Medicinal Plants: Urogenital and Gastrointestinal Systems-Gastrointestinal System

Question 1

Senna

BOTANICAL INFORMATION: 


Answer 1

• Small leguminous shrub
• Arabian peninsula, west Africa, Asia
• Cultivated in Sudan, China, India

Question 2

Senna

HISTORY AS A MEDICINAL PLANT:

Answer 2

• Effective purgative and laxative
  
  • Mature pods were dried and powdered to produced the laxative
• Introduced to Europe by Arab traders
• Demand was greatly exceeded supply, so the powder was very expensive

Question 3

Senna

MODERN UTILIZATION:

Answer 3

• Replaced by less expensive synthetic drugs
• Phenolphthalein dominated the market but banned by the FDA as a suspected carcinogen
• Highly purified extracts of natural senna
• Sennoside A and B-enzymatically hydrolyzed by gut bacteria to form laxative-affecting anthroquinones

Question 4

Cascara

BOTANICAL INFORMATION: 


Answer 4

• Deciduous tree

- Western North America-British Columbia to California to Montana

Question 5

Cascara

HISTORY AS A MEDICINAL PLANT:

Answer 5

• Inner bark used by indigenous groups as a strong laxative-purgative
• Peeled from trees felled (cut down) in the spring and early summer

Question 6

Cascara

MODERN UTILIZATION:

Answer 6

• Commercial companies used material harvested from wild trees but species was extripated
• Carcaroside A and B-enzymatically hydrolyzed by gut bacteria to form Emodin (purgative)
• Cascara (and Aloe vera) banned for use as laxatives-based on suggesting potential carcinogenic effects

Question 7

Ipecac

BOTANICAL INFORMATION: 


Answer 7

• Low shrub

- Brazilian highlands and eastern Bolivia

Question 8

Ipecac

HISTORY AS A MEDICINAL PLANT:

Answer 8

• Indigenous people used bark of the thickened fibrous roots to treat intestinal infections (dysentery)
• First appeared in France
  
  • Treating of dysentery was popularized by Helvetius
  • Treated French royal family, heir to the throne
  • Rights were sold to the French government
• “Dover’s powder”-mixture of ipecac, opium
  
  • Treatment for fever, gout, and dysentery
• Emetic (induced vomiting) administered to children, induce perspirations, treating bronchitis, and digestive stimiulant

Question 9

Ipecac

MODERN UTILIZATION:

Answer 9

• Alkaloids-Emetine and cephaeline
• Root treated amoebic dysentery
• Emetic properties-vomiting and diarrhoea
• Cause inflammation of the peripheral nerves, irregular heartbeat, sudden lowering of blood pressure, death
• Safer and effective treatments-diloxanide (intestinal ameobiasis), metronidazole (hepatic ameobiasis), and dehydroemetine (semi-synthetic)
• Aversion therapy in treating chronic alcoholism