Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
detoxification steps. This depletion along with excess pulegone leads to centrilobar hepatocellular
necrosis.
71
Formulation and Dosage Forms —
The leaves are usually air dried and may be steam distilled
to obtain the oil. Apart from its use in the dietary supplement industry, it is a major ingredient in the
flavor and fragrance industry, where buchu is used to enhance fruit flavors. It is particularly used
to boost black currant-like flavors. Its fragrance has a minty camphoraceous, sweet berry, catty,
tropical guava, apricot and peach, green herbal taste. The oil is also used in perfumes and colognes.
Several proprietary products exist in which buchu is used either alone or in combination with gin-
ger,
Garcinia kola
,
Curcuma longa
for arthritis and with
G. kola
and
Cola nitida
(InterCEDD
Health Products) as a “hangover” tonic.
Commerce —
The two species of
Agathosma
are articles of international trade. The crude drug
as well as the volatile oils are traded extensively. Herbalists and trade associations in South Africa
export buchu to Europe, especially Germany and France. Although producer prices have fluctuated
wildly in recent years, the demand for this crop has been stable since 2002. According to the Market
News Service (MNS)
Bulletin on Medicinal Plants and Extracts—2011
,
1146
the wholesale price for
dried leaves of buchu was US$38.36/kg on cost insurance freight (CIF) terms.
Agriculture —
Buchu is restricted to South Africa and is a typical component of fynbos vegeta-
tion of the Cape region. Although some cultivation has been embarked on since the 1970s to raise
improved varieties with more desirable properties, most of the commercial products are still wild
crafted. Recent efforts in crop development have resulted in buchu now being a viable option for
small-scale farming. Recently, growers experienced severe losses, ascribed to a soil-borne disease.
The bioequivalence of some of the hybrids and cultivars is yet to be determined.
AGAVE SISALANA
Botanical Name —
Agave sisalana
Perrine
Synonym —
Agave rigida
Mill
Family —
Asparagaceae
Common Name —
Sisal
African Names —
Arabic: sisal, bambara, tangeka; Hausa: axomyis; Swahili: katani, mkonge
Description —
This is a perennial plant with a short stem, numerous leaves (in a rosette) that
are thick, fleshy, and thorny and can reach 2 m in height and 15 cm in width. The inflorescence
occurs in panicles at the apex of a hardy and long central stem of 3 to 8 m; greenish-yellow flowers
that are rare develop into capsular fruits and into seed but produce a lot of plantlets that ensure
fast propagation.
Habitat and Distribution —
The plant is widely distributed throughout East and Central
Africa. It is, however, cultivated in most tropical parts of the continent, requiring much sunlight
and preferring areas such as highlands with two rainy seasons. Sisal is a major crop in Tanzania,
Uganda, Angola, Mozambique, and Kenya.
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
Sisal is used primarily as a source of commercial fiber. In traditional
medicine in East Africa, the sludge obtained from the sap is used in the preparation of a lotion for
the treatment of local inflammatory conditions.
Constituents —
The fibers contain about 78% polysaccharide, of which about 84% consists
of cellulose and the remainder pentosan. The juice of the leaves contains hecogenin as the major
component and other steroidal sapogenins, such as sisalagenin, tigogenin, and neotigenin. Other
constituents include mucilage, pectins, mannitol, and reducing sugars.
Agave
contains phenolic
compounds, including flavonoids. The use of high-temperature and high-pressure reactors (PARR
model 4560) for phenolic extraction of
Agave
proved to be more efficient compared to the conven-
tional solid-liquid extraction at room temperature. It has been observed that an increase in both