Lecture 19: Plants and Medicine (Digestive System)

Question 1

True or False: Throughout human history people have relied primarily on medicinal herbs to treat digestive disorders.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

_____ was used as a mild laxative and ________ was used as a stronger laxative

Answer 2

coffee, castor oil + beer

Question 3

An ______ is the procedure of introducing liquids into the rectum and colon via the anus.

Answer 3

Enema

Question 4

______ thought that all diseases come from food, believed that a purge was necessary 3 times a month.

Answer 4

Ancient Egyptians

Question 5

______and ______ were the most used treatments to any disease until the 17th and 18th centuries.

Answer 5

Purging, bloodletting

Question 6

The Aztecs believed the remedy was to _____ oneself if one was experiencing stomach troubles

Answer 6

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”

Question 7

______ in a few plants aid in heartburn: indigestion and acid reflux

Answer 7

essential oils

Question 8

What are the 3 plants that aid in heartburn?

Answer 8

Mentha x piperita (peppermint) or Mentha sp.: herb

Carum carvi (caraway): fruits

Foeniculum vulgare (fennel): fruits

Question 9

What is the chemical in peppermint that helps with indigestion?

Answer 9

Menthol

Question 10

What does menthol treat?

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

____ is antiviral, antibacterial and is effective against irritable bowel syndrome

Answer 11

Menthol

Question 12

How much menthol and menthone are in peppermint?

Answer 12

Menthol (ca. 40.7%)

menthone (ca. 23.4%).

Question 13

_______ increase the volume of intestinal content and by stretching the wall of the intestine, stimulate the movement through the intestine

Answer 13

Bulk purgatives

Question 14

What is an example of a bulk purgative?

Answer 14

Plantago psyllium (plantain)

Question 15

Combined with water, ______ seeds produce a mucilaginous, slippery mass that speeds waste through the digestive tract.

Answer 15

psyllium (Plantago)

Question 16

True or False: Psyllium also lowers bad cholesterol.

Answer 16

True

Question 17

_____ stimulate peristaltic activity directly

Answer 17

Stimulative purgatives

Question 18

________ uses the dried bark of cascara has been used for centuries by Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest.

Answer 18

Rhamnus purshiana

Question 19

In Rhamnus purshiana, responsible for the laxative action are the ______.

Answer 19

anthracene glycosides (particularly cascarosides A, B, C and D), and emodin

Question 20

_______ is a Is an invasive tree in N America. Its purgative action is so “cathartic” that it cannot be used medicinally

Answer 20

Rhamnus cathartica

Question 21

_____ was a known purgative in Egypt and Greece

Answer 21

Aloe vera

Question 22

How does aloe vera acta as a purgative?

Answer 22

It increases intestinal water content, stimulates mucus secretion and increases intestinal peristalsis.

Question 23

True or False: If you take aloe vera for a prolonged period of time, you can develop hepatitis

Answer 23

True, a few cases have been reported

Question 24

In aloe vera, Leaf sap contains ______, with a stimulating effects on mucus secretion and increases intestinal peristalsis.

Answer 24

anthraquinones

Question 25

______ diarrhea can be caused by bacterial and viral enteritis, gastrointestinal allergy or food and toxin poisoning

Answer 25

Acute

Question 26

_____ diarrhea is caused by chronic intestinal infections, immunologic and metabolic abnormalities, etc.

Answer 26

Chronic

Question 27

Rhizomes of ______ were widely used by the Eastern N American tribes as a antidiarrheal

Answer 27

goldenseal

Question 28

In goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), the antibacterial agent is ______, an alkaloid that destroys Helicobacter pylori, Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica.

Answer 28

berberine

Question 29

True or False: Diarrhea is the condition of having 1 or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day.

Answer 29

False, 3 or more

Question 30

_____ is used for antiemetic and motion sickness (gravol)

Answer 30

Zingiber officinale (ginger)
Rhizomes used for century in Asia against nausea

Question 31

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 _______.

Answer 31

cysteine proteinases

papaya and fig

gastrointestinal nematodes

Question 32

_____ is a ancient remedy against gastrointestinal parasites

Answer 32

Artemisia (wormwood)

Question 33

What are the two alkaloids in artemisia?

Answer 33

artemisinin and acetogenins.

Question 34

The stem and root from _____ is efficient it fighting tapeworms

Answer 34

Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

Question 35

Aromatic oils from plants in the family _____ and ____ are used as caminatives (anti gas and bloating)

Answer 35

Lamiaceae and Apiaceae

Question 36

What are the 6 examples from Lamiaceae (mint family) used a carminative?

Answer 36

Mint
Thyme 
Bee balm or wild bergamot
Rosemary
Balm 
Oregano

Question 37

Question: Which of the following plant is not a purgative

Answer 37

Ginger

Question 38

Question: Why is hydrastis canadensis a good antidiarrheal plant?

Answer 38

Contains alkaline berberine in roots

Question 39

The Ojibwa used an infusion of ______, which acted as sodium bicarbonate reducing acidity and stimulating urination.

Answer 39

hops inflorescences