Public Health

Jatropha curcus General introduction Jatropha is bush that grows in the warm regions of the world as it is sensitive to colder climates. Once it’s planted it grows and produces nuts that contain oil within a few years, and produces these annually for up to 50 years. Climate requirement for the plant is as altitude: 0-500 meters above sea level. mild-annual temperature: 20-28 °C.annual rainfall: 300-1000 mm., or more. Jatropha has been grown in developing countries for many years it’s been used locally for production of oil that was used in local village based industries for soap production.…

Nanotechnology refers to research and technology development at the atomic, molecular and macromolecular scale leading to the controlled manipulation and study of structures and devices with the length scale in the 1 to 100 nanometers range ( McNeil 2005 ). It is also defined as the interdisciplinary science involved in diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and control of biological systems ( Fortina et al., 2006 ). Nanosized materials have been investigated as the potential medicines since several decades ( Garnett and Kallinteri, 2006, Gwinn and Vallyathan, 2006 ) for many chronic diseases as…

Scientific Name Piper longum Linn Family Piperaceae Used Part Dried spike Distribution Area A climber occurring in the hotter parts of India, from Central Himalayas to Assam, Khasi and Mikir hills, lower hills of Bengal, and evergreen forests of western ghats from Konkan to Travancore: and also from Car Nicobar Islands. Common Uses . The fruits as well as the roots are attributed with numerous medicinal uses, and may be used for diseases of respiratory tract, viz. cough, bronchitis, asthma, etc.; as counter-irritant and analgesic when applied locally for…

Scientific Name Saraca asoca (Roxb.) De Wilde syn. S. indica auct. non Linn. Family Caesalpiniaceae (Fabaceae) Used Part Bark. Distribution Area It occurs almost throughout India up to an altitude of 750 m. in the central and the eastern Himalayas and the Khasi, Garo and Lushai hills; it is also found in the Andaman Islands. Common Uses . The bark is bitter , astringent, sweet, refrigerant,anthelmintic, Styptic, Stomachic, constipating, febrigue and demulcent. It is useful in dyspepsia, fever, dipisa, burning sensation, visceromegaly, colic, ulcers menorrhagia, metropathy, leccorrhoea and…

Scientific Name Nardostachys grandiflora DC. (=N. jatamansi DC.) Family Valerianaceae Used Part Rhizome Distribution Area Found in the alpine Himalayas from Punjab to Sikkim and Bhutan, at altitudes of 3,000-5,000 m. Common Uses . The roots are acrid, bitter with a flour; flattening, tonic cooling, antipyretic, alexipharmic,cure tridosha, kapha and biliousness, dieseases of the blood, burning sensation, erysipelas, leprosy,skin diseases, throat troubles, ulcers, improve the complexion. Traditionally the drug has been used as a herbal CNS drug in epilepsy, hysteria, and convulsions.…

Scientific Name Linum usitatissimum Linn Family Linaceae. Used Part Seeds. Distribution Area An erect annual, herb, cultivated throughout the plains of India and up to an altitude of 1,800 m. Common Uses . The seeds heal ulcers, urinary discharges, cure leprosy,remove "Vata" and "pitta", "kapha" bad for the eyesight, lead to impotancy, used in consumption.; The leaves remove "Vata" and cough and asthma. The roasted seeds are said to be astringent. Fumigation with the smoke is recommended for colds in the head and hysteria and the tinder used to staunch haemorrhages. The seeds are…

Scientific Name Commiphora mukul(Hook. ex Stocks) Engl. syn. Balsamodendron mukul Hook. ex Stocks syn Commiphora wightii (Arn.)Bhandari Family Burseraceae Used Part Gum Distribution Area A small tree or shrub with spinescent branches occurring in the arid rocky tracts of Rajputana, Khandesh, Berar, Mysore, Sind, and Baluchistan. Common Uses . Guggul has a wide range of usefulness in indigenous medicine. It is astringent and antiseptic. When taken internally it acts as a bitter, stomachic and carminative, stimulating the appetite and improving the digestion. It acts as a…

Scientific Name Entada phaseoloides (Linn.) Merr. syn. E. scandens Benth. Family Fabaceae Used Part Fruits. Distribution Area The plant occurs throughout the sub-Himalayan tract, from Nepal eastwards ascending to 4,000 ft. in Sikkim, in Assam, Bihar and Orissa, and in the monsoon forest of western and eastern ghats; it is abundant in Andaman Islands. Common Uses . The seeds are considered tonic, emetic, antiperiodic and anthelmintic. A paste prepared from the seeds is applied locally for inflammatory glandular swellings. The stem is used as emetic. The juice of the wood and bark…

Scientific Name Sida cordifolia Linn. Family Malvaceae Used Part Seeds Distribution Area Common Uses .Considered useful in sexual debility and spermatorrhoea. Used in drugs for sexual strength. Roots, leaves and seeds are slightly bitter in taste and are used in medicine. The juice of the plant is mixed with the juice of Borassus flabellifer for local use in elephantiasis. The mucilaginous leaves are used as a demulcent and their infusion is given in fever as a refrigerant. They are reported to be used against dysentery and for poulticing ulcers. A decoction of the leaves…

Scientific Name Bauhinia variegata Linn. Family Fabaceae Used Part Bark Distribution Area Most parts of Nepal in sub Himalayan tracts and outer Himalayas of the Punjab ascending to 4,000 ft from the Indus eastwards, Kumaon between 1000 to 6000 feet. Sikkim through India proper to Burma-China. Common Uses . The bark is astringent, tonic and anthelmintic. It is also used for ulcers and leprosy. A decoction of the bark is taken for dysentery by the Nagas. The bark is astringent to the bowels, tonic to the liver, cures biliousness, leucoderma, leprosy, dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia,…