Medicinal Dicots
HERB 531
Order Caryophyllales
- About ten families from this order are the only ones known to make betalain alkaloids, instead of anthocyanins
- In all other families, the red/blue/purple spectrum is due to anthocyanin compounds
- There are two kinds of betalains: purple betacyanins & yellow betaxanthins
- Betalain alkaloids are very potent antioxidant & anticarcinogenic compounds
Betalain Alkaloids: Betacyanins
- Pokeberries
- Beets, Spinach, Chard
- Purslane
- Amaranth
- Prickly Pear fruit
Betalain Alkaloids: Betaxanthins
- Yellow pigments similar in structure to the purple betacyanin pigments
- Dietary sources: Yellow Beets, Chard
- Also found in Purslane, an excellent wild food/herb common in gardens
- Prickly Pear cactus flowers a good source
Solanaceae: The Nightshade Family
Nightshade Flowers
Steroidal Alkaloids
- Antifungal, antibacterial, insecticidal compounds for the plants
- Isolated alkaloids damage intestinal & gastric mucosa
- Characteristic of the Solanaceae In sprouting Potato eyes & Tomato leaves & unripe fruits
Tropane Alkaloids
- Hyoscyamine
- Scopolamine (hyoscine)
- Atropine
- Belladonna
- Henbane
- Thorn Apple (Datura)
- Brugmansia
Datura: Tropane Alkaloids
- Jimsonweed, Locoweed, Sacred Datura
- Ayurveda prescribed Datura for asthma thousands of years ago
- Known in Europe as ‘Potter’s asthma cure’
- Old remedy for hemorrhoids (salve)
- Antispasmodic
- Narcotic anodyne
- Psychotropic
Cayenne Peppers
- Family Solanaceae
- Genus Capsicum
- Many species, including C. anuum & C. frutescens
- Many, but not all, species in this genus make a group of spicy compounds called capsaicinoids; these are only found in the Capsicum genus
- Carotenoids, which are very widely distributed, provide the yellow/orange/red colors of Peppers
- Capsaicin & relatives are powerful topical analgesics: herpetic neuralgia, arthritis
- Diaphoretic, stimulant, rubefacient, antiseptic
- Capsanthin & capsorubin, the red pigments, are powerful antioxidants
- Herb is beneficial to the cardiovascular system
The Asteraceae Family
- Order Asterales; Subclass Asteridae
- Many medicinal plants belong in the large Asteraceae family, formerly called the ‘Compositae’ or the ‘Daisy family’
- Flowers from this family are composites with numerous tiny disk flowers (in the center) & often ray flowers (surrounding them; larger, and usually infertile)
- Asteraceae make many different kinds of medicinal compounds
A Few Characteristic Compounds of the Asteraceae
- The sesquiterpene lactones
- The inulins (a type of oligosaccharide)
- The pyrrolizidine alkaloids
Asteraceae: Sesquiterpene Lactones
Bitter principles/digestive bitters in many Asteraceae including:
- Chicory
- Elecampane
- Dandelion
- Yarrow
- Wild Lettuce
- Blessed Thistle & Milk Thistle
- Wormwood
- Artichoke
- Arnica
Allergic Reactions to Sesquiterpene Lactones (Contact Dermatitis)
Contact with the sap of any of these Asteraceae can produce skin irritation in sensitive people:
- Arnica, Artichoke, Aster
- Cardoon, Chrysanthemum, Cosmos
- Daisy, Elecampane, Endive
- Feverfew, Gaillardia (Blanket Flower), Grindelia
- Matricaria, Roman Chamomile, Rudbeckia
- Sunflowers, Yarrow
Oligosaccharides from Asteraceae Roots
- Inulins: short chains of fructose units bonded together (oligo = short)
- Also called FOS – fructooligosaccharides
- A type of soluble dietary fiber
- Abundant in Chicory, Jerusalem Artichoke, Burdock,
- Dandelion, & Elecampane roots
- May influence blood sugar stability
- Feeds colon bacteria, increases butyrate
- Reduces serum LDL, triglycerides
Oligosaccharides: Dandelion
Bitter principles for digestive system:
- sesquiterpene lactones
- Roots contain inulin
- May influence blood sugar stability
- Nourish beneficial colon bacteria
- Help normalize blood lipid levels
- Nourishing liver tonic
- Diuretic, but conserves potassium
- Flowers good source of antioxidant carotenoids
Asteraceae: Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids
- Some Asteraceae produce a class of alkaloids known as pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs)
- Some PAs are broken down in the liver and release toxic pyrrole units
- Both acute and chronic exposure to pyrroles can damage blood vessels in the liver, lungs, and heart
- Veno-occlusive disease (VOD), liver failure, or death may result
- Weed species (e.g., Senecio) have caused outbreaks of VOD via contaminated grain crops
Asteraceae: Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids
- Some PAs are considerably more toxic than others – ‘macrocyclic esters’ are especially toxic
- Medicinal Asteraceae containing smaller PA concentrations or less toxic types include Coltsfoot and Petasites*
- Some PAs are completely non-toxic
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids: Echinacea
- Echinacea is an Asteraceae genus having non-toxic PAs
- Its medicinal compounds include a special group of lipid derivatives (isobutylamides or alkylamides), antioxidant polyphenols, and immunomodulating polysaccharides
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids: Boraginaceae
- Some members of the Boraginaceae family also produce pyrrolizidine alkaloids
- Generally, these species do not make the most toxic kinds of PAs (macrocyclic esters)
- Comfrey and Borage are medicinal examples
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