Kanthala (AGAVE CANTULA Roxb) – Ayurveda Medicinal Plant

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Kanthala – AGAVE CANTULA Roxb

Botanical Name – AGAVE CANTULA Roxb

Agorve cantula is a Mexican native plant which is also seen in many parts of the world. It is a succulets with fleshy leaves which is spiney .It is being found in the Southern part too. It is available in Kerala and Karnataka too.It is having anticancer action .The flowers are used in ear troubles and the leaves are used in wound healing.

VERNACULAR NAMES OF CANTALA

English – American aloe

Hindi – Baasnake Vaada, Baanskeora, Barakanwar , Kantalaa.

Kannada – Kathhaala, Aane Mundi

Malayalam – Naatu Kaitha, Panankttaa.

Sanskrit – Kanthala

Tamil – Katthaalai

Telugu – Kitthanaara

Gujarati – Tanglikanwara

Punjabi – Kantala, kitki

French – Erava de sao jaao

 

Scientific classification

Kingdom – Plantae

(Unranked) – Angiosperm

(Unranked) – Monocots

Order – Asparagales

Family – Agavacae

Genus – Agave

Species – cantula

 

Family character

  • They are perennial, stout, scapiyerous plant
  • They have short woody stem.
  • They are succulent with a large rosette of thick fleshy leaves.

 

Leaves

Fleshy, long leaves with spines on it.

Flowers

Large number of short tubular flower.

 

Stem

Short woody stem

Habitat and descriprion

Chief Mexican, agaves occur also in the southern and western united states and in central tropical South America. They are succulents with large rosette of thick fleshy leaves, each ending generally in a sharp point and with a spiny margin, the stout stem is usually shot, the leaves apparently springing from the root along with related genus yucca.

Each rosette is monocarpic and gross slowly to flower only once. During flowering, a toll stem or “mast” grown from the centre of the leaf rosette and bears a large number of short tubular flower. After development of fruits. The orginal plant dies but suckers are frequently produced from the based of the stem which become new plants. It is common misconception that agave are cacti. They are not rebile to cati, nor or they closely related to aloe whose leaves are similar.

 

Useful parts

Leaves

Flowers

Chemical constituents

Lipid constituents of the plant were identified as hentria cont – 25- enol.

Contents of hecogenium and diosge did in leaves are reportd.

Content of cantalasaponium – 1 from rhizome is reported

Organoleptic study

Colour – Fresh green leaves.

Flowers are cream in colour.

Taste – Bitter

 

Properties

Rasa – Tikta

Yuna – Teekshna, Rooksha

Veerya – Ushna

Vipaka – Rooksha

 

Pharmo cotherapeutic properties & action

The flowers are used in ear troubles leaves are used in wound healing.

Antifertility

The ethanotic extract of the rhizome and spirostanol constituents were shown proses sper micidal activities against human sparmatoza at 2% level.

Anticancer

Cautalaseponin -1- isolated from the rhizome were reported to exbibit some in vitro anticancer activity against J TC – 26 (originating from human cerviced carcinoma) in a concenteration of 25 X 500 mg /ml

Folklore Uses

  • Gum exuding from the leaves and root is used as a cure for tooth ache
  • Used for the treatment for skin problems in folk vetinary medicine of Italy
  • Juice taken from the leaf is used for conjuctivities, irritants, dermatiks
  • Skin of the leaf is used for rheumatism
  • The gum of the leaf is used in pimples
  • Leaves are used for wound healing.

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