Medicinal Uses of Rauwolfia (Rauwolfia serpentina)

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 260-365

Other Names

INDIAN SNAKEROOT

Description

More like a shrub than a tree in most places where it grows in India, rauwolfia produces extracts in its roots that have for centuries been used to treat nervous disorders. The extract also provides an antidote for snake- bites and insect stings. In the 20th century it was discovered that powdered rauwolfia root as a clinical medicinal ingredient would treat hypertension and mental disorders. Many drugs that make up tranquilizers have their origin in rauwolfia root.

Medicinal Uses

Indian snakeroot is used for 

• mild high blood pressure,
•  nervousness, 
• trouble sleeping(insomnia), and 
• mental disorders such as 
• agitated psychosis and insanity. 
• Indian snakeroot is also used for snake and reptile bites,
•  fever, 
• constipation, 
• feverish intestinal diseases, 
• liver ailments, 
• achy joints (rheumatism), 
• fluid retention (edema),
• epilepsy, and 
• as a tonic for general debilities.

One of the chemicals in Indian snakeroot is the same as a prescription drug calledreserpine. Reserpine is used to treat 

• mild to moderate hypertension, s
• chizophrenia, and 
• some symptoms of poor circulation.
• Root is a valuable remedy for dysentery and painful affections of bowel.
• Juice of leaves is instilled in eyes as a remedy for the opacities of cornea.

How does it work?

Indian snakeroot contains chemicals such as reserpine that decrease heart rate and blood pressure.

History

• It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it has the name shégēn mù.
• The extract of the plant has also been used for millennia in India – Alexander the Great administered this plant to cure his general Ptolemy I Soter of a poisoned arrow.
•  It was reported that Mahatma Gandhi took it as a tranquilizer during his lifetime.
•  It has been used for millennia to treat insect stings and the bites of venomous reptiles. 

Habitat: Moist forests shady places near rain-forest.

Status: The natural reserves of this plant are declining, especially after reports of its medicinal properties appeared in literatures. International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has kept this plant under endangered status.
Distribution: The snake-weed genus includes about 50 species, this has fairly wide area of distribution, including the tropical part of the Himalayas, the Indian peninsula, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Indonesia.

Maidenhair Tree Ginkgo biloba Medicinal Uses

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 259-365

Botanical.com recognizes Ginkgo biloba as "the oldest living tree on the planet that's been used safely for over 3000 years. " The paleontologists and evolutionists are also much interested in the Ginkgo although, as already stated, no wild localities are known where the trees grow, it has been discovered by its fossil remains to have been once widely scattered over the face of the globe. 

Buddhist monks cultivated the tree from about 1100 AD for its many good qualities." Plant collectors from the West eventually were sold on Ginkgo biloba trees and brought specimens home.

It is uncertain whether the maidenhair tree still persists in the wild and at present there are no conservation projects in place. 







Cultivated trees are found throughout the world, however, and a multi-million dollar industry has cashed in on the leaves' medicinal properties 

Maidenhair Tree

• Known as a 'living fossil', the Ginkgo biloba is one of the world's oldest living tree species: it was around 350 million years ago!
• The word ginkgo comes from the Chinese yinxingmeaning 'silver apricot'. It was named the maidenhair tree in England because the leaves look similar to the native maidenhair fern.
• The fruit smells of rancid butter during the ripening process.
• Native to Xitianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, China. Scattered in broadleaved forests up to 1,100m altitude.
• The maidenhair tree is listed as ‘endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Medicinal Uses

• Ginkgos are grown as hedges in China to supply the leaves for western herbal medicine. The leaves contain ginkgolides, which are used to improve blood circulation to the brain and to relieve Alzheimer’s, tinnitus and Reynaud's Syndrome. It is usually Europe’s number one selling herbal medication.
• Ginkgo has been studied as a possible treatment for dementia and Alzheimer's disease
• Seeds and leaves treat diseases such as Asthma and Tuberculosis
• The ancient Chinese people believed that roasted seeds could help prevent drunkenness. Even today, roastedGinkgo seeds can be found at many Chinese and Japanese wedding celebrations in order to prevent people from getting too drunk.
• Today, we use Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) for two main reasons: to increase blood circulation and 
• to rid the body of free radicals, which can improve bodily functions greatly. Free radicals have been found to be part of the cause in most cancers. 
• Ginkgo biloba can also benefit people who have Glaucoma, 
• Tinnitus, 
• Cerebral Insufficiency, 
• Macular Degeneration, 
• Male Impotence, 

