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Botanical Name |
: |
Basella alba Linn. |
English
Name |
: |
Indian Spinach |
Synonym(s) |
: |
Basella rubra L., Basella cordifolia Lam. |
Family |
: |
Basellaceae |
| |
General Info
| Description |
 |
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A perennial, creeping or climbing herb, 2-10 m long. Stems angular, green, glabrous, multibranched, fleshy or thin; leaves entire, broad-ovate to cordate or orbicular, 5-18 cm in diam, glossy, succulent; flowers in lax, axillary, peduncled spikes with white to green fleshy perianth; utricles depressed-globose, shallowly lobed, 4-7 mm x 5-10 mm, white or greenish white, turning dark violet or black, contianing a violet juice. |
| Herb Effects |
|
|
Inhibits vomiting (root decoction) and antiviral (plant); antidote, aperient, astringent, demulcent, diuretic, febrifuge, laxative, rubefacient. |
Chemistry
| Active Ingredients |
|
|
Provitamin A and alpha and beta-carotene, lutein, violaxanthin and tunaxanthin (plant). |
| Chemistry
of Active Ingredients |
|
|
|
 |
Name |
CAS# |
IUPAC Name |
Formula |
Structure |
 |
|
| Beta Carotene |
7235-40-7 |
3,7,12,16-tetramethy
l-1,18-bis(2,6,6-tri
methyl-1-cyclohexeny
l)-octadec
a-1,3,5,
7,9,11,13,15,17-nona
ene |
C40H56 |
|
| Lutein |
34445-91-5 |
4-[18-(4-hydroxy-2,6
,6-trimethyl-1-cyclo
hexenyl)-3,7,12,16-t
etramethyl
-octadec
a-1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15
,17-nonaenyl]-3,5,5-
trimethyl-cyclohex-2
-e
n-1-ol |
C40H56O2 |
|
| Violaxanthin |
126-29-4 |
6-[18-(3-hydroxy-1,5
,5-trimethyl-7-oxabi
cyclo[4.1.0]hept-6-y
l)-3,7,12,
16-tetra
methyl-octadeca-1,3,
5,7,9,11,13,15,17-no
naenyl]-1,5,5-trimet
hy
l-7-oxabicyclo[4
.1.0]heptan-3-ol |
C40H56O4 |
|
| Provitamin A |
53637-36-8 |
3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,
6-trimethyl-1-cycloh
exenyl)-nona-2,4,6,8
-tetraen-1
-ol |
C20H30O |
|
|
Pharmacology
| Medicinal Use |
|
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As a poultice for swellings (root); for constipation, especially for children and pregnant women (leaf juice). |
| Reference |
|
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 Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.
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Dealers
Products
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