Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Distribution: India, China, Thailand, Brazil
Habitat: Paddy ields, moist places
Description: The plant is an erect, slender, and roughly pubescent herb grow-
ing to a maximum height of 60 cm. Leaves are opposite, sessile, narrowly
lanceolate, toothed, or nearly entire. Floral heads, which are 8 mm in diam-
eter, are solitary, and lorets are white. Roots are well developed, grayish,
and cylindrical.
Compounds and activities: This species contains three major coumestans, viz.,
norwedelolactone, wedelolactone, and demethylwedelolactone. Other com-
pounds present in this species are lavonoids, steroids, triterpenoids, poly-
acetylenes, and thiophene derivatives. The leaf extract of this species has
shown signiicant hepatoprotective activity against paracetamol-induced rat
(Prabu et al., 2011). Experimented rats (with a single dose of paracetamol
(2 g/kg) and leaf extract (500 mg/kg) for 7 days) showed that the values of
serum protein, serum bilirubin, serum cholesterol, and serum triglycerides
were less than those of animals treated with paracetamol and silymarin
(standard hepatoprotective agent). This species has also been used in tradi-
tional medicines for the treatment of edema, joint pain, fever, and enlarged
liver, besides having uretic and memory-enhancing properties (Prabu
et al., 2011).
O
HO
O
HO
CH
3
O
O
HO
wedelolactone
AMMANIA BACCIFERA
LINNAEUS
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Myrtales
Family: Lythraceae
