PDR for Herbal Medicines

338 /GERMANDER

Sticher O, Lahloub MF, (1982) Planta Med 30:124.

Further information in:

Frohne D, Pfander HJ, Giftpflanzen - Ein Handbuch fur

Apotheker, Toxikologen und Biologen, 4. Aufl., Wiss. Verlags-

Ges. Stuttgart 1997.

Hansel R, Keller K, Rimpler H, Schneider G (Hrsg.), Hagers

Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 5. Aufl., Bde 4-6

(Drogen): Springer Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1992-

1994.

Geum rivale

See Water Avens

Geum urbanum

See Bennet's Root

Giant Milkweed

Calotropis gigantea

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts of the plant are the

bark and roots.

Flower and Fruit: The flowers are arranged in umbels. The

flower structures are arranged in fives. The corolla is fused

and campanulate, 3 to 5 cm wide and split up to two-thirds of

the length. The lobes are greenish with purple tips. The

paracorolla is composed of 5 cap-like points. The 5 stamens

and the 2 styles are fused to a stemmed gynostegium and the

pollen sticks together to form to a pollinium. The sepals are

ovate and the ovary superior. The fruit is a swollen follicle, 9

to 10 cm long and turned back. The seeds have a silky tuft of

hair.

Leaves, Stem and Root: Calotropis gigantea is a shrub,

occasionally tree-like, which grows up to 3 m high. The

leaves are sessile with the base clasping th&stem, fleshy, 10

to 20 cm long and 4 to 10 cm wide, elongate-ovate or

elliptical. The stem is woody.

Habitat: India, China, and Malaysian archipelago

Other Names: Giant Swallow Root, Swallow Wort, Crown
Flower

PDR FOR HERBAL MEDICINES

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Cardioactive steroid glycosides (cardenolids): calotropin,

calactin and uscharidin

Steroids: sterols, including beta-sitosterol, taraxasterol

EFFECTS

The drug contains cardioactive cardenolide glycosides and

exhibits an emetic-cathartic effect resembling that of Ipeca-

cuanha. The calotropin demonstrates anti-tumor qualities

against human epidermoid carcinoma cells of the nasophar-

ynx, in vitro.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Unproven Uses: Giant Milkweed has been used for dysen-

tery, vomiting, toothache, syphilis, convulsions, warts,

leprosy and digestion problems.

Indian Medicine: Preparations are used for skin conditions,

intestinal worms, coughs, ascites and anasarca.

Homeopathic Uses: Calotropis gigantea is used for obesity.

PRECAUTIONS AND ADVERSE REACTIONS

No health hazards are known in conjunction with the proper

administration of designated therapeutic dosages.

OVERDOSAGE

Higher dosages cause severe mucous membrane irritation,

characterized by vomiting and diarrhea, as well as bradycar-

dia and convulsions, sometimes leading to death. It is not

known whether those compounds found in the plant that

belong chemically to the cardioactive steroid glycoside

group are indeed cardioactive, because of their unusual

structure (the sugar remnant is bound to the aglycone both as

a glycoside and as an ether). Mucilaginous drinks are

recommended to treat the symptoms of inflammation;

morphine and atrophine for treating pain.

DOSAGE

Mode of Administration: Whole and cut drug preparations

for internal use.

Daily Dosage: As an emetic: 2 to 4 gm; As a diaphoretic and

expectorant: 200 to 600 mg.

Homeopathic Dosage: (from D4) 5 to 10 drops, 1 tablet, 5 to

10 globules, 1 to 3 times daily or from D6 1 ml injection

solution sc. twice weekly (HAB1).

LITERATURE

Hansel R, Keller K, Rimpler H, Schneider G (Ed), Hagers

Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 5. Aufl., Bde 4-6

(Drogen), Springer Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1992-

1994.

Kiuchi F, Fukao Y, Maruyama T, Obata T, Tanaka M, Sasaki

T, Mikage M, Haque ME, Tsuda Y, Cytotoxic principles of a