Baca Health Dictionary

Means “oil of (plant or animal name)”; look up the plant or animal name specified for more information. The most common plant-based oils used for medicine include: coconut (coco), castor bean plant (higuereta), sesame (ajonjolí), olive (aceituna) and avocado (aguacate) oils. For certain illnesses (particularly asthma), these oils are taken by the spoonful, sometimes in combination with oils from animal sources such as snake (culebra), turtle (tortuga), shark (tiburón) and cod fish (bacalao). These animal-based oils are reportedly used by some individuals in an asthma remedy called botella de aceites which is typically given to children.... aceite de

Linn.

Synonym: Y recurvifolia Salisb.

Family: Liliaceae; Agavaceae.

Habitat: Native to Central America; introduced into India as a garden plant.

English: Spanish Dagger-Plant, Adam's Needle.

Action: Fruit—anti-inflammatory, blood purifier, cholagogue. Used in rheumatism, oedema, bronchitis, asthma and chest diseases; also for ulcers, sores, dysentery and haemorrhagic septicaemia.

Yuccas are an important source of steroidal sapogenins, precursors of sex-hormones and steroids. Related species, Yucca bacata, Y. glauca, and Y brevifolica, are used for hormonal disturbances, menstrual disorders, varicose veins, arthritis and rheumatism.

Oxycanthin, extracted from Yucca plant, is used for the treatment of pruritus. It also stimulates hair growth.

The leaves of Yucca gloriosa contain sapogenins—titogenin derivatives, smilagenin, hecogenin, diosgenin, glo- riogenin, 12-beta-hydroxysmilagenin and chlorogenin. Beta-sitosterol is also reported from leaves.

Essential oil from leaves contains cis- 9-nonadecene and cis-8-heptadecene as major constituents.... yucca gloriosa