sign in sign up
<<
Home , Plantago, Plantago lanceolata

lanceolata L. L. Sp. Pl., ed. 1,114 1753).

Names Arabic: Azan el-kabsh English: Ribwort, Great hen , Rib-grass. French: Plantain lanceole, Oreille de livre.

Status Due to the rarity of the plant and its confinement to a particular site in Egypt (the Cairo-Inshas road), the plant seems to be endangered. The plant is of Compiled by: Prof. F. M. Hammouda, Prof. S. I. Ismail, potential economic importance in Egypt if culti- Dr. N. S. Abdel-Azim and Dr. K. A. Shams vated. Edited by: Prof. K. H. Batanouny Photo by K. H. Batanouny Part(s) used , seed husks and roots. Morphological Description A that has erect, hairy, lanceolate Collection leaves which grow from the rootstock on margined The are cut during the growing season and petioles in a basal rosette. Several grooved used fresh, as juice or dried for decoctions. The stalks, tipped by a short spike of tune white leaves are cut before flowering and dried. whose brownish and bracts give the spike its predominantly dark colour. Preparation Seeds are laterally oblong and dark brown. The plant Powder, pressed juice, decoction. grows by the wayside. Its inconspicuous flowerhead, from which the small flowers with delicate stamens Uses peer out, looks more like the spikelet on the end of a Oral, external, ointment. long stem of grass and is almost lost amongst the colourful variety of meadow flowers. On the ground, Constituents however, the narrow lance-shaped leaves that give Plantago lanceolata contains 2-6.5% the plant the specific epithet lanceolata, form a large composed of at least four polysaccharides; 6.5% rosette. The veins on the 20 to 40 cm long leaves are ; iridoid glycosides, including 0.3-2.5% not branched like in other plants but run the length aucubin and 0.3-1.1% catalpol; over 1% silicic of the leaves. It flowers from May to September. acid; phenolic carboxylic acids (protocatechuic acid); flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin); minerals, including Geographical Distribution significant zinc, potassium, silicic acid; and saponin. Local: very rare in the Nile Delta. Regional: rare in North and South . Pharmacological Action and Global: , rarely in North and Central , Toxicity and . Plantago lanceolata L. possesses several chemically active constituents; the effectiveness of the plant is Ecology due to its mucilage, iridoid glycosides and The perennial plant grows in dry meadows, fields, contents. Bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity have pastures, roadsides, banks and wasteplaces, prefer- been shown in vitro for the cold aqueous extract and ring dry sandy soil. attributed to the aglycone, aucubigenin. The bacterio-

