German Chamomile Overview

German Chamomile

• Origin: Dried flower heads of Matricaria chamomilla
• Family: Compositae (Astraceae)
• Morphology: Terminal (single capitulum)
• Structure: Includes disk florets (tubular florets), short conical hollow axis, and ray florets (ligulate florets)

Key Elements (German Chamomile)

• Fragments from Ovary Wall: Contain glandular hairs and mucilage cells
• Fragments of Corolla: Show polygonal epidermal cells and hairs, characteristic of the Compositae type
• Fragment of Base of Ovary: Shows sclerides
• Numerous Spiny Pollen Grains: Present in the flower
• Fragments of Fibrous Layer of Anther: A component of the flower
• Fragments of Papillosed Stigma: Present on the stigma
• Fragments of Lignified Hypocotyl of Bracts: Part of the flower

Active Constituents & Uses (German Chamomile)

• Active Constituents:
  • At least 0.4% blue volatile oil containing azulene and chamazulene
  • Apigenin, free or as glucoside
  • Umbelliferone methyl ether
• Uses (Tea Drink):
  • Carminative (helps with gas)
  • Aromatic bitter stomachic
  • Emmenagogue and diaphoretic (stimulates menstruation and sweating)
  • Relieves flatulence and intestinal disturbance
• Skin Care Uses:
  • Treats burns, wounds, boils, and hair issues due to its effect on skin and mucous membrane inflammation.
  • Has anti-inflammatory properties due to chamazulene

Roman Chamomile

• Origin: Dried expanded flower heads of Anthemis nobilis
• Family: Compositae
• Collection: Collected from cultivated plants with double capitula
• Capitula Variations: Plants can have single or double capitula (wild vs cultivated)

Santonica (Wormseed)

• Origin: Dried, unexpanded flower heads of Artemisia cina Berg.
• Family: Compositae
• Composition: Contains no more than 2% foreign organic matter and yields not less than 1.8% of santonin

Key Elements (Santonica)

• Fragments of Epidermis: Show anomocytic stomata, compositae glandular hairs, and sometimes woolly or cottony hairs.
• Numerous Pollen Grains: Possess three germ pores and three germinal furrows, a granular but non-spiny exine.

Active Constituents & Chemical Tests (Santonica)

• Active Constituents:
  • Volatile oil containing cineole
  • Santonin and artemisin (8-hydroxysantonion)
• Chemical Test (Cazilback): Extract + 2 or 3 drops of potassium methoxide reagent, warm. A red color confirms presence of the substance

Uses (Santonica)

• Anthelmintic: Effective against roundworms and to a lesser extent, threadworms; ineffective against tapeworms
• Vision Disturbance: Causes a noticeable disturbance of vision, initially appearing bluish then yellow
• Urine Color Change: Absorbed santonin turns urine yellow if acidic and purplish if alkaline

Arnica Flower

• Origin: Dried flower heads of Arnica montana
• Family: Compositae
• Morphology: Inflorescence (single capitulum)
• Taste & Odor: Pleasant sweet, aromatic odor and bitter acrid taste

Key Elements & Active Constituents (Arnica)

• Ovary Wall: Bears numerous twin hairs diverging at their tips, composed of two cells.
• Active Constituents:
  • Sesquiterpene lactones (helenalin and chamissonolid): Anti-inflammatory/pain relief
  • Volatile oil (0.3-1%): Contains thymol and its derivatives (antibacterial)
  • Bitter principle (arnicin)

Action & Uses (Arnica)

• Action: Improves local blood supply and speeds healing, anti-inflammatory, increases internal bleeding reabsorption
• Use: Effective ointment for bruises, sprains, and muscle aches. Note: Not for internal use due to toxicity at low doses

Safflower

• Origin: Dried tubular florets of Carthamus tinctorius
• Family: Compositae
• Morphology: Slightly aromatic odor and slight taste

Active Constituents & Uses (Safflower)

• Active Constituents:
  • Red coloring substance (Carthamin or carthamic acid)
  • Yellow coloring substance (Safflower-yellow)
  • Fixed oil
  • Mucilage
• Uses: Diaphoretic, used as a coloring agent (sometimes used as a saffron adulterant)

Saffron

• Origin: Dried stigmas and tops of styles of Crocus sativus
• Family: Iridaceae
• Morphology (Stigma):
  • Shape: Trifid
  • Lips of tube: Notched
  • Margin: Papillosed

Active Constituents & Uses (Saffron)