The seeds (baigo) are most used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the leaves in western medicine. 
In Japan the seeds are called ginnan. The Japanese way of using Ginkgo as a medicine originates from the Chinese tradition.

The seeds' medicinal use is mentioned in the 'Great Herbal' Pen Tsao Kang Mu compiled by  Li Shih-chen (1578) which in still in use in TCM.  

Dr. C.A. Stuart and Dr. F. Porter Smith translated and researched this herbal and used it as a working base for their publication of 'Chinese Medicinal Herbs' (1911).  In their work they write: "The seeds are supposed to benefit asthma, coughs, irritability of the bladder, blenorrhoa and uterine fluxes. 

Eaten raw they destroy cancer and are counter-vinous. Cooked they are said to be peptic and anthelmintic, and are similarly used by the Japanese to promote digestion.  In some cases they appear to cause peculiar symptoms of intoxication."

They also mention the use of the wood for seals used as charms by quacks in the treatment of disease.

Kaempfer mentions the seeds as an aid for digestion and bladder. Thunberg writes in Flora Japonica (1784) that the seeds are eaten raw or roasted in Japan and in 1819 Franz von Jaquin notes in 'Ueber den Ginkgo' the use as a digestive aid.

The earliest record of the use of the leaves as a medicine is said to be mentioned in the Chinese Materia Medica Shen Nung Pen Tsao Ching (which should originate from about 2800 BC or from the Han dynasty [206BC-220AD]) as an aid for blood circulation and the lungs. This record cannot be confirmed however  because the original of this work has never been found. 

Dian Nan Ben Cao (Lan Mao) (1436) mentions the use of the leaves for skin treatment, head sores and freckles. They are also used for chilblains and as a wound plaster. 

The internal use is first mentioned in the Ben Cao Pin Hui Jing Yao (1505) by Liu Wen-Tai as used against diarrhea. 

Description

Deciduous tree up to 40m tall. Bark grey, furrowed, corky. Leaves characteristically fan-shaped, up to 12cm across, divided into two lobes, bright yellow in autumn, spirally arranged along long shoots. Each tree has either male or female flowers (dioecious): male flowers catkin-like, hanging down (pendulous) and yellow, up to 8cm long; female flowers smaller and on pedicels up to 4cm long. Fruits maturing following autumn, drupe-like, light yellow decaying to purplish-black. Pollinated by wind.

Fragrant, inconspicuous, dioecious. Flowers will not appear until trees are older than 20 years (Dirr) or 40 years (Jacobson).

Reforestation

Thrives in moist, well-drained soil, but tolerates poor, compacted soil, as well as heat, drought, salt spray, and air pollution.

It is well worth planting a ginkgo for the next generation. While slow to grow when young, with advancing age the ginkgo becomes a striking tree with interesting winter form and even more interesting foliage.

This species has merits that are well known. Virtually pest-free and incredibly tolerant of urban conditions, there are Ginkgo specimens that are centuries old living in cities around the world.

"The Maidenhair tree is sacred according to the Buddhist religion and has been cultivated for many centuries in China and Japan, especially in the grounds of temples" (Cafferty).

One could even argue that Ginkgo is a species native to Ontario, as fossil records show that this tree was indeed indigenous here millions of years ago.

For all the virtues of Ginkgo, some will avoid it due to the messy and stinky fruits. Washing off the smelly outer flesh reveals a delicious nut prized by many in Asia. Fruitless, male cultivars are available in numerous shapes and sizes.

