Medicinal Flowers: The Compositae Family

• Medicinal flowers are being examined with a focus on the Compositae family.
• The lecture will cover general characteristics, important medicinal flowers within the family, morphological and histological differentiation, and major active constituents.

Compositae Flowers

• Compositae flowers are also known as Asteraceae or Sunflower family.
• This is because "Aster" in Greek means "Star Shape".

General Characteristics of the Compositae Family

• The inflorescence type is a capitulum, also known as a flower head.
• Two types of florets are present: sessile ligulate or ray florets, and disc or tubular florets that are inserted on a swollen axis.
• The swollen axis is called the receptacle, and is surrounded by involucral bracts.

Examples Studied

• Examples in the Compositae family to be studied include German chamomile (Wild Chamomile), Roman chamomile (Garden chamomile), Feverfew, Arnica Flower, Calendula Flower, and Santonica.

German Chamomile

• German Chamomile is the dried flower heads of Matricaria chamomilla (Chamomilla recutita) F. Compositae (Asteraceae).
• Essential oil content is not less than 0.4% v/w.

Morphology of German Chamomile

• The inflorescence is a single capitulum with a hemispherical flower head measuring 6 to 10 mm in diameter.
• The flower head features one whorl of white ray florets, and numerous yellow tubular or disc florets.
• The receptacle is conically shaped and narrow hollow without paleae.
• The involucre consists of 2 to 3 rows of overlapping bracts, with membranous wings and hairy thick parts.
• German Chamomile has a pleasant, characteristic, aromatic odor and a very bitter taste.

Ray Floret vs Disc Floret

• Ray florets have a single outer whorl and exhibit zygomorphic symmetry.
• Disc florets are numerous, central, and actinomorphic.
• Ray Florets are incomplete, lack a calyx and androecium and are pistillate.
• Disc florets are also incomplete lacking a calyx but are hermaphrodite.
• Ray florets have an absent calyx and a corolla consisting of 3 rounded teeth united petals that are strap-like, and have an absent androecium.
• Disc florets have an absent calyx and a corolla formed of 5 united petals with 5 apical teeth, and an androecium formed from 5 stamens united by their anthers (Syngenesious).
• Ray florets have a bicarpellary, unilocular, inferior ovary, long style, and bifid stigma while Disc florets have the same gynoecium.

Microscopy of German Chamomile

• Features spherical, spiny pollen grains with three germ pores and three germ furrows.
• Presents fragments of the fibrous layer of the anther which consists of cells with spiral lignified thickening.
• Includes a papillosed stigma and fragments of the inner epidermis of the corolla showing papillosed cells (papillosed epidermis).
• Exhibits glandular trichomes of the Compositae type, which include a biseriate short stalk and a biseriate two to four cells head.

Active Constituents of German Chamomile

• Contains an essential oil secreted from glandular hair, with an intense blue color due to its chamazulene content, which is prepared from matricin during steam distillation.
• Other major compounds include α-bisabolol, sequiterpene lactones matricarin, and the flavonoid apigenin.

Medicinal Uses of German Chamomile

• Internally, it is used for symptomatic treatment of digestive problems like gastric bloating, impaired digestion, and flatulence.
• Acts as a bitter stomachic and carminative for flatulence and intestinal disturbances.
• It helps to relieve irritability and promote sleep, especially in children.
• German Chamomile possesses anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, bactericidal, and sedative activities.
• The herb is used internally as an infusion.
• Externally, it serves as an antiphlogistic to treat inflammation and skin irritation.
• Extracts are used in cosmetic preparations and in aromatherapy to relieve respiratory tract irritation from the common cold by inhalation.

Chemical Tests for German Chamomile

• Adding Sudan III to powdered chamomile will yield an orange-red color due to the presence of essential oil.
• An aqueous extract of chamomile with caustic alkali gives a yellow color due to the presence of flavonoid.

Roman Chamomile

• Roman Chamomile consists of dried expanded flower heads of Anthemis nobilis, F. Compositae.

Morphology of Roman Chamomile

• The flower heads are a double capitulum that are ovoid or hemispherical, measuring 1-2 cm in diameter, white in color, and may become yellowish or buff upon keeping.
• The receptacle is conical, solid, and pithy where the involucre is formed of 2-3 rows of bract
• The receptacle carries paleae in the axil of each floret.
• Ray florets show 3 or sometimes 2 rounded teeth.
• The ray florets have 4 main veins which unite by arches near the top The ovary is inferior and unilocular; the calyx is absent.
• Disc florets are yellowish with five rounded teeth, and the stamens are five syngenesious and epipetalous.
• The calyx is absent and the gynoecium is as in ray florets

Microscopy of Roman Chamomile

• Few non-glandular hairs are present on the outer surface of the paleae and bracts that.
• The hairs are multicellular, uniseriate with a large apical cell and 3-4 small basal cells.

