Indian Medicinal Plants

Cicer arietinum Linn. 145
The flowers contain daucosterol,
cumambrin-A, glyceryl-l-monobehenate
and palmitic acid. The flowers also
contain chrysanthemol which showed
strong anti-inflammatory activity in
mice. The flavones, apigenin and luteolin,
are reported to exhibit marked
antitumour activity.
Flowers yield an essential oil containing
camphor (16.0%), trans-carane-trans-2-ol
(15.0%), bornyl acetate
(12.0%) and sabinene (7%).
A related species C. parthenium
(Linn.) Berhh., Feverfew, synonym
Tanacetum parthenium, used for the
management of migraine in Western
herbal, is found in Jammu and Kashmir.
The plant extracts have a powerful
and prostaglandin-independent inhibitory
effect on the secretion of granule
content by leucocytes and platelets.
The inhibition of the agonist-induced
serotonins release by platelets could be
accounted for the benefit in migraine.
The compound responsible for the
anti-secretory activity has been identified
as sesquiterpene alpha-methylenegamma-lactone
derivatives; parthenolide
being the main constituent of the
lactones. (Two fresh or frozen leaves
a day are chewed or capsules or pills
containing 86 mg of the leaf material
is taken for migraine. Fresh leaves may
cause mouth sores.)
Chukrassia tabularis A. Juss.
Family ◮
Meliaceae.
Habitat ◮ Hills of Sikkim, Maharashtra,
Tamil Nadu and the
Andamans.
English ◮ Bastard Cedar, White
Cedar, Indian Red Wood.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Aglay, Melei Veppu.
Folk ◮ Chikrassy.
Action ◮ Bark—astringent, febrifuge,
antidiarrhoeic, spasmolytic, diuretic.
The plant is used in skeltal
fractures.
The bark contains sitosterol, melianone,
scopoletin and 6,7-di-MeOcoumarin.
The leaves gave quercetin
galactoside, galloyl glucocide and
tannic acid. The bark and young leaves
contain 15 and 20% tannin respectively.
Seeds contain tetranortriterpenoids.
EtOH (50%) extract of the stem
bark exhibited spasmolytic, hypotensive
and diuretic activity. The saline
extract of seeds showed haemagglutinating
activity.
Cicer arietinum Linn.
Family ◮ Papilionaceae; Fabaceae.
Habitat ◮ Cultivated in most parts of
India.
English ◮ Bengal Gram, Chick pea.
Ayurvedic ◮ Chanaka, Chanakaa,
Harimantha, Vajimantha, Jivan,
Sakal-priya.
Unani ◮ Nakhud.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Kadalai, Mookkukkadalai.
Action ◮ Antibilious, hypocholesteremic,
antihyperlipidemic,
antistress. Acid exudate from
the plant—used in indigestion,
diarrhoea, dysentery. Seed coat
C