Asclepias giganteaLinnaeus, Periploca cochinchinensis Loureiro, Streptocaulon cochinchinense (Loureiro) G. Don.
Family
:
Asclepiadaceae
General Info
Description
Large, milky shrub,1-5 m in height. Stems woody and round; bark thick, light yellow or ash-grey, soft, corky, eeply fissured. Leaves fleshy, cuneate- obovate or obovate-oblong, 10.0-20.0 cm x 2.5-7.5 cm, smooth above, cottony below. Flowers purplish-lilac or white and are borne in axillary pedunculate - corymbs; corolla lobes spreading or reflexed. The follicles are 8.0 to 10.0 cm long, recurved and turgid. Seeds are numerous and broadly ovate.
Herb Effects
Antiarrhythmic and alleviates spasms (root); anticancer (root and leaf); hypotensive (latex); laxative (plant juice); digestive, stomachic and tonic(flower); emetic, diaphoretic, alternative and purgative (root- bark and juice).
Giganteol and iso-giganteol (root bark); sapogenins (leaf); calotropins DI. DII. FI and FII (latex).
Chemistry
of Active Ingredients
Name
CAS#
IUPAC Name
Formula
Structure
Calotropin
20304-47-6
Not Available
C29H40O9
Sapogenin
Not available
Not available
C27H42O4
Pharmacology
Medicinal Use
Toothache and laxative (plant juice); altering secretion of stomach acids, in the treatment of skin diseases, asthma, elephantiasis and leprosy (flowers); paralysis, arthralgia, swellings and intermittent fevers (leaves). The tribals of South Rajasthan apply latex in the treatment of Guinea worm disease (Joshi, 1991).
Contraindication
Do not use while pregnant.
Reference
Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.
Health Remedies 
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