CALOPHYLLUM INOPHYLLUM
 
Plants and medicine : tamanu, calophyllum inophyllum
Family: Clusiaceae
Common name: tamanu or temanu


Description: Tall evergreen tropical tree, sweet smelling white flowers, globulose green and yellow fruit containing a kernel with a white almond

Parts used :fruit, dessicated kernel (unrefined kernel oil)

Constituents: kernel oil 50 to 60% of dry weight(flavonoids, coumarins (calophylollide, inophylollide), terpenoids, triacylglycerols)

Main actions of the raw unrefined kernel oil: anti-inflammatory, vulnerary, anti-infectious, antalgic, vasculary protection

Main indications: slow healing ulcers and wounds, torpid wound, varicose ulcer, painful burn, hemorroid, dry dermatosis, massage oil (sprain, strained muscle, Dupuytren illness, arthosis)
Contra indications: possible allergy

Drug: raw unrefined kernel oil
Copyright 2005 Jean-Michel Hurtel
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Toute reproduction interdite. All rights reserved
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