A Guide to Medicinal Plants in North Africa 211 static and bactericidal actions are, however, of the plant are particularly tough and wiry, and it is destroyed by heat, so the cold macerate form is used an old game with country children to strike the as a rinse, gargle, and/or cataplasm for antibacterial heads one against the other until the stalk breaks. action. Experimental research using P. lanceolata has The Anglo-Saxon word for a soldier was “cempa”, shown an inhibitory effect on mouse ear edema. and we can thus see the allusion to ‘kemps’. In laboratory tests, plantain reduced plasma lipid, The plant was at one time considered a fodder cholesterol, b-lipoprotein, and triglyceride concen- plant, but cultivation was never seriously taken up. trations in rabbits with atherosclerosis; it also Gelatinous substances extracted from the seeds increased isolated guinea pig and rabbit uterine have been used at one time for stiffening some smooth muscle tone. The iridoid glycoside aucubin types of muslins of other moving fabrics. The plant has stimulated actions in mice, and has is highly respected in folk medicine in Africa and also demonstrated protective effects on liver cells. Vietnam. Plantain contains mucilage, which produces demul- cent and emollient actions. The iridoid glycosides, Traditional Medicinal Uses aucubin and catalpol, show antibacterial activity • Allergic and other cases of rhinitis when isolated from fresh plants. • Antihelminthic Studies on humans have found positive results in • Bronchial spasm the treatment of chronic bronchitis and diabetes. Its • For the recuperation of the lungs after serious antibiotic action makes it effective in febrile disor- pulmonary diseases ders of the lungs and bronchi, and also help with • Gastritis and interitis gastrointestinal problems. • Nasal and middle ear catarrhal conditions Proteolytic enzymes found in the fresh and the • Nervous and dry coughing fresh or dried root make Plantago lanceolata useful • Short term palliative for painful and irritating as a gentle internal vasoconstrictor for milk intes- urinary conditions tinal inflammation. • Wound healer Hepatoprotective activities have been attributed to aucubin. References The herb is used to alleviate irritation in catarrh of Koichev, A. et al., (1983). "Pharmacologic-clinical the upper respiratory tract (effects of mucilage and study of a preparation from ". tannins). Probl Pneumos Ftiziatr 11:68-74. Plantago lanceolata is a non-toxic medicinal plant. Koichev, A. (1983). "Complex evaluation of the the- rapeutic effect of a preparation from Plantago Pharmacopoeia major in chronic bronchitis". Probl Vatr Med DAB 10. 11:61-69. Phamacopoeia Helvetica VII. Maksyutina, N.P. et al., (1978). "Chemical German Pharmacopeia. Composition and Hypocholesterolemia Action of Swiss Pharmacopeia. Some Drugs from Plantago major Leaves". Part 1. Polyphenolic Compounds. Farm Zh (Kiev) 4. Pharmaceutical Products Matev, M., Angelova, I., Koichev, A., Leseva, M. and Not available. Stefanov, G., (1982). "Clinical trial of Plantago major preparation in the treatment of chronic and bronchitis". Vutr Boles 21(2):133-137. Indigenous Knowledge Murai, M., Tamayama, Y. and Nishibe, S. (1995). History: Some old books call the Costa "Phenylethanoids in the herb of Plantago lan- canina in allusion to the prominent veinings in the ceolata and inhibitory effect of arachidonic leaves that earned it the name “Ribwort” and this acid-induced mouse ear edema". Planta feature is the origin of the mediaeval name of Quin- Med.61(5): 479-480. quenervia. Nadkarni, K.M., (1976). "Indian Materia Medica". Another old popular name was ‘Kemps’. The stalks Bombay: Popular Prakashan. 986-987.

212 A Guide to Medicinal Plants in North Africa General References of Medicinal Plants in Germany—A Batanouny, K. H., (1999). "Wild Medicinal Plants in Contribution to International Plant Species Egypt". (With contribution of: E. Aboutabl, M. Conservation". Bonn: Bundesamt fur Shabana & F. Soliman). With support of the Naturschutz. 29-35. Swiss Development Co-operation (SDC). Meyer-Buchtela, E. (1999). "Tea-Rezepturen-Ein Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Handbuch fur Apotheker und crzte". Stuttgart: Egypt. The Conservation Union (IUCN), Deutscher Apotheker Verlag. Switzerland. pp. 69-71. Newall, C.A, Anderson. L.A., Phillipson, J.D., (1996). Boulos, L. (2000). "Flora of Egypt", volume three, "Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Health-Care pp. 116-117, printed by Al Hadara Publishing, Professionals". London: The Pharmaceutical Cairo, Egypt. Press. Der Marderosian, A. (1999). "The Review of Natural Tyler, V.E. (1994). of Choice: The Therapeutic Products". St. Louis: Facts and Comparisons. Use of Phytomedicinals. New York: Grieve, M., "A Modern Herbal". (1979). New York: Pharmaceutical Products Press. Dover Publications, Inc. Wagner, H. and Bladt, S. (1996). "Plant Drug Hunsel, R., K. Keller, Rimpler, H. and Schneider, G. Analysis", 2nd Edn. 76, Springer Verlag, Berlin, (1992-1994). Hagers Handbuch der Heidelberg, New York, Tokyo. Pharmazeutischen Praxis, (1991). 5th ed. Vol. 4- Wichtl, M. and Bisset, N.G. (1994). "Herbal Drugs 6. Berlin-Heidelberg: Springer verlag. and Phytopharmaceuticals". Stuttgart: Lange, D. and Schippmann, U. (1997). "Trade Survey Medpharm Scientific Publishers.

A Guide to Medicinal Plants in North Africa 213