author(s) : Abdel-Fattah M. Rizk, Husseiny A. H. Elgendy and Ibrahim A. El-Garf
Synonym
- Blepharis edulis (Forssk.) Pers., Syn. Pl. 2: 180 (1806); Boulos, Fl. Egypt 3: 99(2002).
- Syns. Acanthus edulis Forssk., Fl. Aegypt.-Arab 114 (1775).
- Blepharis ciliaris auct. mult.
- Shawk El-Dabb (Ar) شوك الضب
family name
ACANTHACEAE
genus name
Blepharis
Proximate analysis of Blepharis ciliaris (L.) B.L. Burtt. revealed that it contains lipids(1.40%) , ash (27.00%) and the following minerals: Na (0.047%), Fe (0.115%), Ni (0..014%),Mn (0.544%), Co (0.045%), Cu (0.009%), Mg (1.25%), Si (7.09%) and Cr (0.20%) (Al-Easaet al., 2003).
The seeds of Blepharis edulis yielded 3.8% oil which consisted of about 84 % oleic and16 % linoleic acids.
The saturated portion is a mixture of palmitic 4.93, stearic 6.20 andarachidic 0.015 % acids.
The unsaturated acids are 0.175 %. A phytosterol (C27H42O3) and arnidiol were identified in the unsaponifiable matter (Pendse and Lal, 1937, 1938).
Fractionation of the seed oil (20%) of Blepharis persica (syn. Blepharis edulis), growing inPakistan, showed that it consists of hydrocarbons (2.37%), wax esters (3.21%), triglycerides(56.42%), free fatty acids (10.36%), 1:3 diglycerides (3.8%), 1:2 diglycerides (5.06%), 2monoglycerides (2.98%), 1-monoglycerides (5.42%) and polar lipids (9.77%) fractions.
The fatty acids percentage composition of the various lipids of the oil are shown in Table 6(Waheed et al., 1992).
The aerial parts of Blepharis ciliars, growing in Egypt contain apigenin 7-O-glucoside,apigenin 7-O-(3″-acetyl-6″-E-p-coumaroyl glucoside) and 3′,4′-dihydroxy-β-phenyl ethylcaffeate-4′-β-O-D-galacto-pyranosyl-(1″‘→4″)-α-O-L-rhamnopyranoside [9′-decarboxyrosmarinic acid-4’-O-(1→4) galactosyl rhamnoside] (Afifi, 2001, 2003).Blepharin, (54) [3,4-dihydro-5(β-D-gluosyloxy)-9-hydroxydihydro-furano-isocoumarin]was isolated from Blepharis edulis, growing in India (Lal, 1940; Chaudhury, 1958; Chatterjeeand Basa, 1969). Benzoxazolone (94), and blepharin have been isolated from the seeds(Chatterjee et al., 1990).Two acylated flavonoids viz. apigenin-7-(3″-acetyl-6″-E-p-coumaroylglucoside) (95) andnaringenin-7-(3″-acetyl-6″-E-p-coumaroyl-glucoside) (96) were isolated from the aerial partsof Blepharis edulis, collected from Saudi Arabia (Harraz et al., 1996a).
The seeds of Blepharis edulis contain dl-allantoin, (2.1 %), catechol, tannins, glucose (Lal, 1936) and a saponin; the sapogenin of which was identified as lupeol (Varshney and Lognai, 1969).
The seeds contain a mucilage which can work as a disintegrant in conventional tablets and could be alternate to starch (Shah and Jani, 2009).
The leaves of Blepharis edulis Pers. are cooling, astringent to the bowels, aphrodisiac, appetizer, alterative, alexteric, useful in tridosha, fevers, urinary discharges, leucoderma, mental derangements, applied to wounds and ulcers. The seeds cure strangury (Ayurveda).
The leaves are maturant, tonic, aphrodisiac, purgative, stop nasal haemorrhage, given in hydrophobia, asthma, cough, inflammation of the throat, ascites, liver and spleen troubles.
The root is diuretic, regulates menstruation and is useful in urinary discharges. The seeds are vulnary, useful in urinary discharges, inflammations, good for diseases of the blood, chest, lungs, and liver (Yunani).
In Blaucjistan, the seeds are a medicine for sore eyes (Kirtikar and Basu, 1984).
The seeds of Blepharis edulis are sold in the Indian bazaars for use as attenuant, resolvent, diuretic, aphrodisiac, expectorant and deobstruent (Lal, 1936).
Investigation of the ethanolic extract of the plant on general mating behavior, ibido, and adverse effects on sexually male albino mice, indicated that it produced a significant and sustained increase in hormonal levels of testosterone indication for sexual activity of normal male mice (Pande and Pathak, 2009).
Blepharis edulis is among the ingredients used in a herbal composition for vigor, vitality and general health tonic (Khanna and Lulla, 1999).
The mucilage from the seeds can work as disintegrant in conventional tablets and could be alternate to starch (Shah and Jani, 2009).
The seeds of Blepharis ciliaris are used in North Africa (Boulos, 1983) and Saudi folk medicine (Ageel et al., 1987) as anti-inflammatory, anti-hemorrhoidal and keratolytic.
It is also used for wound healing and as emollient. Blepharis ciliaris extracts and also the crushed roasted seeds exhibit significant antibacterial and antifungal activities (Harraz et al., 1996b; Afifi, 2001).
Charcoal from roots ground into powder is used as “kohl” (eye powder) for feeble sight, probably against cataract in Egypt (Boulos, 1983).
location
egypt