Allium cepa Health Dictionary

Allium Cepa: From 1 Different Sources


Linn.

Family: Liliaceae; Alliaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated as an annual all over the country. The most important onion-growing states are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh., Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

English: Onion.

Ayurvedic: Palaandu, Durgandh.

Unani: Piyaaz.

Siddha/Tamil: Venkaayam.

Action: Antibiotic, antibacterial, antisclerotic, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, antiasthmatic, expectorant, carminative, anti- spasmodic, diuretic, hypotensive, antidiabetic.

Key application: For the prevention of atherosclerosis (German Commission E) and age-dependent changes in the blood vessels, and loss of appetite (WHO).

The official onion bulb of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China is a different species, Allium macrostemon Bge., than that of the German Commission E monographs, A. cepa. Chinese onion is used for cough, dyspnoea, angina pectoris and dysentery.

Scallions or Spring Onion of Chinese medicine are equated with Allium fistulosum.

Onion bulbs contain a volatile oil with sulphurous constituents, including allylpropyldisulphide; sulphur- containing compounds, including al- licin, alliin; flavonoids; phenolic acids and sterols.

Hypoglycaemic activity of the onion is attributed to the allylpropyldisul- phide and allicin. Diphenylamine, isolated from mature bulbs, also exhibits potent antihyperglycaemic activity.

Alliin and allicin have an inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation. Antibiotic activity is due mainly to alli-cin.

Regular use of onion (50 g/day) reduces insulin requirement of a diabetic patient from 40 to 20 units a day.

Thiosulphinates, isolated from onion juice, exhibited antiasthmatic activity in vivo.

Dosage: Juice of bulb—10-20 ml. (CCRAS.)
Health Source: Indian Medicinal Plants
Author: Health Dictionary

Allium Ascalonicum

Linn.

Fam ? Liliaceae; Alliaceae.

Habitat: Native to Palestine; cultivated in India.

English: Shellot.

Ayurvedic: Grnjana.

Unani: Gandanaa, Ek-daanaa Lehsun, Ek-potia Lehsum. (Also equated with Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav.)

Action: Anticoagulant, fibrinolytic, hypocholesterolaemic.

The aqueous extract of the bulbs contains mainly fructose (50%), besides glucose, arabinose, galactose, mannose, rhamnose, glucosamine and uronic acid. It also contains lysine, glu- tamic acid and aspartic acid. It shows significant activity against P-388 lymphocytic leukaemia in mice.

In experiments on rabbits, the alcoholic extracts of the bulb showed significant anticoagulant, fibrinolytic and hypocholesterolaemic properties.... allium ascalonicum

Allium Macleanii

Baker.

Family: Liliaceae, Alliaceae.

Habitat: Native to Afghanistan. (A bulbous plant related to onion.)

English: Oriental Royal Salep.

Unani: Baadshaahi Saalab.

Action: Anabolic and gastrointestinal tonic.... allium macleanii

Allium Porrum

Linn.

Synonym: A. ameloprasum Hook. f. non Linn.

Family: Liliaceae, Alliaceae.

Habitat: Native to the Mediterranean region; cultivated in India.

English: Leek.

Folk: Vilaayati Piyaaz. Praan (Kashmir). Seemevangayam (Tamil Nadu).

Action: Expectorant; used as a substitute for garlic.

Leek is poor in volatile oil content in comparison with garlic, but it contains sufficient amounts of non-toxic sapo- nins, which perhaps give it expectorant properties.

The bulbs contain several thiosul- phinates, and also potentially anticar- cinogenic flavonoids, quercetin and kaempferol.... allium porrum

Allium Sativum

Linn.

Family: Liliaceae, Alliaceae.

Habitat: Native to Central Asia. Cultivated all over India.

English: Garlic.

Ayurvedic: Lashuna, Rasona, Yavaneshta, Ugragandha, Ma- haushadh, Arishta.

Unani: Seer, Lahsun.

Siddha/Tamil: Ullippoondu, Vellaip- pondu.

Action: Antibiotic, bacteriostatic, fungicide, anthelmintic, antithrom- bic, hypotensive, hypoglycaemic, hypocholesterolaemic. Also used for upper respiratory tract infections and catarrhal conditions.

Key application: As a supportive to dietary measures for elevated levels of lipids in blood; as a preventive measure for age-dependent vascular changes. (German Commission E, ESCOP, WHO, The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.) Also as an antimicrobial. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia). Garlic has been shown to be effective in respiratory infections and catarrhal conditions. (The British Herbal Compendium.)

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia ofIn- dia indicates the use of the bulb as a brain tonic in epilepsy and psychic disorders.

Heavy consumption of garlic prior to surgery led to increased clotting time or reduced platelet aggregation (in human case reports). Garlic tablets at a dose of 400 mg twice daily for 12 weeks reduced platelet aggregation 59% compared with placebo in 80 patients (in human clinical study). (Francis Brinker.)

Garlic cloves are high in sulphur- containing amino acids known as al- liin (no taste, no smell, no medicinal action). With crushing or chewing alli- in comes into contact with the enzyme alliinase. Alliinase, in less than 6 s, transforms alliin into allicin (strongly medicinal), which breaks down into a number of sulphur compounds including ajoene, vinyldithin and diallyl disulfide, and trisulfide. The antibiotic effect is attributed to allicin; hypogly- caemic effect to allicin and allylpro- phyldisulphide (also to S-allyl cysteine sulfoxide); anticarcinogenic activity to diallyl monosulfide; platelet aggregation inhibitory effect to diallyl-di- and tri-sulphides. Ajoene inactivated human gastric lipase, which is involved in digestion and absorption of dietary fats.

Diallyltetra, penta-, hexa- and hep- tasulphides are potential antioxidants.

Allium leptophyllum Wall. is equated with Vana Lashuna, Jangali Lahsun.

Dosage: Bulb—3 g (API Vol. III.)... allium sativum

Allium Schoenoprasum

Linn.

Family: Liliaceae, Alliaceae.

Habitat: Native to temperate northern Europe and the U.S.; distributed in the western Himalayas from Kashmir to Kumaon at altitudes of 2,400-3,000 m.

English: Chives.

Action: Used in place of young onions.

An alcoholic extract of the bulbs exhibited hypotensive and cardiac depressant activity.

The aerial parts (chives) gave alliins (alkylcysteine sulfoxides), particularly methyl alliin and pentylalliin.

Allium tuberosum Rottl. ex Spreng, found in eastern India and western Himalayas, is equated with Chinese Chives. It is available in Meghalaya.... allium schoenoprasum



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