• Active Constituents:
  • Unusual water-soluble carotenoid pigments (e.g., crocin—colored glycoside)
  • Picrocrocin (colorless bitter glycoside)
  • Safranal: Responsible for saffron odor
  • Volatile oil
• Uses: Coloring agent, Stimulant, and antispasmodic

Tilia (Linden Flower)

• Origin: Dried inflorescence with attached bracts of Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos
• Family: Tiliaceae
• Flower Drying: Dried in shade, not sun or artificially
• Inflorescence: Pendulous cymes with yellowish-green flowers

Active Constituents & Uses (Tilia)

• Microscopical Characteristics:
  • Mucilaginous cells in sepals and petals
  • Calcium oxalate clusters
  • Oval pollen grains with granulated exine and three germinal pores
• Active Constituents:
  • Flavonoid glycoside
  • Mucilage
  • Volatile oil
  • Phenolic acid
  • Proanthocyanidins
• Uses:
  • Diaphoretic
  • Antispasmodic
  • Expectorant
  • Sleep support
  • Relieves cold and cough symptoms.

Lavender Flower

• Origin: Dried flowers of Lavandula officinalis
• Family: Labiatae
• Volatile Oil: Yields not less than 0.5% volatile oil
• Morphology: Aromatic odor, aromatic bitter camphoraceous taste; calyx with five united sepals, hairy greyish blue to bluish violet color; corolla bilabiate, hairy dark blue

Active Constituents & Uses (Lavender)

• Active Constituents:
  • 0.8-2.8% volatile oil
    • Contains at least 35% linalyl-acetate ester, linalool alcohol, geraniol, and limonene as sesquiterpene.
• Uses:
  • Perfuming agent used in perfumes, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals
  • Fumigant for moth control

Clove Flower Buds

• Origin: Dried unexpanded flower buds of Eugenia aromatica
• Family: Myrtaceae
• Morphology: Expanded and unexpended flower buds (cloves)

Internal Structure - Clove Flower Buds

• Hypanthium: Shows an inferior ovary, surrounded by a large outer zone
  • Contains numerous oval oil glands near periphery
  • Numerous vascular bundles near ovary
• Columella: Dark lacunous layer; outermost zone of schizolysigenous oil glands and vascular bundles.

Key Elements (Clove Flower Buds)

• Pollen Grains: Discrete structures
• Fibrous Layer of Anther: Distinct cellular layer
• Parenchymatous Tissues: With broken and entire oil glands
• Aerenchyma Cells: Cellular structure
• Cluster Crystals of CaOx: Clustered crystals
• Epidermal Cells with Actinocytic Stomata: Cells with specific stomata

Active Constituents & Chemical Tests (Clove)

• Active Constituents:
  • 15-20% volatile oil containing approximately 80% eugenol and 3% acatyleugenol
  • Eugenol (phenol): A strong anesthetic and antiseptic
  • Acetyleugenol: Antispasmodic
• Chemical Tests:
  • Clove powder + 5% KOH: Yields needle-shaped potassium eugenate crystals (due to oil)
  • Clove powder + ferric chloride: Produces a deep blue color

Uses (Clove)

• Local anesthetic: Effective toothache remedy
• Fragrance: Component in toothpastes, soaps, toiletries, cosmetics, and perfumes
• Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Carminative: Has various medicinal properties
• Uterine Muscle Stimulation: Stimulates and strengthens uterine muscle contraction during labor
• Other Uses: For bad breath, asthma, bronchitis (spice) and vanillin synthesis

Hibiscus (Karkade)

• Origin: Dried calyx and epicalyx of flower of Hibiscus sabdariffa
• Family: Malvaceae
• Key features: Cottony stellate trichomes, unicellular trichomes

Active Constituents & Chemical Tests (Hibiscus)

• Active Constituents:
  • Organic acids (citric, malic, hibisic)
  • Anthocyanin pigments (e.g., hibiscin)
  • Flavonoids (e.g., hibiscetin)
• Chemical Tests:
  • Powder boiled in 1% HCl, filtered, and then reacted with KOH, sodium acetate, concentrated ammonium hydroxide, and lead acetate to observe specific color changes.

Uses (Hibiscus)

• Substitute Drink: A beverage alternative
• Emollient, Sedative: Has soothing properties
• Blood Alkalinizer: Slightly increases blood alkalinity
• Digestive Aid: Aids digestion
• Blood Pressure Reduction: May lower blood pressure in some individuals (hypotensive)
• Euphoric Impression: Reported to give a sense of well-being
• Weight Reducing Agent: May assist weight loss