Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary

470 Peganum harmala Linn.
P
drug phenylbutazone. The enzyme also
showed anthelmintic property.
The leaves contain n-hentriacontanol
and dehydrodammaronol-A. The
root gave azafrin.
Peganum harmala Linn.
Family ◮ Zygophyllaceae.
Habitat ◮ Throughout Northern and
Northwestern India, and in drier
regions of Deccan.
English ◮ Wild Rue; Foreign Henna,
Syrian Rue.
Ayurvedic ◮ Haramal, Isband.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Simaiyaravandi,
Simaiyalavinai.
Action ◮ Plant—emmenagogue,
abortifacient. Seeds—narcotic,
hypnotic, antispasmodic, anodyne
and emetic; used in asthma, hiccough,
colic, neuralgia, hysteria,
dysmenorrhoea; used as abortifacient
(properties similar to ergot,
savine and rue). (Dried seeds constitute
the drug Harmal of Indian
medicine.)
The plant gave flavonoids—kaempferol,
quercetin and acacetin. Aerial
parts and seeds contain alkaloids—
harmine, harmaline and harmalol
(called harman alkaloids). Harman
alkaloids from the seeds have been
suggested for use in nervous diseases,
and as coronary dilators and embolic.
Harmol exhibits hypertensive activity.
Harmine, vasicinone, deoxyvasicinone
and 8-hydroxy glucosylharmine
exhibit antitumour activity.
The alkaloids, harmine, harmaline
and harmol exhibit antibacterial and
antifungal activity.
The aqueous extract of seeds exhibited
significant antiviral activity in vitro
against herpes virus hominis type 1,
slight activity was also observed against
influenza viruses A and B. The plant extract
exhibits significant analgesic activity.
Pelargonium graveolens L’Hert.
Family ◮ Geraniaceae.
Habitat ◮ Introduced into India in
the Shevroy hills of Tamil Nadu;
cultivated largely in the Nilgiri and
Palni hills of Tamil Nadu.
English ◮ Geranium.
Action ◮ Oil—antifungal.
Geranium oil produced from the
plant grown in the temperate region at
high altitudes is rich in menthone, citronellol,
nerol and geraniol; while the
oil produced from the plants grown at
lower altitudes is rich in isomenthone,
linalool and citronellyl formate.
Geranium oil and its constituents
are reported to exhibit marginal antitumour
activity.
The oil also exhibits in vitro antifungal
activity.
Peltophorum pterocarpum
Backer ex K. Heyne.
Family ◮ Caesalpiniaceae.
Habitat ◮ Coastal forests of the
Andaman Islands.