Ginkgo has a fairly slow growth rate, but this shouldn't be reason to avoid planting them. Patience when growing this species is more than rewarded in the long-term. Unfortunately, too many landscape plans call for fast-growing trees that are structurally weak and short lived. Ginkgo is a tree that should be considered a sound investment that can be planted with confidence for the long term.

Propagation

• by seed, collect in fall (cold stratification is benefical)
• can also be done by softwood or semihardwood cuttings, collect in early summer
• cultivars are propagated mainly by grafting

Resilience

Extreme examples of the ginkgo's tenacity may be seen in Hiroshima, Japan, where six trees growing between 1–2 km from the 1945 atom bomb explosion were among the few living things in the area to survive the blast. Although almost all other plants (and animals) in the area were destroyed, the ginkgos, though charred, survived and were soon healthy again. The trees are alive to this day.

History

The Ginkgo nuts are mentioned in Japanese textbooks from 1492 and later for use at tea ceremonies as sweets and dessert. In the Edo-period (1600-1867) common people began to eat them as vegetable and ingredients for pickles.

 In the 18^th century the nuts (called ginnan) became used as a side dish when drinking sake. Today they are used (grilled or boiled) in chawan-mushi (a pot-steamed egg dish) or in nabe-ryori (Japanese fondue). The grilled nuts are still often eaten in Japan when drinking sake.

Lilac Medicinal Use

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 259-365

Scientific Name Syringa vulgaris

For deforested mountains and hills here is an idea for planters Lilac. Tourism will bloom in the areas where there are lilacs.

One of the best places in the world to get a first-hand look at the different varieties is at the annual Lilac Festival in Rochester, where more than 1,200 lilac bushes — and 600 varieties — are on display on 155 acres. “The Lilac Festival has been a yearly event since the early 1900s. It was a single-day event a long time ago, but in the ’70s we went to a full week festival,

History

Lilacs — both Syringa vulgaris and S. × persica the finer, smaller "Persian lilac", now considered a natural hybrid — were introduced into European gardens at the end of the sixteenth century, from Ottoman gardens, not through botanists exploring the Balkan habitats. The Holy Roman Emperor's ambassador, Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, is generally credited with supplying lilac slips to Carolus Clusius, about 1562.

 Well-connected botanists, like the great herbalist John Gerard, soon had the rarity in their gardens: Gerard notes that he had lilacs growing “in very great plenty” in 1597, but lilacs were not mentioned by Shakespeare, and John Loudon was of the opinion that the Persian lilac had been introduced into English gardens by John Tradescant the elder.

Tradescant's Continental source for information on the lilac, and perhaps ultimately for the plants, was Pietro Andrea Mattioli, as one can tell from a unique copy of Tradescant's plant list in his Lambeth garden, an adjunct of his Musaeum Tradescantianum; it was printed, though probably not published, in 1634: it lists Lilac Matthioli. That Tradescant's "lilac of Mattioli's" was a white one is shown by Elias Ashmole's manuscript list, Trees found in Mrs Tredescants Ground when it came into my possession (1662): "Syringa alba".

In the American colonies, lilacs were introduced in the eighteenth century. Peter Collinson, F.R.S., wrote to the Pennsylvania gardener and botanist John Bartram, proposing to send him some, and remarked that John Custis of Virginia had a fine "collection", which Ann Leighton interpreted as signifying common and Persian lilacs, in both purple and white, "the entire range of lilacs possible" at the time.

Trivia

In a sign of its complete naturalization in North America, it has been selected as the state flower of the state of New Hampshire, because it "is symbolic of that hardy character of the men and women of the Granite State".

Medicinal Use

In medicine it has been used successfully in the treatment of malaria and in American is given as a vermifuge.”

Lilacs can be steeped to make a tonic that reduces fever and to get rid of internal parasites. Skin burns or wounds are soothed and heal well when a paste or gel made from lilacs is applied.

Some modern herbalists use the essential oil of lilac to treat skin ailments such as rashes, sunburns and minor cuts and scrapes.

The bark, branches and foliage contain bitter glycoside. Folk medicine uses flowers for kidney diseases. Lilac flowers mixed with lime flowers are used as the sudatory and anti-malaria remedy.