Lecture 19: Plants and Medicine (Digestive System) Flashcards
True or False: Throughout human history people have relied primarily on medicinal herbs to treat digestive disorders.
True
_____ was used as a mild laxative and ________ was used as a stronger laxative
coffee, castor oil + beer
An ______ is the procedure of introducing liquids into the rectum and colon via the anus.
Enema
______ thought that all diseases come from food, believed that a purge was necessary 3 times a month.
Ancient Egyptians
______and ______ were the most used treatments to any disease until the 17th and 18th centuries.
Purging, bloodletting
The Aztecs believed the remedy was to _____ oneself if one was experiencing stomach troubles
Purge
“They would eat a few pine nuts and once the purging was stopped, one would drink yellow tomato juice with chili, gourd seeds, and cacao”
______ in a few plants aid in heartburn: indigestion and acid reflux
essential oils
What are the 3 plants that aid in heartburn?
Mentha x piperita (peppermint) or Mentha sp.: herb
Carum carvi (caraway): fruits
Foeniculum vulgare (fennel): fruits
What is the chemical in peppermint that helps with indigestion?
Menthol
What does menthol treat?
Menthol inhibits smooth muscle contraction, especially in the digestive tract; it also stimulates the secretion of bile. These 2 actions combine to improve digestion in general.
____ is antiviral, antibacterial and is effective against irritable bowel syndrome
Menthol
How much menthol and menthone are in peppermint?
Menthol (ca. 40.7%)
menthone (ca. 23.4%).
_______ increase the volume of intestinal content and by stretching the wall of the intestine, stimulate the movement through the intestine
Bulk purgatives
What is an example of a bulk purgative?
Plantago psyllium (plantain)
Combined with water, ______ seeds produce a mucilaginous, slippery mass that speeds waste through the digestive tract.
psyllium (Plantago)
True or False: Psyllium also lowers bad cholesterol.
True
_____ stimulate peristaltic activity directly
Stimulative purgatives
________ uses the dried bark of cascara has been used for centuries by Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest.
Rhamnus purshiana
In Rhamnus purshiana, responsible for the laxative action are the ______.
anthracene glycosides (particularly cascarosides A, B, C and D), and emodin
_______ is a Is an invasive tree in N America. Its purgative action is so “cathartic” that it cannot be used medicinally
Rhamnus cathartica
_____ was a known purgative in Egypt and Greece
Aloe vera
How does aloe vera acta as a purgative?
It increases intestinal water content, stimulates mucus secretion and increases intestinal peristalsis.
True or False: If you take aloe vera for a prolonged period of time, you can develop hepatitis
True, a few cases have been reported
In aloe vera, Leaf sap contains ______, with a stimulating effects on mucus secretion and increases intestinal peristalsis.
anthraquinones
______ diarrhea can be caused by bacterial and viral enteritis, gastrointestinal allergy or food and toxin poisoning
Acute
_____ diarrhea is caused by chronic intestinal infections, immunologic and metabolic abnormalities, etc.
Chronic
Rhizomes of ______ were widely used by the Eastern N American tribes as a antidiarrheal
goldenseal
In goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), the antibacterial agent is ______, an alkaloid that destroys Helicobacter pylori, Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica.
berberine
True or False: Diarrhea is the condition of having 1 or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day.
False, 3 or more
_____ is used for antiemetic and motion sickness (gravol)
Zingiber officinale (ginger) Rhizomes used for century in Asia against nausea
Plant ______, from the latex in fruits of plants such as _______ and ______, have high proteolytic activities that are known to digest nematode cuticles, have low toxicity for humans. Used for centuries in traditional medicines against _______.
cysteine proteinases
papaya and fig
gastrointestinal nematodes
_____ is a ancient remedy against gastrointestinal parasites
Artemisia (wormwood)
What are the two alkaloids in artemisia?
artemisinin and acetogenins.
The stem and root from _____ is efficient it fighting tapeworms
Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
Aromatic oils from plants in the family _____ and ____ are used as caminatives (anti gas and bloating)
Lamiaceae and Apiaceae
What are the 6 examples from Lamiaceae (mint family) used a carminative?
Mint Thyme Bee balm or wild bergamot Rosemary Balm Oregano
Question: Which of the following plant is not a purgative
Ginger
Question: Why is hydrastis canadensis a good antidiarrheal plant?
Contains alkaline berberine in roots
The Ojibwa used an infusion of ______, which acted as sodium bicarbonate reducing acidity and stimulating urination.
hops inflorescences
