Month: April 2011

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Antelope Horn

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Botanical Name :Asclepias viridis
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae
Genus: Asclepias
Species: A. viridis
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales

Common Name : Antelope Horn, milkweed,  Green antelopehorn and Spider milkweed

Habitat:Antelope Horn is  Native to U.S. The plant is very common in Missouri, especially in the southern half of the state. Grows in  rocky prairies and glades, fields, roadsides.

Description:
This plant is a beauty and should be cultivated more. The slightly spreading nature and big flower clusters make the plant (I think) very desirable in the garden. The plant would need no care once established. Milkweed is a Perennial herb from a thickened, cylindrical to fusiform, vertical rootstock.
CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES
Stems – To +50cm long, erect or ascending, multiple from base, from thick roots, herbaceous, with milky sap, glabrous, often purple-green.

Leaves – Alternate, short petiolate. Petioles to 6mm long, minutely pubescent. Blade ovate-lanceolate, typically truncate at base but also slightly rounded, entire, to 12cm long, 5cm broad, sparse appressed pubescent, apex blunt to emarginate or rounded. Veins often pinkish above.

Inflorescence – Axillary and terminal umbellate cymes. Peduncles glabrous, green, to -5cm long. Pedicels to 3cm long, puberulent, subtended by linear bracts to 6mm long, -1mm broad.
Flowers – Petals 5, erect, lanceolate-ovate, -2cm long, to 8mm broad, glabrous. Hoods purple, 5-6mm long, margins infolded. Horns absent. Anther head 3mm in diameter, 3mm tall, blackish and green. Pollinia purple and gold, 2-3mm long. Carpels 2, 3.5mm long, enclosed by column. Sepals 5, 5mm long, 2mm broad, lanceolate, pubescent externally. Follicles to 13cm long, sparse pubescent. Seed to +6mm long, broadly ovate to suborbicular. Coma to 4cm long, whitish.

Medicinal Uses:
Used to relieve fever, it was drunk as a decoction of the root in cold water.  To relieve palpitation, the powdered root is rubbed over the heart area.  A poultice of the powdered root is used to treat neck and rib pains and a tea made from it is used to alleviate asthma and shortness of breath.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm
http://www.asclepias.org/viridis.html
http://www.missouriplants.com/Greenalt/Asclepias_viridis_page.html
http://www.monarchwatch.org/milkweed/guide/viridis.htm

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Herbs & Plants

Angostura trifoliata

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Botanical Name :Galipea officinali
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Angostura
Species: A. trifoliata
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Sapindales

Common Name: Cusparia bark, Cusparia febrifuga, Bonplandia trifoliata, Galipea cusparia.

Synonyms
Allocspariene, Angostura trifoliata, Angostura trifoliate, Bonplandia trifoliata Willd., candicine, Cusparia febrifuga Humb. ex DC., Cusparia felorifuga, Cusparia trifoliata (Willd.) Engl., Galipea, Galipea officinalis, galipinine, quinolones, Rutaceae (family), tetrahydroquinolines.

Parts used: the dried bark

Habitat :Angostura trifoliata is native to tropical  South America.

Description;

The plant is called the tree belongs to Angosturovoe hinnym trees 10-20 meters tall, with compound leaves and grows tropical South America and West Indies.In medicine used to treat only the bark of Angostura.  Angosturae cortex  Cortex Angosturae. Latin name: Angosturae cortex or Cortex Angosturae.(Angostura febrifuga, Galipea officinalis, Rutaceae). In farmetsevtike this plant is known also under the names angosturovoe tree, or a drug galipeya (Angostura febrifuga, Galipea officinalis, Rutaceae).
Angostura (Galipea officinalis, Angostura trifoliata)   has been studied for its potential antibiotic and cytotoxic (cell killing) activity.

click to see the pictures.>......(01).…...…(1).......(2).......…(3)..………………………

Chemical Constituents: The dried bark has the active ingredients angosturin, the alkaloids galipine, cusparine, galipidine, cusparidine and cuspareine, as well as a volatile oil and an unidentified glucoside.

Medicinal uses:
Aromatic, Bitter, Tonic, Stimulant, Purgative

A strong bitter with tonic properties, angostura stimulates the stomach and digestive tract as a whole.  It is antispasmodic and is reported to act on the spinal nerves, helping in paralytic conditions.  Angostura is typically given for weak digestion, and is considered valuable as a remedy for diarrhea and dysentery.  In South America, it is sometimes used as a substitute for cinchona to control fevers.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm
http://www.wellness.com/reference/herb/angostura-galipea-officinalis-angostura-trifoliata/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angostura_trifoliata
http://www.herbal-encyclopedia.net/a/angostura-galipea-officinalis.html
http://www.inmagine.com/imagebrokerrm-210/ptg01279776-photo

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medrezept.ru%2Ftravi%2Fpage%2F2%2F

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News on Health & Science

Study Finds Troubles With Gastric Band Surgery

A study has found that nearly half of a group of patients who received gastric band surgery for weight loss over ten years ago had the bands removed because of medical complications.

click & see

The study is the first to track laparoscopic gastric band surgery outcomes over a long period. The bands eroded in almost a third of the patients, and sixty percent went on to undergo additional weight loss surgery in spite of the bands.

