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Botanical Name :Acorus
calamus
Sanskrit name :
Vacha
English Name :
Sweet Flal, Sweet-Flag
Family : Araceae
Plant Parts Used :
Dried Rhizome
Description of
Acorus calamus :
Acorus calamus is a Perennial, semi-aquatic
and smelly plant, found in both temperate and subtemperate zones. It is
upto 6 feet tall, aromatic, sword-shaped leaves and small, yellow/green
flowers with branched rhizome. Rhizome horizontal, jointed, somewhat
vertically compressed, spongy within, 1.25-2.5 cm in thickness, pale to
dark brown or ocassionally orange-brown in colour, leaves grass-like or
sword shaped, long and slender flowers small, yellow-green, in spadix;
berries green, angular,1-3 seeded; seeds oblong. |
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Traditional uses:
It is a stimulating nervine antispasmodic, and a general tonic to the
mind. As a rejuvenative for the brain and nervous system, it is used to
promote cerebral circulation, to stimulate self-expression, and to help
manage a wide range of symptoms in the head, including neuralgia,
epilepsy, memory loss and shock. It is used in the Phillipines for
rheumatism and memory problems. In Korea, it is an ingredient in a type
of moonshine called Immortals' Booze. Research in China has shown the
essential oil in this rhizome to be sedating and neuroprotectant
Phytochemistry:
It yields a light brown to brownish yellow
volatile oil known as calamus oil. The important constituents are
asarone and its ~-isomer. Other-constituents are calamenol; calamene,
calamenone, methyleugenol. eugenol and a-pinene and camphene, lJtesence
ofsmciJl quantities of palmitic, heptylic and butyIic acids,
asaronaldehyde, calamol, calamone and azulene has also been reported.
Sesquiterpenic ketones like acorone, calarene, calacone, calacorene,
acorenone, acolamone, isoacolamone, epishyobunone, shyobunone,
isoshyobunone and acoragermacrone, and alcohols like isocalamendiol and
preisocalamendiol are also present.
Pharmacology:
The essential oil and the crude alcoholic and aqueous
extractsobtained from the roots showed depressant action in dogs. The
smooth muscle activity of asarone and essential oil was found similar to
that of papaverine. The activity of asarone was greater than that of the
essential oil. It was found that the sedative effect of asarone was
dependant on the depression of the ergotropic division of the
hypothalamus. Acorus oil in 50 mg. and 100 mg./kg.Dose antagonised the
dextroamphetamine induced agitational symtoms. At the same dose, it
inhibited the conditioned avoidance response in rats. Roots and rhizomes
are stimulant, emetic, nauseant, stomachic,aromatic, expectorant,
carminative, antispasmodic and nervine sedative. In large doses of 30 to
40 grains, produces a violent and persistent emesis. In the form of
infusion, acts as a tonic,stomachic, carminative and also as
antiperiodic. The rhizome shows expectorant action due to the presence
of essential oil.
Main Actions:
Anthelmintic, Antispasmodic, Aromatic, Carminative, Emetic, Expectorant,
Nauseant, Nervine Sedative, Stimulants and Stomachic
Main Uses:
Mental fatigue, memory loss, anxiety, bronchitis, sinusitis, tension
headache, flatulence, joint pains.
Herbal Extract packing:
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