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| Latin Name |
English Names |
Sanskrit Name |
Hindi Name |
Hyoscyamus niger
Linn. (Solanaceae)
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Henbane |
Parasigaya
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Khurasani-ajvayan
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| History |
Though
it is a native of Himalayas, it was probably unknown to ancient Hindu
physicians. But, it has found mention in later Sanskrit writing .
The plant was well known to Greeks, Persians and Arabians. There were
three kinds, white, black and red mentioned in Hyoscyamus of
which white was the preferred variety. It was used as a household
drug. Dioscorides has mentioned about drug in his literature. It is
written about even in 'The Arabian Nights' and in Anglo-Saxon work
on medicine. Eastern writers refered to it as intoxicating, narcotic
and an anodyne. It was applied to relieve pain related to inflammatory
swellings. There was no mental excitement or sensory illusion associated
with it except an overpowering tendency to sleep which come on and
lasted for 11 hours when taken internally. The records show discrepancies
arising from use of Hyoscyamine, the principal alkaloid of the plant,
these were attributed to the use of impure or inert samples of the
alkaloid.
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| Habitat |
It is a high altitude
plant found in Europe, west and north Asia. In India it is found from
5,000 to 12,000 ft. high in western Himalayas from Kashmir to Garhwal.
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| Morphology
Description (Habit) |
It is an erect, annual
or biennial, hairy and viscid herb with bad odour. Stem robust and
grows up to few meters in high. Radical leaves are smaller, sessile,
ovate, pinnatifid and passing in to bracts. Flowers appear from August-
September, lower ones are in the forks of the branches, upper solitary
in the axis of the leaf like bract, forming insided spikes roller
back at the top before flowering, which ultimately forming elongated
and straight. Calyx is urn shaped, shortly 5 lobed, limb funnel shaped
and in fruit it is elongated. Corolla funnel shaped lobes 5, short,
slightly unequal, purple in base, limb lurid green, purple veined
and darker in the centre. Stamens are protruding out. Ovary 2 celled.
Capsule globose. Seeds are compressed, many and scrobuculate.
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| Principal
Constituents |
Hyoscyamine and hyoscine
are the principal alkaloids other than cuscohygrine, apohyoscine and
belladonnine. Total alkaloid percentage is 0.16% in roots, 0.045-0,08
in leaves and up to 0.1 % in flowering tops, but higher in tetraploid
plants. In leaves the % depends on the altitude and the age of the
leaf. Mature leaves are richer in hyoscyamine than hyoscine; tender
leaves are relatively richer in hyoscine. In roots the alkaloid concentration
is higher during the end of the vegetative period. The leaves yeild
hyoscypikin in addition to hyoscyamine. Besides alkaloids, it contains
volatile base similar to those present in belladonna leaf, a bitter
glycoside hyoscypicrin, choline, mucilage and albumin. It is rich
in potassium salts. On destructive distillation, the leaves yield
a poisonous empyreumatic oil1. Traces of tropine and scopoline are
also present. Atropine occurs only in the roots of biennial plants
at the end of the vegetative period2.
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| Pharmacology |
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The therapeutic value of Hyoscyamus
is comparable to that of belladonna, which also contains hyoscyamine.
The action of Hyoscyamus however, is modified by the presence
of a comparatively larger quantity of hyoscine, which produces a
central narcotic effect3. If the scopolamine is administered
i.p., protected guinea pig against bronchospasm produced by inhalation
of histamine spray. It had antihistaminic activity equal to that
of atropine but was almost inactive even at high dise against oedema
of rat paw injected with kaolin suspension4. Scopolamine
HBr had antihistaminic effects in guinea pig5.
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| Toxicity |
The plant,
especially the seeds, in large doses, produces poisonous effects similar
to those of Datura poisoning, such as dryness of the tongue and mouth,
giddiness and delirium. The plant if eaten by livestock affects the
yields of milk and butter6.
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| Indications |
Hyoscyamus has anodyne,
narcotic and mydriatic properties. It is principally employed as a
sedative in nervous affections and irritable conditions, such as asthma
and whooping cough, and is substituted for opium in cases where the
later is inadmissible. It is also used to counteract the griping action
of purgatives and to relieve spasms in the urinary tract. In Veterinary
practice, it is used as a urinary sedative. Hyoscyamus leaves
have been employed externally to relieve pain, but their utility for
this purpose is not well established. It has pungent, astringent,
diuretic, alterative, antiperiodic and purgative properties. Plant
is used in piles, skin eruptions, opthalmia, dysentry eye and liver
complaints, rheumatism, scabies, bronchial affections and in leprosy.
Leaves useful in gonorrhoea.
Roots in cancer, stomach troubles and bladder stones. Seeds are useful
in renal dropsy, bronchial affections and in leprosy. Branches and
roots useful as tooth brushes. The seeds posses anodyne and narcotic
properties but they have been rarely used in medicine. They are employed
mainly for the extraction of alkaloids. Mixed with wine, they are
applied to gouty enlargements and swellings. Powdered seeds and smoke
from burning seeds are applied to relieve toothache. A suppository
prepared from seeds is used in painful affections of the uterus. The
seeds are also employed in poultices for eye troubles.
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| Product
Range |
Muscle & Joint
Rub.
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| References |
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- Thorpe, VI, 203 ; Hocking, loc. cit. ; U.S.D., 1955, 674.
- Thorpe, VI, 203; Henry, 66; Hocking, loc. cit.; U.S.D., 1955,
675; Chem. Abstr, 1932, 26, 3621.
- U.S.D., 1955, 675; Allport, 34.
- Congr. Int. Therap., 6th, Strasbourg 1959, 443; Chem. Abst.
1962, 56, 12258f.
- Therapie 1960, 15, 326; Chem Abst. 1962, 57, 9176g.
- Modi, 641.
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