According to the New York Times:–
“Researchers concluded that the adjustable gastric band surgery, which is growing in popularity in the United States, ‘appears to result in relatively poor long-term outcomes.’ The results ‘are worse than we expected,’ said Dr. Jacques Himpens … lead author of the new study.”

Furthermore, significant bone loss has been shown to occur in teens receiving gastric bypass surgery, the same result that occurs in adults receiving this more invasive type of stomach surgery. Researchers took bone density measurements every three months for two years after the teen’s surgeries and according to USA Today found that:

“Two years after the surgery, the bone mineral content of the 61 obese teens studied had declined, on average, by 7.4 percent.”

Resources:
New York Times March 24, 2011
Archives of Surgery
USA Today April, 2011
Pediatrics March 28, 2011

Posted By Dr. Mercola | April 15 2011

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News on Health & Science

A Fake Smile Can be Bad for Health

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New research suggests that putting on a fake smile to mask your unhappiness or displeasure may have unexpected consequences. It can actually worsen your mood and cause you to withdraw from tasks.

CLICK & SEE
In a study published this month in the Academy of Management Journal, scientists tracked a group of bus drivers for two weeks, focusing on them because their jobs require frequent, and generally courteous, interactions with many people.

The scientists examined what happened when the drivers engaged in fake smiling, known as “surface acting,” and its opposite, “deep acting,” where they generated authentic smiles through positive thoughts, said an author of the study, Brent Scott, an assistant professor of management at Michigan State University.

After following the drivers closely, the researchers found that on days when the smiles were forced, the subjects’ moods deteriorated and they tended to withdraw from work. Trying to suppress negative thoughts, it turns out, may have made those thoughts even more persistent.

But on days when the subjects tried to display smiles through deeper efforts — by actually cultivating pleasant thoughts and memories — their overall moods improved and their productivity increased.

Women were affected more than men. Dr. Scott suspected cultural norms might be at play: women are socialized to be more emotionally expressive, he said, so hiding emotions may create more strain.

THE BOTTOM LINE :Research suggests that an inauthentic smile to hide unhappiness can further worsen your mood.

Source:New York Times February 21, 2011

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Herbs & Plants

Artemisia keiskeana

 

Botanical Name:Artemisia keiskeana
Family:Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Genus: Artemisia
Tribe: Anthemideae
Order:Asterales

Other Names :An Lu,Wormwood Keyzke

Habitat : Prevalent in E. Asia – China, Japan, Korea and eastern Russia the Far East (south of the Amur Region, Maritime Territory).  Growing on slopes of hills, forests, occasionally on the slopes, on the ledges of the rocks.

Description:
Artemisia keiskeana is a perennial herbaceous plant 20-50 cm rhizome robust, branched, with creeping stems.  Part of the stems is creeping, rooting tip, the rest-ascending, leafy, erect, pubescent, up almost naked.  Leaves are simple, oval in outline, green top, bottom, light green, the lower petiolate, upper sessile, base cuneate, with three – seven broadly sharp blades or in the upper sessile leaves with three short, sharp teeth.  Baskets on long stalks almost spherical, in short racemes; achene plano-convex, ovoid, dark brown, smooth.  It is in flower from Aug to November, and the seeds ripen from Sep to November. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.

click to see the pictures

click to see the pictures>...(1)......(2)    (3)  .…..(4)...

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Cultivation:
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. This species is closely related to A. dracunculus. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Easily grown in a well-drained circumneutral or slightly alkaline loamy soil, preferring a warm sunny dry position. Established plants are drought tolerant. Plants are longer lived, more hardy and more aromatic when they are grown in a poor dry soil. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.

Propagation:
Seed – surface sow from late winter to early summer in a greenhouse, making sure that the compost does not dry out. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Division in spring or autumn. Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the young shoots when about10 – 15cm long, pot up in a lightly shaded position in a greenhouse or cold frame and plant them out when well rooted. Very easy.

Edible Uses: Leaves are edible.Young leaves and shoot tips – cooked. The leaves contain about 5.6% protein, 1.2% fat, 9.5% carbohydrate, 2.6% ash.

Composition
Figures in grams (g) or miligrams (mg) per 100g of food.

Leaves (Fresh weight)
•0 Calories per 100g
•Water : 0%
•Protein: 5.6g; Fat: 1.2g; Carbohydrate: 9.5g; Fibre: 0g; Ash: 2.6g;
•Minerals – Calcium: 0mg; Phosphorus: 0mg; Iron: 0mg; Magnesium: 0mg; Sodium: 0mg; Potassium: 0mg; Zinc: 0mg;
•Vitamins – A: 0mg; Thiamine (B1): 0mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0mg; Niacin: 0mg; B6: 0mg; C: 0mg;

Medicinal Uses:
The seeds have a reputation for correcting sexual impotence in men and amenorrhea in women.  An infusion of the seeds also is used for post-partum pain.

Decoction of seeds in the traditional Tibetan medicine used for impotence, amenorrhea, postpartum pain, with bruises,

prophylactically in abscess. Experiments have revealed cholagogue properties of the plant.

Other  Uses:The stalks are used for thatching.

Known Hazards:Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, skin contact with some members of this genus can cause dermatitis or other allergic reactions in some people.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://fitoapteka.org/herbs-p/4078-101030-artemisia-keiskeana
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_keiskeana
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Artemisia%20keiskeana
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm

 

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