Green Space

It is a prostate annual herb widely distributed in the tropics and warm temperate regions of India, China and parts of Europe. Fruits resemble ribbed, spinous tuberculate tiny spherical balls. The chief constituents are steroidal sapogenins. The fruits are diuretic and . Clinical studies indicate its anti-urolithiatic property. It improves muscle tone, stamina and endurance.

It is erect aromatic annual herb commonly cultivated through out India. The long slender stems bear tripartite, toothed, grey-green obovate leaves. The thin, sword-shaped pods are curved beak-like tip, each carrying 10-20 seeds. The chief chemical contituents are steroidal saponins. The active constituent of Fenugreek is galactomannan. It is known to reduce blood glucose, possess antiviral and anti-oxidant property.

An erect, evergreen, tomentose shrub, found throughout the drier parts of India in waste places and on bunds. It is also cultivated for the medicinal roots. The alkaloids - withanoloids are hypotensive, bradycardiac, antioxidant, antidepressant, and respiratory-stimulating action. The hypotensive effect is due mainly to autonomic ganglion-blocking action. The total alkaloids showed relaxant and antispasmodic effects against several spasmogens on intestinal, uterine, bronchial, tracheal and blood-vascular muscles. Withaferin A exhibits potent anti-arthritic and anti- inflammatory activities.

A coarse herb with short stem. Leaves are crowed with spiny margins. Mucilage of leaves is useful for X ray burns, dermatitis, cutaneous and disorders of skin. Drug from juice is tonic and is used in jaundice, ameneorrhoea, atonic and piles. Aloe Vera Gel has the remarkable ability to heal wounds, ulcer and burns. Sap is known to ease pain and reduce inflammation.

Kalmegh is an erect annual herb with dark green quadrangular stem and longitudinal furrows with wings on the angles. Stem is slightly enlarged at nodes. Leaves are opposite and decussate. White flowers are in axillary or terminal panicles or raceme. Plant grows and also cultivated through out India. Andrographolide is the chief active constituent. The plant is tonic, blood purifier and hepatoprotective.

Neem is a large, evergreen tree commonly found throughout the greater part of India, and often cultivated. The leaves contain chiefly nimbin, quercetin and ß-sitosterol. Almost every part of the tree is bitter and finds application in indigenous medicine. Neem extracts have been reported to possess anti- diabetic, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. The extract of leaf yields fractions which markedly delay the clotting- time of blood and mild antiseptic. The aqueous extract of neem leaf is hepatoprotective, known to decrease blood sugar levels and prevents adrenaline as well as glucose-induced hyperglycaemia. Clinical studies with neem leaf extract indicates its effectiveness to cure ringworm, eczema and scabies.

It is one of the best known plants to induce hair growth and prevent balding. It is also good for premature graying. Application on the scalp in oil base regularly is beneficial in hair growth and imparts luster. External application of oil is known to heal injuries, relieve pain and inflammation.

It is effective in skin conditions as eczema and psoriasis. Useful in treatment allergic condition. The oil finds useful applications in flavor and fragrance preparations as well as in aromatherapy. Forskolin influences the 3,5’-cyclic ester of AMP generated from adenyl cyclase, hence the plant extract finds its application as treatment for psoriasis.

The soap nut tree grows in South India. They are antifungal and antibacterial. Soap nuts have long been used in the Western world for soap production, usually together with many chemical additives which are not necessary for the actual washing process and are damaging to the user as well as our environment. Soap nuts have become a very popular environmentally friendly alternative to these manufactured chemical detergents.

The fruits from Sapindus genus are commonly referred to as soap nut. Of the soap nuts Sapindus mukorossi tree have the highest saponin content. This is north Indian origin. Saponin is a natural detergent commonly used for cleaning among many other things. Soap nuts have been used medically as an expectorant, emetic, contraceptive, and for treatment of excessive salivation, epilepsy, psoriasis, head lice and migraines. Studies have shown that saponin from soap nuts inhibit tumor cell growth. Soap nuts are among common in Ayurvedic shampoos and cleansers. They are used in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for eczema and psoriasis. Soap nuts have gentle insecticidal properties and are traditionally used for removing lice from the scalp.