Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

388 Lycopus europaeus Linn.
L
The plant contains alkaloids (about
0.1–00.2%), including lycopodine, lycodoline,
faucettimine and lycoflexine;
triterpenoids including clavatol and
oxoserrat derivatives; flavonoids including
apigenin; polyphenolic acids
including dihydrocaffeic.
Lycopodine produces uterine contractions
and stimulates peristalsis in
the small intestines of rodents.
The plant contains (dry basis): lipid
4.06 and desmethylsterols 0.05%.
Used in homoeopathy for distended
abdomen, cough, cystitis, renal colic
and disorders of menstruation.
Chinese Club Moss, equated with
Huperzia serrata, is a different herb. Its
constituent, huperzine A is thought to
be beneficial in dementia due to its effect
on acetylcholine levels.
L. annotinum Linn., L. complanatum
Linn. (American Club Moss) and L.
selago Linn. are among other species
of Lycopodium occurring in India.
Lycopus europaeus Linn.
Family ◮ Labiatae.
Habitat ◮ Western Himalayas in
Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal
Pradesh.
English ◮ Gipsywort, Bugleweed.
Folk ◮ Gandam-gundu, Jalneem.
Action ◮ Cardioactive, diuretic,
peripheral vasoconstrictor, sedative,
narcotic, antihaemorrhagic,
antitussive, thyrostatic.
Key application ◮ In mild thyroid
hyperfunction (contraindicated in
thyroid hypofunction, enlargement
of thyroid) with disturbances of
vegetative nervous system; mastodynia
(tension and pain in breast).
No simultaneous administration
of thyroid preparations. Administration
of Bugleweed preparations
interferes with the administration
of diagnostic procedures using
radioactive isotopes. (German
Commission E.)
The leaves contain lithospermic acid.
Plant contains luteolin-7-glucoside; ursolic
acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic
acid, sinapic acid, ellagic acid and other
derivatives of phenolic acid. The
antioxidant activity of the plant is partially
attributed to rosmarinic acid.
Antigonadotropic activity of the leaf
extract is attributed to phenolic precursors.
Ethanol extract of the plant showed
diverse effects on the pituitary, thyroid
and gonadal glands of rats.
A closely related species, Lycopus
virginicus of Europe, exhibits antithyrotropic
activity. It induces TSH
repletion in hypothyroid rats and reduction
of TSH levels in euthyroid
rats. Antigonadotropic activity has
been demonstrated in rats.
Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw.
Synonym ◮ L. pinnatifidum Sw.
Family ◮ Schizaeaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout India; up
to an elevation of 1,500 m in the
Himalayas.
Folk ◮ Vallipana (Malyalam);
Bhuuta-bhairavi (Bengal), Bhuutaraaj;
Kalzhaa (Bihar). Rudrajataa is
a doubtful synonym.