German vs Roman Chamomile

• German Chamomile is wild, and Roman Chamomile is cultivated.
• German Chamomile is small (6 mm), and Roman Chamomile is large (1-2 cm).
• German Chamomile has a single capitulum, and Roman Chamomile has a double capitulum.
• German Chamomile has a conical and hollow receptacle and Roman Chamomile has a conical and solid.
• German Chamomile does not have paleae, while Roman Chamomile has paleae.

Active Constituents of Roman Chamomile

• Contains essential oil nearly similar to that of German Chamomile.
• Contains sequiterpene lactones, specifically nobilin.

Medicinal Uses of Roman Chamomile

• Used as a carminative, anti-emetic, antispasmodic, for dyspepsia, nausea and vomiting, anorexia, and dysmenorrhoea.
• Contraindicated during pregnancy.

Chemical Test of Roman Chamomile

• Adding Sudan III to powdered chamomile will yield an orange-red color due to the presence of essential oil.
• Adding an aqueous extract of chamomile with caustic alkali will yield a yellow color due to the presence of flavonoid.

Feverfew

• Feverfew consists of dried expanded flower heads of Tanacetum parthenium F. Compositae.

Active constituents in Feverfew

• Essential oil includes camphor (56.9%), camphene (12.7%), p-cymene (5.2%), and bornyl acetate (4.6%).
• Sesquiterpene lactones known to be present, including parthenolide.
• Other potentially active constituents include flavonoid glycosides such as apigenin and luteolin.

Medicinal uses of Feverfew

• Traditionally used to prevent migraine headaches and fever.
• Recent studies have shown Feverfew to have multiple pharmacologic properties.
• It can be anticancer, anti-inflammatory, cardiotonic, and antispasmodic.

Arnica Flower

• Arnica Flower is derived from the dried flower heads of Arnica montana L. F. Compositae.

Active Constituents of Arnica Flower

• It contains volatile oil, sesquiterpene lactones ("helenalin"), and flavonoid.

Uses of Arnica Flower

• Counterirritant.
• Healing agent for ulcers and damaged tissue.
• Used as a tonic for the face and in hair preparations.

Calendula Flower

• Calendula Flower consists of dried ligulate corollas of Calendula officinals, F. Compositae.

Active Constituents of Calendula Flower

• Rich in carotenoid pigments, mainly calendulin, volatile oil, flavonoid, resin, polysaccharide, and triterpenoid (α and β amyrin).

Uses of Calendula Flower

• Internal uses include digestive system anti-inflammatory and a spasmolytic for gastri-intestinal spasms.
• External applications include treatment of bruises, psoriasis, eczema & skin care.

Santonica

• Santonica consists of the dried unexpanded flower head of Artemisia cina Berg., F. Compositae.
• It is greenish-yellow and ovoid in shape with a shining, slightly hairy surface.
• The involucre has 16 rows and consists of ovate to lanceolate shining bracts, bearing hairs that can be either compositae glandular or few cottony hairs.
• Ray florets are absent, and disc florets are tubular and hermaphrodite.

Microscopical Characters of Sanntonica

• Has spherical smooth pollen grains with three germinal furrows and three pores.
• Also has cottony and woolly non-glandular hairs.

Active Constituents of Santonica

• Includes volatile oil, sesquiterpene lactones, santonin, and artemisin.

Uses of Santonica

• Santonin is an anthelmintic for roundworms (e.g., Ascaris).

Side Effects & Chemical Test of Santonica

• Side effects include disturbances in vision where objects first appear blue and then yellow.
• The Kaselbach test involves a dried benzene extract of powdered flower + potassium methoxide, which yields a carmine red color.

Other Flowers and Uses

• Pyrethrum (Insect Flower) F. Compitsae contains pyrethrin I and pyrethrin II and has insecticidal properties, particularly for flying insects as well as use as a scabicide for humans and for pediculosis.
• Saffron F. Iridaceae contains a red coloring matter (crocin glycoside) and a bitter principle (picrocrocin) and is a coloring agent, stimulant, antispasmodic and emmenagogue, but is contraindicated during pregnancy and inhibits platelet aggregation during drug interaction.
• Safflower F. Compitsae contains carthamin and safflower yellow, and is used in prevention of atherosclerosis, treatment of amenorrhoea and dysmenorrhea and as a coloring agent for food but is contraindicated during pregnancy.