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| Latin Name |
English Names |
Sanskrit Names |
Cichorium intybus
Linn. (Asteraceae)
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Chicory, Succory,
Wild Endive |
Kasani, Hinduba,
Kasni |
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| History |
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 This
plant has been in use as a pot herb from an early period. The ancient
Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used it. Dioscorides mentions two kinds,
the wild and the cultivated. The Romans called the plant Intubus
or Intubum, and the plural of the latter word has furnished the
Arabs with their name Hinduba. Phing called the wild plant Cichorium,
Chreston (useful), Pancration (all powerful) and Ambubara or Ambubeia.
It was supposed to be a panacea and to have the property of fixing
the affections. The Syrian dancing girls, whom Cneius Manlius first
brought to Rome, were also called Ambubaia on account of their attractive
allurements. Ambubaia is a Syrian term, but the component parts
of it, 'Ambui'- 'odor' and 'Baia'- 'full', occur in old Persia.
Together they signify ' full of odours', i.e. allurements.
According to a German legend, the plant is supposed to have once
been a beautiful princess who, having been deserted by (or lost)
her husband (or lover), was at her own request changed into this
plant. It is much valued by the Indian Hakims as a resolvent and
cooling medicine and is prescribed in bilious complaints. Chicory
root dried, roasted and reduced to powder is very extensively used
in Europe as a substitute for coffee and for adulterating that article.
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| Habitat |
It is native to the
temperate parts of the Old World and is found wild in Punjab and Andhra
Pradesh. It is cultivated in Bihar, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Assam,
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
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| Morphology
Description (Habit) |
An erect perennial
herb, with a fleshy tap root; the leaves are broadly oblong, oblanceolate
or lanceolate, crowded at the base and arranged spirally on the stem;
the flowers are blue fading to white, in homogamous heads; the fruits
are achenes which are smooth, 5-angled, pale brown to black, crowned
with a ring of pappus scales.
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| Principal
Constituents |
The seeds contain
4.7 per cent of an oil. The presence of tannin phlobaphenes and reducing
sugars is also reported in the seeds1.
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| Pharmacology |
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An alcoholic extract of the plant was found to be effective against
chlorpromazine-induced hepatic damage in adult albino rats. It also
exhibited resorptive activity. The alcoholic aqueous extract of
chicory shows cholagogue activity which may be attributed to polyphenols.
In New Zealand, the plant is being considered as a possible energy
crop2
The alcoholic extract of the seeds has been reported to cause bradycardia
in normal and hypodynamic hearts of frogs, and to elicit a fall
in the blood pressure in dogs3
The seeds were extracted successively with chloroform, methanol
and water. All the extracts were subjected to preliminary phytochemical
& hepatoprotective screenings in rats against CCl4 and paracetamol
toxicity. The fractions obtained were tested for their activity
of three components separated using chromatographic techniques,
two components were found active, as hepatoprotective when tested
against CCl4 and paracetamol induced toxicity4.
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| Toxicology |
The seeds are reported
to be carminative and cordial, and used as a brain tonic. They are
useful in headache, asthma and for checking bilious vomiting.
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| Product
Range |
Bonnisan, Geriforte
(Gericare / StressCare), Herbolax (LaxaCare), Liv.52 (LiverCare),
Liv.52 drops, Digyton, Geriforte Aqua, Geriforte Vet, Liv.52 Vet (Companion), Liv.52
Vet (Commercial).
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| References |
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- Caius, J Bombay nat Hist Soc, 1939-40, 41, 640; Kirtikar &
Basu, II, 1434; Chopra et. al., 1958, 318; Goel & Bhattacharyya,
J econ taxon Bot, 1981, 2, 157; Pandey, loc. cit.; Misra &
Dutta, J Indian chem Soc, 1937, 14, 141.
- Gupta et. al., Probe, 1979-80, 19, 99; Sama et. al.,
Indian J med Res, 1976, 64, 738; Strayer, loc. cit.; Chopra et.
al., Sci & Cult , 1983, 49, 354; Satyavati, Ancient Sci
Life, 1983-84, 3, 193; Douglas & Poll, N Z J exp Agric, 1986,
14, 223; Chem Abstr, 1978, 88, 27793.
- Caius, J Bombay nat Hist Soc, 1939-40, 41, 640; Kirtikar &
Basu, II, 1434; Chopra et. al., 1958, 318; Goel & Bhattacharyya,
J econ taxon Bot , 1981, 2, 157; Pandey, loc. cit.; Misra &
Dutta, J Indian chem Soc, 1937, 14, 141.
- Gadgoli, C.H.and Mishra, S.H., Ind. J.Pharm.Sci., v. 56(4),
157.
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