Lecture 7
Herbs
Lecture Content
Introduction to Herbs
Selected examples:
Herbs containing volatile oil
Mentha & Thyme
Herbs containing alkaloids
Ergot (Secale Cornutum)
Types of stem
According to nature and texture, it has several types:
1. Herbaceous Stem soft in texture and easily broken
2. Woody Stem: It is hard, of shrubs and trees and usually
covered by cork
Suffruticose stem woody at base and herbaceous above
herbaceous
woody
Succulent Stem: It is thick and fleshy
Types of branching
Monopodial: the main axis continues growing, giving off lateral branches
which do not exceed it in length. It is called racemose or indefinite
branching
Sympodial: the main axis stops growing, because the apical bud is
developed into a flower or transformed into tendrils. It is also called
cymose or definite branching.
Monopodial
Sympodial
Microscopical features:
- V.B. are
arranged
in a circle.
- Open V.B.
Young dicot. stem
- V.B. are
scattered.
- Closed V.B.
Herbs containing volatile oil
Mentha & Thyme
Mentha Thyme
Herba Menthae Piperitae Herba Thymi
Names: Peppermint, Mentha piperita. Names: Common Thyme, English
Arabic name: عشب النعناع الفلفلى Thyme, French Thyme, Garden Thyme,.
Botanical Origin: the dried leaves and Arabic name: عشب الزعتر
flowering tops of Mentha piperita L. Botanical Origin: the dried aerial
Family Labiatae parts of Thymus vulgaris and other
contains not less than 0.5% of volatile Thymus species, F. Labiatae. Contains
oil not less than 1.2% volatile oil.
Odour &taste:
aromatic odour and taste aromatic odour and an aromatic
followed by a cold sensation somewhat pungent taste.
(due to menthol) Stem :quadrangular, grayish-
Stem: quadrangular, green to brown or purplish and hairy.
dark purple, nearly glabrous. *Suffriticose
*Herbaceous
General characters of family Lamiaceae:
1.Diacytic stomata.
2.Labiaceous hair.
In both
Diacytic stomata
Labiaceous hairs
In Thyme only
Bent hair Bent hair Bent hair
Active Constituents Active Constituents
*volatile oil, up to 78% of 1% volatile oil (containing
free menthol and up to *phenolic compounds, mainly
20% of menthol combined thymol).
as esters.
Alcoholic Phenolic
Uses of Mentha
• Inhalation of the herb and the oil in boiling water
are effective against upper respiratory infection.
The oil is helpful in fevers and influenza since it
promotes sweating (diaphoretic ) analgesic.
• It relieves colonic spasm, bowel irritability,
flatulence, and choleretic (increase bile secretions)
Due to its volatile oil content.
• Menthol acts locally as a counter-irritant & stimulant
due to its cooling and anesthetic properties.
• Antipruritic.
Uses of Mentha
. Ursodeoxycholic acid and menthol preparations
used for dissolution of gall stones.
. Menthol as flavor (gums and candy) because it
imparts cooling sennsation
Uses of Mentha
• Menthol mouthwash demonstrates a significant reduction in plaque,
gingival inflammation, bleeding and followed by cooling and
refreshment sensation
. Warning: The oil should be administered in the form of enteric-
coated capsules to avoid irritation of stomach with the pure oil.
. Contraindications: Peppermint oil is contraindicated in obstruction
of the bile ducts, gallbladder inflammation, and severe liver failure
(Due to its choleretic effect)
. Peppermint oil should not be applied to the faces of infants and
children due to the risk of apnea, laryngeal and bronchial spasms
Uses of Thyme
• The herb and its oil are the drug of choice as expectorant and
cough sedative because of the secretolytic, secretomotor,
broncholytic, disinfectant and antimicrobial properties of the
phenolic thymol
• The plant is used internally in the treatment of
dry cough, whooping cough, bronchitis, asthma,
and catarrhs of the upper respiratory tract
• Thymol is used as local anaesthetic.
• The flavonoids have antioxidant activity.
Uses of Thyme
• It has urinary antiseptic and powerful antifungal effects.
Herbs containing Alkaloids
Ergot (Secale Cornutum)
Ergot (Secale Cornutum)
. Origin: Ergot is the sclerotium of
Claviceps purpurea (Fam.
Clavicipitaceae), developed in the
ovary of the Rye plant, (Fam.
Gramineae).
Constituents
-Six pairs of alkaloids :
Water-soluble group
Ergometrine
Water-insoluble groups
Amino alcohol Ergotamine and ergotoxine
derivatives (20%) Peptide derivatives (80%)
These are derivatives of lysergic acid and
isolysergic acid (hallucinogens)
Uses
Ergometrine: oxytocic (induce uterine contractions)
Assist delivery “quick delivery” effect
Reduce post-partum haemorrhage
Ergotamine: Vasoconstrictor very effective in migraine either
alone or with caffeine
Lysergic acid: diethylamide (LSD) is a potent hallucinogen
Toxicity
Ergotism: Results from ingestion of cereals contaminated by ergot. It
occurs in two forms:
1-The gangrenous form: Painful blackened and dry extremities.
It sometimes end with spontaneous loss of extremities at the joint.
2-The convulsive form: Mental agitation, delirium, convulsion and severe
vomiting
What is the secretory
structure of Mentha
volatile oil and its local
use?
