Botanical Name : Pluchea Lanceolata
Sanskrit Name: Kutaj                                  
English Name : Inula racemosa
Family : Asterceae                                      
Part used: Whole Plant

Description of Pluchea Lanceolata:

The plant is a stout herb growing 0.33-2 meters in height. The stem is grooved, rough and very hairy. The leaves are elliptical, large, 3-6 cm long and 2-3 cm broad, and have long petioles. The fruits, slender achene’s, 0.4 cm long, bearded with 0.75 cm long pappus hairs. The flowers are yellow, many in heads, 0.5-1 cm in diameter. The fresh root is brown and becomes grayish on drying. The fresh roots resemble in aroma of camphor.

On extraction of the plant with hexane and isolation , the compounds obtained are dihydroisoalan tolactone, isoalantolactone and alantolactone. From the roots, sitosterol, octadecanoic acid and D-mannitol have been isolated also. Two biologically active new sesquiterpene lactones., inunal and isoalloalantolactone are isolated. Alantolactone, isoalantolactone and dihydroisoa – lantolactone isolated from roots. A germacranolide – inunolide – from root oil. Also alloalantolactone isolated from roots and characterized. Two new sesquiterpene lactones inunal and isolloalantolactone – isolated and characterized.
 

Medicinal Uses:

To boost the appetite and to digest ama – undigested toxic metabolites, the flatulence and abdominal pain. It is the highly praised panacea for cough, hiccup and bronchial asthma, to reduce the excessive body fats. In anaemis and general debility, it is salutary as a general tonic. Puskaramula restrains the itching sensation and oozing in the skin diseases and thus facilitates the wound healing. It is pacifying to the brain and helps in strengthening it in mental debility. The herb also accords a stimulant action to genital system in both the sexes. In males it works well as an aphrodisiac and in females, it augments the quantity of menstrual bleeding. Thus, it can be used both, in amenorrhea as well as dysmenorrheal. It possesses a mild diuretic property, hence is used with benefit in dysuria.

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