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Botanical Name: Inula Racemosa
Sanskrit name:
Pushkarmoola
English Name: Inula Racemosa
Family:
Asteraceae
Plant Part Used:
Stem, Root
Description of Inula Racemosa:
The
plant grows in temperate and alpine Western Himalayas from 1300 to 4500
meters elevation. The plant is a stout herb growing 0.33-2 meters in
height. The stem is grooved, rough and very hairy. The leaves are
elliptical, large, 3-6 cm long and 2-3 cm broad, and have long petioles.
The fruits, slender achene’s, 0.4 cm long, bearded with 0.75 cm long
pappus hairs. The flowers are yellow, many in heads, 0.5-1 cm in
diameter. The fresh root is brown and becomes grayish on drying. The
fresh roots resemble in aroma of camphor.
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Principle constituent:
On
extraction of the plant with hexane and isolation , the compounds
obtained are dihydroisoalan tolactone, isoalantolactone and
alantolactone. From the roots, sitosterol, octadecanoic acid and D-mannitol
have been isolated also. Two biologically active new sesquiterpene
lactones., inunal and isoalloalantolactone are isolated. Alantolactone,
isoalantolactone and dihydroisoa – lantolactone isolated from roots. A
germacranolide – inunolide – from root oil. Also alloalantolactone
isolated from roots and characterized. Two new sesquiterpene lactones
inunal and isolloalantolactone – isolated and characterized.
Medicinal Uses:
The rhizome is sweet, bitter and acrid in taste with a
neutral potency and act as antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal,
anti-inflammatory, analgesic and mild diuretic. It is used in the
treatment of contagious fevers, anginapectoris, heart disease and
ischemic heart disease. It is also used in cough, hiccup, bronchial
asthma, indigestion, flatulence, inanorexia and in fever. Externally,
the paste of its roots is used effectively, in dressing the wounds and
ulcers as the herb possesses antiseptic property. Also used to boost the
appetite.
Herbal Extract packing:
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