Indian Medicinal Plants

306 Helleborus niger Linn.
H
Helleborus niger Linn.
Family ◮
Ranunculaceae.
Habitat ◮ Native to sub-alpine woods
in Southern and Eastern Europe.
GrowninIndiangardens.
English ◮ Black Hellebore, Christmas
Rose.
Ayurvedic ◮ Khuraasaani Kutaki.
Unani ◮ Kharbaq Siyah, Kutaki.
Action ◮ Digitalis-like action
in cardiac disorders, drastic
purgative, abortifacient, diuretic,
local anaesthetic, narcotic.
The rhizome contains cardiac glycosides;
helleborin, helleborein, hellebrin
and others based on helleborigenin.
Helleborin has a burning, acrid
taste and is narcotic. Helleborein has
a sweetish taste and is a highly active
cardiac poison. Helleborin and
veratrin (steroidal saponins), hellebrin
or helleborein (steroid glycoside)
are main constituents of the root and
leaves. The plant irritates mucous
membranes.
A related species, Helleborus virdis
Linn. (Bear’s Foot, Green Hellebore) is
known as Kaali Kutaki and Krishnabhedi.
The plant contains magnoflorine
and corytuberine. The roots
and rhizomes gave hellebrin, desglucohellebrin,
hellebrigenin, bufatetraenolide,
beta-ecdysterone and 5beta-hydroxyecdysterone.
Hemerocallis fulva Linn.
Family ◮
Liliaceae.
Habitat ◮ The Himalaya, Khasi Hills;
cultivated in Indian gardens.
English ◮ Common Yellow Day-lily,
Tawny Day-lily, Orange Day-lily.
Action ◮ Flower—analgesic, especially
in child birth; blood purifier.
(Flowers are sold in Chinese food
shops as Gum-Tsoy or Gum-Jum.)
Hemerocallin, a neurotoxic principle,
has been found in Hemerocallis
sp. The plant gave amino acid—oxypinnatanine.
Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br.
Synonym ◮ Periploca indica Linn.
Family ◮ Asclepiadaceae, Periplocaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout India;
commoninBengal,Maharashtra
and extending to Travancore.
English ◮ Indian Sarsaparilla (white
var.). Sarsaparilla root is equated
with Smilax sp. in Western herbal.
Ayurvedic ◮ Shveta Saarivaa, Anantmuula,
Gopi, Gopaa, Gopakanyaa,
Gopavalli, Gopasutaa, Krishodari,
Sphotaa, Utpalsaarivaa, Kapuuri,
Dugdhgarbhaa.
Unani ◮ Ushbaa Hindi.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Nannaari, Suganthipala.
Action ◮ Blood purifier, antisyphilitic,
antileucorrhoeic, galactogenic,
antidiarrhoeal, antirheumatic,
febrifuge, alterative. Roots used
against gonorrhoea, leucoderma,
bleeding piles, jaundice and
dysentery.