Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

externally for scalds, ulcers and
burns.
The seed kernel contains the glycoside
amygdalin, tannin, mucilage
(about 22%), ash (1.3%) and fatty oil
(14–19%).
In Greece, a tea prepared by boiling
dry seeds in water is given in cystitis.
The major water-soluble polysaccharide
in the mucilage of seeds contains
a high proportion of glucuronic
acid residues.
The fruit contains pectin (yield
0.53% fresh weight) and is similar to
that of apple. Ionone glycosides, along
with octadienoic acid and its diol, have
been isolated from the fruit.
Fruit juice contains thiamine, riboflavin,
nicotinic acid, vitamin B6,
inositol, pantothenic acid, folic acid
and biotin.
The essential oil also gave a number
of ionone-related compounds. The
buds contain a cyanogenetic glycoside.
The bark and shoots yield hydrocyanic
acid on distillation.
Cymbopogon citratus
(DC.) Stapf.
Synonym ◮ Andropogon citratus DC.
Family ◮ Poaceae.
Habitat ◮ Grown in Punjab, Maharashtra,
Gujarat and Karnataka.
English ◮ Lemongrass.
Ayurvedic ◮ Bhuutika, Bhuutikaa.
Action ◮ Leaf—stimulant, sudorific,
antiperiodic, anticatarrhal. Essential
oil—carminative, anticholerin,
Cymbopogon jwarancusa (Jones) Schult. 191
depressant, analgesic, antipyretic,
antibacterial, antifungal.
The lemongrass contains a volatile
oil, with citral (about 70%), citronellal,
geraniol and myrcene as its main constituents.
Cetral and citronellal exhibit
marked sedative activity.
The lemongrass is taken as a tea for
digestive problems; it relaxes muscles
of the stomach and gut, relieves spasm
and flatulence. In catarrhal conditions,
it is taken as a febrifuge.
An infusion of fresh leaves on oral
administration has been found to produce
dose-dependent analgesia in rats.
This analgesic acitivity is caused by
myrcene present in the leaf.
Geraniol and d-limonene from the
essential oil induce activity of glutathione
S-transferase, a detoxifying
enzyme, which is believed to be a major
factor for chemical carcinogen detoxification.
Cymbopogon jwarancusa
(Jones) Schult.
Synonym ◮ Andropogon jwarancusa
Jones.
Family ◮ Poaceae.
Habitat ◮ Himalayas from Kashmir
to Assam, ascending up to more
than 300 m and in the north-western
plains.
Ayurvedic ◮ Bhuutikaa, Laamajjaka,
Laamajja. (Subs. Vetiveria
zizanioides (L.) Nash.)
Unani ◮ Izkhar.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Vilaamichhan.
C