| |
|
|
Botanical Name |
: |
Lepidium sativum L. |
English
Name |
: |
Water Cress |
Family |
: |
Brassicaceae |
| |
General Info
| Description |
 |
|
A small, herbaceous, glabrous annual, 15 to 45 cm tall. Leaves variable, entire or variously lobed or pinnatisect, often with linear segments; lower leaves long-petioled, twice pinnatisect; upper leaves sessile, linear, linear-oblong or pinnatifid. Flowers small, white, in long racemes. Fruits (pods) small, orbicular-ovate, notched at the apex, winged; seeds solitary in each cell. |
| Herb Effects |
|
|
Antiasthmatic (plant); hypotensive (accompanied by short-term respiratory stimulation) (seed extract); diuretic and alleviates spasms (seed). |
Chemistry
| Active Ingredients |
|
|
Benzyl thiocyanate (seedling); glucosinolate and carotene (plant);beta-sitosterol, sinapin and sinapic acid (seed); alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, linolenic acid, mufa, oleic acid, thiamin (leaf). |
| Chemistry
of Active Ingredients |
|
|
|
 |
Name |
CAS# |
IUPAC Name |
Formula |
Structure |
 |
|
| Benzyl thiocyanate |
3012-37-1 |
thiocyanatomethylben
zene |
C8H7NS |
|
| beta-Sitosterol |
5779-62-4 |
17-(5-ethyl-6-methyl
-heptan-2-yl)-10,13-
dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9
,11,12,14,
15,16,17
-dodecahydro-1H-cycl
openta[a]phenanthren
-3-ol |
C29H50O |
|
| Sinapic acid |
530-59-6 |
3-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dim
ethoxy-phenyl)prop-2
-enoic acid |
C11H12O5 |
|
| alpha-Tocopherol |
364-50-1 |
2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-
2-(5,9,13-trimethylt
etradecyl)chroman-6-
ol |
C30H52O2 |
|
| Ascorbic acid |
Not Available |
2-(1,2-dihydroxyethy
l)-4,5-dihydroxy-fur
an-3-one |
C6H8O6 |
|
| beta-Carotene |
Not Available |
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 |
|
| Linolenic acid |
94138-91-7 |
octadeca-9,12,15-tri
enoic acid |
C18H30O2 |
|
| Oleic acid |
8046-01-3 |
octadec-9-enoic acid |
C18H34O2 |
|
| Thiamin |
59-43-8 |
2-[3-[(4-amino-2-met
hyl-pyrimidin-5-yl)m
ethyl]-4-methyl-1-th
ia-3-azoni
acyclope
nta-2,4-dien-5-yl]et
hanol |
C12H17N4OS+ |
|
|
Pharmacology
| Medicinal Use |
|
|
The plant is administered in cases of asthma, cough with expectoration and bleeding piles; syphilis, tenesmus (root). The leaves are antiscorbutic, diuretic and stimulant. The seeds are galactogogue. It used to procure an abortion, applied as a poultice to pains and hurts and also used as an aperient. |
| Reference |
|
|
 Sharma, Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.
Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India. |
Dealers
Products
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