Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Withania
also showed a potent analgesic and antipyretic effect with the absence of gastric dam-
age at different dose levels in experimental rats, and it compared favorably with the nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) indomethacin. Its anti-inflammatory properties have been evalu-
ated by measuring the paw volume and serum lysosomal enzyme activities in monosodium urate
crystal-induced rats.
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It is effective in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder in experimental
animals, and the activity compares favorably with standard anxiolytic drugs such as fluoxetine,
ritanserin, and parachlorophenylalanine.
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Clinical Properties —
Withania somnifera
is employed in Indian Ayurvedic medicine to atten-
uate cerebral function deficits in the geriatric population, to augment the faculty of learning and
memory retention in normal individuals, and to provide nonspecific host defense.
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It has been
employed as a hypnotic in clinical cases of emphysema, alcoholism, and pulmonary tuberculosis.
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Withania
is used in clinical medicine as an antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antiaging medication
to support brain function; for Parkinson's disease; as a cardiotonic; and as a general tonic.
It has been used for the treatment of male infertility in India. In a clinical report of the treatment
of infertile men (
n
= 75),
Withania
recovered the seminal plasma levels of antioxidant enzymes and
vitamins A, C, and E and corrected fructose. The treatment with
W. somnifera
effectively reduced
oxidative stress, as assessed by decreased levels of various oxidants and improved level of diverse
antioxidants. Moreover, the levels of testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulat-
ing hormone (FSH), and prolactin (PRL), good indicators of semen quality, were also reversed in
infertile subjects after treatment with the herbal preparation.
Withania somnifera
inhibited lipid
peroxidation and protein carbonyl content and improved sperm count and motility.
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Toxicity —
No serious effects or toxicity have been attributed to the consumption of
Withania.
The plant is regarded in India as a general tonic and a casual adaptogen, with ginseng-like activities.
In Sri Lanka, an extract of the plant has been reported to have caused marked lesions in feeding
experiments with rats.
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XYLOPIA AETHIOPICA
Botanical Name —
Xylopia aethiopica
(Dunal) A. Rich.
Synonyms —
Annona aethiopica
Dunal.,
Xylopia emenii
Engl.
Family —
Annonaceae
Common Name —
Ethiopian pepper
African Names —
Arabic: kyimba; Bini: unien; Hausa: kimba; Igbo: uda; Nupe: tsunfyanyi;
Yoruba: erunje; Efik: atta; Ibibio: ata
Description —
Xylopia
is an evergreen, aromatic tree growing up to 20 m high, 50 cm in
diameter, with a straight bole. The bark is grayish brown to reddish, fairly smooth but with a
network of fissures. The slash is reddish brown and fibrous beneath; the crown is much branched,
with the branches and branchlets having numerous white lenticels. The leaves are broad (5-15 cm
long and 2.5-6 cm wide), acuminate, elliptic, simple, with stipules absent; the margins are entire,
coriaceous, with the midrib very broad at the base and slightly impressed above. The flowers are
greenish white, solitary or in small clusters of 3-5. There are 6 petals, in two whorls, cream, with
outer petals linear, 2.5-5 mm long, thick, gradually tapering to the apex, covered with rust-colored
hairs, and the inner petals are shorter and narrower. The fruits are peppery and occur as monocarp;
they are cylindrical, up to 9 cm long, reddish at first, eventually blackish, and with 1-8 orange-red
to black cylindrical seeds.
9
Habitat and Distribution —
Xylopia aethiopica
is native to the lowland rain forest and moist
fringe forests in the savanna zones of Africa. It is distributed from Senegal to Zaire and has been
located in Gambia, Angola, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin. Nigeria,
Gabon, Zaire, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique.
