Botany Quiz: Plant Species and Uses

Medicinal Plants Lecture 7

• Lecture covers Anatomy, Dusting Powders, Taxonomy, Physiology, and Introduction to Pharmacognosy
• Today's lecture focuses on Dusting Powders
• Dusting powders are crude drugs naturally occurring in powder form
• Plant-origin dusting powders include Starch, Lycopodium, and Kamala
• Mineral-origin dusting powders include Kieselguhr, Talc, Kaolin, China clay, Kaolinite
• Prepared/precipitated dusting powders include Precipitated Chalk, Precipitated Sulphur

Starch

• Starch occurs as irregular, angular or white powder
• Odorless and almost tasteless
• Insoluble in cold water, but forms a colloidal solution when boiled in water (about 15 times its weight)
• Forms a translucent jelly on cooling
• A glucose polymer containing two carbohydrates: amylopectin (branched) and amylose (unbranched, linear)
• Amylopectin constitutes over 80% of most starches
• Starch can be hydrolyzed by mineral acids into glucose and by β-amylase into maltose

Lycopodium

• Consists of ripe spores of the common clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum L., Lycopodiaceae)
• Pale yellow, fine, extremely mobile powder
• Odorless and tasteless
• Floats on water without getting wet
• Burns instantly with a brilliant flash when ignited
• Spores are resistant to pressure and dilute acids/alkalis

Active Constituents (Lycopodium)

• Contains fixed oil (50%), phytosterin, alkaloid (lycopodine), and traces of nicotine

Uses (Lycopodium)

• Used as a dusting powder and in medicated snuffs and pills
• Standard reference in quantitative microscopy
• Treatment for chest and urinary tract disorders, rheumatism, cramps, varices, antiseptic for lung and kidney diseases
• Used in fireworks

Kamala

• Consists of trichomes and glands separated from the fruits of Mallotus philippinensis (Euphorbiaceae)
• Found in India and Pakistan
• Dull reddish-brown powder, without odor or taste
• Composed of glands and trichomes
• Glands are sub-globular and filled with deep red resin

Active Constituents (Kamala)

• Anthelmintic phloroglucinol derivatives (rottlerin and isorottlerin)
• Resins (65%)

Uses (Kamala)

• Treatment for tapeworm infestations
• Treatment for poultry

Kieselguhr

• Siliceous earthy matter composed of siliceous walls of fossil diatoms
• Mostly SiO2; also contains organic matter, clay, iron oxide, and water (5-15%)

Uses (Kieselguhr)

• Filter aid in purification of oils, syrups, etc.
• Microbial filter for sterilization
• Inactive support for chromatography
• Used in face powder, pills, soap, and polishing powder
• Used in dynamite production (absorbs nitroglycerin)

Talc

• Purified hydrated magnesium silicate
• Occurs as massive, foliated structure
• White or with a grayish/greenish tint (due to iron oxide presence)
• Pearly luster, feels greasy when rubbed on the skin

Uses (Talc)

• Filter aid in purification/clarification of cloudy fluids
• Coating and dusting agent for pills to prevent adhesion
• Lubricant for massaging and sports activities
• Used in tablet manufacture

Kaolin, China Clay, Kaolinite

• Pure variety of clay, produced by weathering/decomposition of granite feldspar
• Mostly hydrated aluminum silicate
• Yellow tints in some samples due to iron traces

Uses (Kaolin)

• Pottery and ceramics manufacturing
• Filter/clarifying agent
• Medicinal agent for gastric/intestinal issues (e.g., diarrhea caused by bacterial toxins)

Precipitated Chalk

• Prepared by reacting calcium chloride with sodium carbonate
• Reaction temperature/time influence particle size/shapes (extra light, light, medium, heavy types)

Uses (Precipitated Chalk)

• Dentifrice manufacture (heavy type preferred)
• Antacid, alone or with soothing components (light type preferred)

Sulphur (Precipitated)

• Prepared by adding hydrochloric acid to a calcium sulfide and thiosulphate solution
• Prepared by boiling sulfur and lime in water

Uses (Sulphur)

• Mild antiseptic and parasiticide
• Used in lotion/cream form for treating acne vulgaris and scabies