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Ayurvedic Herbs / Thai Herbs - Medicinal Plants - P
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Ayurvedic
Medicine |
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Basics
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There are numerous medicinal plants in current use in Thailand.
Ayurvedic medicine and Thai traditional
medicine, each finding many uses and deserving to be exhibited to the
enthusiasts who wish to know about the characteristics of its stem, flower,
fruit together with the research work undertaken, it is impossible to
exhibit all, or even the majority, of them. For this reason some common
medicinal plants which received research attention both locally and
internationally have been selected. In addition, some which
have so far attracted little attention from
researchers have also been included owing to their recognition in
Ayurvedic Medicine and traditional medicine in Thailand
as well as some Asian countries.
The information
has been
searched from the literature, selected and edited in order to be presented in
this site, which will familiarize the reader with general characters of such plants. No botanical details are given
owing to the nature of this
work and also to limited space. Sketches of the plants, however, are
given to enable the reader to recognize them. It should be noted that
all Thai, Sanskrit, Latin and English common names of the plants
appearing in this site are transliterated into English with the sound in
mind, and not according to the official rules. In addition, owing to
the limited space the traditional
usage of each plant is meant to be representative, and by no means comprehensive.
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Ayurveda Herbs - Thai Herbs
Common Name |
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Ayurvedic Herbs
English Name
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Ayurvedic Herbs
Latin/Scientific Name
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Ayurvedic Herbs
Sanskrit Name
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An
erect, branched, very variable annual.
The petals are reported to contain a dark red
pigment, namely mecocyanin chloride
and another cyanidin derivative.
Later investigations have revealed the presence of
cyanidin-B and
pelargonidin-C in the flowers. An alkaloid
rhoeadine is present in all parts of
the plant including roots, leaves, flowers and capsules. The
capsules contain also the alkaloids morphine,
thebaine and
narcotine, and meconic acid.
Protopine and
coptisine, besides a number of other
phenolic and nonphenolic,
crystalline and amorphous bases have been reported in the roots
and aerial parts.
The petals are mucilaginous and bitter. They are
expectorant and have been used for cough or hoarseness; they
also possess sedative and pain relieving properties. The fresh
petals are used for the preparation of
galenicals. Syrup or tincture made out of petals is used
for coloring medicines and food materials to which they impart a
red color and a bitter flavor. The aqueous extracts of the plant
exhibit antibiotic activity.
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Parmelia
perlata
is a lichen growing in rosettes or
irregularly spreading over the substratum giving the appearance
of a flower - hence the name.
It is mainly composed of fungal
mycelia which forms a network
enclosing algal cells or gonidia.
The plant is astringent, bitter, acrid, cooling,
anti-inflammatory and aphrodisiac. It is useful in sores, boils,
inflammations, seminal weakness and amenorrhea. |
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A
tall tree. The fruit is an oblong berry that is reddish or
yellowish brown when ripe.
Dates are considered demulcent, expectorant and
laxative and are used in respiratory diseases and fever. They
are rich in sugars.
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A
herb with a rigid, short, prostrate stem.
Amariin,
a novel hydrolysable tannin together with
geraniin, corilagin, 1,6-digalloyl-glucopyranoside
as well as a rutin and
quercetin-3-O-glucopyranoside have been isolated from the plant.
The plant is often used in the traditional system
of medicine for a variety of ailments including flu, dropsy,
diabetes, jaundice, asthma, bronchial infections, and diseases
of the liver. In the ayurvedic system of medicine it is used in
problems of the stomach, genitourinary system, liver, and
kidney.
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It
is a perennial herb with elongate, stout and creeping rootstock
found in the alpine regions. The plant is mainly used as the
therapy for liver and lung diseases. The plant exhibits potent
immunostimulant activity and is
considered a
immunomodulatory agent. The phenolic
glycoside, androsin isolated from
the plant, is reported to be as active compound which prevents
allergies and platelet activating factor-induced bronchial
obstruction in guinea pigs in vitro. It also has
anti-inflammatory activity.
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A
tall tree, with spreading branches covered with a dark gray bark
that is deeply fissured and rough.
The turpentine oil obtained from the
chir pine is valued in medicine as a
rubefacient in various rheumatic
affections, such as lumbago, arthritis, and neuralgia. The oil
is also an ingredient in many ointments, liniments and lotions
for treating minor aches and pains as well as colds when applied
externally.
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Piper
longum
is a slender, aromatic, climber with perennial woody roots,
creeping and jointed stems, and fleshy fruits embedded in the
spikes.
Its principal constituents are
piperine and
piplartine The fruits are used for diseases of the
respiratory tract, viz. cough, bronchitis, asthma, etc.; as
counter-irritant and analgesic when applied locally for muscular
pains and inflammation and as general tonic and
hematinic. It is known to enhance
the bio-availability of food and drugs as well as being a
carminative.
It is used in coughs, coryza,
asthma, hoarseness of voice, bronchitis, etc.
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Piper
nigrum
is a climbing perennial shrub, rooting at the stem nodes with
ovoid or globose fruits.
Its principal constituents are
piperine,
chavicine, piperidine and
piperettine. It is much employed as
an aromatic stimulant in weakness following fevers, coma, etc.,
as a stomachic in cholera, dyspepsia, flatulence, indigestion,
Diarrhea and various other
gastrointestinal ailments. It has
bacterio static, fungi static, anti-inflammatory and
rubefacient properties.
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A
small deciduous tree, which has fruits with a grayish white,
bony, keeled nut-shell, which encloses light yellow to deep
green edible kernels with a reddish coat.
The kernels are considered to be digestive,
sedative and tonic and contain a melting
fatty oil. |
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A
perennial, sub-scandent shrub found
wild.
The root bark of P.
zeylanica contains plumbagin
(distributed in most of the secondary cortex and
medullary ray cells), free glucose
and fructose, and the enzymes protease and
invertase.
It is a powerful irritant, antiseptic,
anti-inflammatory and diuretic that is useful in rheumatism. |
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Latin Names: |
Pongamia
glabra,
Pongamia
pinnata |
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English Names: |
Pongam
Oil Tree,
Indian Beech |
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Sanskrit / Indian Name: |
Karanja |
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It is a medium-sized glabrous tree with single
seeded, compressed and woody pods. Karanjin
in the seed oil has antimicrobial and insecticidal properties.
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It is a rich, natural source of
calcium, and, due
to appropriate ayurvedic processing, has the advantage of easy
absorption in the intestine.
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It is prepared from the coral of
Corallium
rubrum. It is a tonic for
the heart and brain and useful in melancholia,
palpitation and cough. |
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Prunus
amygdalus
is a tree with minutely serrate leaves.
It is known for its astringent effect. It has a
globulin called amandin. It contains
folic acid, alpha tocopherol and
zinc, which are useful in skin disorders. In Ayurveda,
Almond
kernels are considered demulcent,
lithontriptic and diuretic as well as being a
nervine tonic.
It is reported to improve brain functions.
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It
is an erect annual herb with broadly-elliptic leaves, yellow or
bluish purple flowers and small pods with one seed, which is
adhering to the pericarp.
Psoralen and
isopsoralen are the active principles of the drug.
Bavachinin -A a
flavanone isolated from the fruits revealed marked
anti-inflammatory and mild analgesic properties. |
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