Amy Health Dictionary

An ENZYME in pancreatic juice which facilitates the conversion of starch to maltose. (See PANCREAS.)... amylase

A rare condition in which deposits of complex protein, known as amyloid, are found in various parts of the body. It is a degenerative condition resulting from various causes such as chronic infection, including tuberculosis and rheumatoid arthritis.... amyloidosis

Loss of muscle bulk and strength caused by a disorder of the nerve that supplies the muscle. The loss is progressive and characterises chronic NEUROPATHY. Patients with DIABETES MELLITUS and MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE (MND) often suffer from amyotrophy as well as spasticity (see SPASTIC) of muscles.... amyotrophy

A volatile, oily liquid prepared by the action of nitric and nitrous acids on amyl alcohol. It was used for many years to treat angina but has been superseded by other nitrate drugs such as glyceril trinitrate. The substance is misused by drug abusers to produce a ‘high’ and is referred to as ‘poppers’.... amyl nitrite

The name applied to any carbohydrate of the starch group.... amylose

Linn.

Synonym: Prunus amygdalus Baill. A. communis var. dulcis (sweet almond).

A. communis var. amara (bitter almond).

Family: Rosaceae.

Habitat: Native to Asia Minor and Persia; cultivated in India in cooler parts of Punjab and Kashmir.

English: Almond

Ayurvedic: Vaataama, Vaataada.

Unani: Badaam, Loz.

Siddha/Tamil: Vaadumai.

Action: Sweet almonds—nutrient, nervine tonic, demulcent. Oil— externally for skin. Bitter almonds— not used medicinally.

Almond flour and almond butter are free from starch and used in foods for diabetics and for patients with peptic ulcers. Chief protein in kernels is globulin.... amygdalus communis

Linn.

Synonym: Prunus persica Batsch.

Family: Rosaceae.

Habitat: Native to China; cultivated in Himalayan regions; grows in tropical and semi-tropical regions and temperate climates.

English: Peach tree.

Ayurvedic: Aaruka.

Unani: Aaaduu, Khokh.

Action: Leaves and bark—expectorant (used in cough, whooping cough, and chronic bronchitis), sedative, stomachic, demulcent, antiscorbutic, diuretic. Fresh leaves—anthelmintic. Powder of leaves—styptic (externally). Fruit— stomachic, antiscorbutic.... amygdalus persica

Characteristic waxy deposits of amyloid found in primary AMYLOIDOSIS, the cause of which is unknown.... amyloid plaques

(Greek) The blameless one; in mythology, a princess of Argos who bore a son to Poseidon... amymone

(Latin) Protector and defender of her loved ones

Amyntah, Amyntas, Aminta, Ameenta, Amenta... amynta

Batsch var. amara (bitter); var. sativa (sweet).

Family: Rosaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated in Kashmir at elevation of 760-2,400 m, also in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

English: Almond.

Ayurvedic: Vaataama, Vaataada.

Unani: Baadaam Shireen, Loz.

Siddha/Tamil: Vaadumai.

Action: Kernels—nutritious, demulcent and stimulant nervine tonic; valuable in diets for peptic ulcer. Unripe fruits— astringent, applied to gums. Oil—nutritive, demulcent, slightly laxative.

Almond flour made from the residue left after expressing almond oil, and almond butter, is used for the preparation of starch-free diabetic food.

The chief protein of almond is a globulin, amandin, an albumin is also reported. Amandin has a high arginine content (11.9%). The primary chemical difference between the sweet and bitter kernel lies in the high content (2.5-3.5%) of amygdalin in bitter kernel; the ripe sweet almond being free of this cyanogenetic glucoside. Owing to the presence of amygdalin, which on enzymatic hydrolysis yields hydrocyanic acid, the bitter almond is not fit for human consumption.

The oil yield from bitter kernels is usually 38 to 45% and from sweet almond 44 to 55%. The bitter almond oil containing hydrocyanic acid finds limited use in medicine as an antispas- modic and sedative. Dissolved in 50 times water, it is applied externally in prurigo senilis. Hydrocyanic acid-free oil is used for flavouring purposes.

Partial replacement of saturated fatty acids with almonds lowers total plasma cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.... prunus amygdalus

See motor neuron disease.... amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

(amygdaloid nucleus) n. one of the *basal ganglia and part of the *limbic system: a roughly almond-shaped mass of grey matter deep inside each cerebral hemisphere. It has extensive connections with the olfactory system and sends nerve fibres to the hypothalamus; its functions are concerned with perception of threat, fear, learning, emotion, and memory.... amygdala

n. see amobarbital.... amylobarbitone

n. a *glycoprotein, resembling starch, that is deposited in the internal organs in amyloidosis. ?-amyloid protein has been found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients but the significance of this is unclear.... amyloid

n. see starch.... amylopectin

(floppy baby syndrome) a former diagnosis for various conditions, present at birth, in which the baby’s muscles are weak and floppy (i.e. hypotonic). The term is becoming obsolete as more specific diagnoses are discovered to explain the cause of floppiness in babies.... amyotonia congenita

an acute mononeuropathy of the femoral nerve, usually of microvascular origin, associated with chronic poor diabetic control. Symptoms are thigh pain and progressive weakness of knee extension. Examination reveals wasting of the quadriceps muscle group and loss of the knee jerk. It may affect both legs and recovery is usually slow. Treatment is with physiotherapy and improved control of the diabetes; the condition never seems to recur in the same leg. The main *differential diagnosis is of compression of the nerve roots in the spinal canal.... diabetic amyotrophy