Habitat: Native to America; found willd in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
English: Stinking Passion Flower.Siddha/Tamil: Siru Ponaikalli.Action: Leaves and roots—em- menagogue, antihysteric. Fruits— emetic. A decoction is used for biliousness and asthma (for expelling bile and cough).
The plant contains C-glycosides of apigenin and luteolin. Apigenin-8- C-glucoside has been detected in the plant.Habitat: Native to Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. F. narthex occurs in Kashmir.
English: Asafoetida.Ayurvedic: Hingu, Hinguka, Raamattha, Baahlika, Jatuka, Sahasravedhi, Vedhi.Unani: Hilteet, Hing.Siddha/Tamil: Perunkaayam.Action: Olea-gum-resin—stimu- lates the intestinal and respiratory tracts and the nervous system bark. Used for simple digestive problems such as bloating, indigestion, constipation; for congested mucus, bronchitis, whooping cough, also for neurological affections, epilepsy, cramps and convulsions.
Key application: In dyspepsia, chronic, gastritis, irritable colon; as spasmolytic. (The British Herbal Pharmocopoeia.) Contraindicated in bleeding disorders, pregnancy, infectious or inflammatory G1 diseases. (Sharon M. Herr.)Ferula foetida contains: resins about 40-60%, consisting of asaresionotan- nols and their esters; farnesiferols, ferulic acid and other acids; about 25% gum; about 6-17% volatile oil, major constituent being sec-propenyl- isobutyl disulphide; sulphated ter- penes, pinene, cadinene and vanillin; sesquiterpenoid coumarins. Some compounds from Ferula sp. ehibit an- tifertility activity.Dosage: Detoxified oleo- gum-resin—125-500 mg. (API Vol. I.)... ferula foetidaHabitat: Native of Brazil; cultivated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, in North India in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
English: Purple Granadilla, Passion Fruit.Action: Juice from purple fruit— a good source of ascorbic acid (contains up to 75 mg/100 g), carotene and sugars.
The juice from the yellow variety (equated with Passiflora edulis f. flavi- carpa) contains lesser amounts of ascorbic acid and sugars.The purple Passion fruit contains the C-glucoside, beta-ionyl-beta-D- glucopyranoside. A protease inhibitor (PEPI) has been isolated from the juice. PEPI inhibited trypsin and chy- motrypsin activities, but did not inhibit papain activity. The esters and terpenoids form the major part of fruit components. The terpenoids include a number of monoterpenes (including hydroxylated linalool derivatives), and monoterpene glycosides. Norter- penoid aglycones have also been found.The yellow Passion fruit contains sulfur-containing volatiles, acetates, butanoates and hexanoates of 3-mer- captohexanol. The leaves contain C- glycosylflavonoids.... passiflora edulisHabitat: Native of South-east America; grown in Indian gardens.
English: Wild Passion Flower, Maypop.Action: Flowering and fruiting dried herb—mild sedative, hypnotic, tranquilizer, hypotensive, vasodilator, antispasmodic, anodyne, anti-inflammatory,
Key application: In nervous restlessness, irritability and difficulty in falling asleep. (German Commission E, ESCOP, The British Herbal Compendium, The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, WHO.) The British Herbal Compendium also indicated it in neuralgia, dysmenorrhoea, and nervous tachycardia.The herb contains flavonoids (up to 2.5%), in particular C-glycosylflavones; cyanogenic glycoside, gynocardine.The alkaloid harman has been isolated, but the presence of harmine, har- maline, harmol and harmalol has been disputed. The alkaloid and flavonoids are reported to have sedative activity in animals. Apigenin exhibits antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory activity.Passion Flower was formerly approved as an OTC sedative in the USA, but it was taken off the market in 1978 because safety and effectiveness had not been proven. An animal study in 1977 suggested that apigenin binds to central benzodi-zepine receptors (possibly causing anxiolytic effects). (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)The drug is used in homoeopathic medicine for epilepsy.The herb exhibits a motility-inhi- biting effect in animal experiments.Passion Flower, used as an adjunct to clonidine, was superior to clonidine for mental symptoms of opiate withdrawal. (Sharon M. Herr.)... passiflora incarnataHabitat: Native of tropical America; grown in Indian gardens.
English: Water-lemon, Jamaica Honey Suckle.Action: Leaves—anthelmintic. Seeds—hypnodil. Fruit—edible. Plant—poisonous (the foliage produces hydrocyanic acid).
The fruit pulp contains pantothenic acid (1.55 mg/100 g); leaves contain 387 mg/100 g vitamin C.... passiflora laurifoliaHabitat: Native of tropical America; grown in Indian gardens.
English: Giant Granadilla.Action: Fruit—edible; contains 64 mg/100 g ascorbic acid; narcotic when eaten in excess. Leaves, the peel and seeds of green fruit, and roots—cyanogenetic. Roots— poisonous.
The root contains an alkaloid Passiflora which is identical with harman from Passiflora incarnata.... passiflora quadrangularisHabitat: South India, also cultivated on roadsides.
Habitat: The West Coast from Konkan southwards.
Siddha/Tamil: Pinari, Kudirai Pidukku.Folk: Jangali Baadaam (in no way related to Prunus amygdalus).Action: Bark and leaf—aperient, diuretic. Fruit—astringent. Seed oil—carminative, laxative. Wood— antirheumatic. The wood, boiled with seed oil, is used externally in rheumatism.
Beans, called Java Olives, if taken in large quantities, cause nausea, act as violent purgative.The leaves gave glucuronyl derivatives of procyanidin, scutellarein and luteolin; also taraxerol, n-otacosanol and beta-sitosterol. Lupenone, lupe- ol and betulin were obtained from the heartwood. Seed and root lipid contained cyclopropene fatty acids. Ster- culic and malvalic acids show carcinogenic and co-carcinogenic activities.Leucoanthoyanidin - 3 - O - alpha - L - rhamnopyranoside and quercetin rhamnoside have been isolated from the root.... sterculia foetidaHabitat: Indonesia; cultivated in Indian gardens.
Action: Latex—used for treating fistula, pustules and tumours.
The bark contains a bitter alkaloid (yield 0.25%).A related species, V. grandifolia (Miq.) Rolfe has been introduced into the Indian Botanic Garden, Kolkata. All parts of the plant contain alkaloids which vary seasonally. The trunk bark contains as high as 2.72% of alkaloids on dry basis in November. The leaves contain a mixture of alkaloids (yield up to 1.23% on dry weight basis) containing vobtusine, vobtusine lactone and deoxyvobtusine.... vocanga foetida
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