Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

The oil gave brassino steroid—brasinolide.
Seeds gave a antithyroid compound,
5-vinyl-2-oxazolidinethone;
thioglucosides and thioglucosinolates.
The seed oil is said to dissolves gallstone.
Brassica nigra (Linn.) Koch.
Family ◮ Cruciferae; Brassicaceae.
Habitat ◮ Cultivated in Punjab, Uttar
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
English ◮ Black Mustard.
Ayurvedic ◮ Banarasi Raai, Raajika
(var.).
Unani ◮ Khardal Siyah.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Kadugu.
Folk ◮ Raai.
Action ◮ Seeds are used for treating
coryza with thin excoriating discharge
with lacrimation, sneezing
and hacking cough, nostril blockage
and dry and hot feeling of
pharyngitis.
The seeds contain glucosinolate sinigrin,
which produces allyl isothiocyanate
when mixed with warm water.
Allyl isothiocynate acts as a counterirritant
when diluted (1:50).
Brayera anthelmintica Kunth.
Synonym ◮ Hagenia abyssinica
(Bruce)J.F.Gmelin.
Family ◮ Rosaceae.
Habitat ◮ Indigenous to north-east
Africa. Imported into Mumbai.
Bridelia montana Willd. 101
English ◮ Cusso, Brayera.
Folk ◮ Kusso.
Action ◮ Anthelmintic. Administered
in the form of an infusion
for the expulsion of tapeworm
(ineffective against hookworm,
roundworm, whipworm). Irritant
to mucous membrane; produces
nausea, vomiting and colic in large
doses.
Breynia retusa (Dennst.) Alston.
Synonym ◮ B. patens Benth.
Family ◮ Euphorbiaceae.
Habitat ◮ The tropical Himalayas
and Deccan peninsula.
Ayurvedic ◮ Bahuprajaa, Kaamboji
(doubtful synonym).
Folk ◮ KaaliKamboi(Gujarat).
Action ◮ Used as a galactagogue (as
a supporting drug in herbal compound
formulations). Spasmogenic.
Bridelia montana Willd.
Family ◮ Euphorbiaceae.
Habitat ◮ The sub-Himalayan tract
from Kashmir eastwards to Assam,
and in Bihar, Orissa and Andhra
Pradesh.
Ayurvedic ◮ Ekaviraa.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Venge-maram.
Folk ◮ Gondni, Asaanaa (Maharashtra).
Action ◮ Bark and Root—astringent,
anthelmintic. Used in the treatment
of bone fracture.
B