Ephedra Pharmacognosy 1 | Ephedra gerardiana Synonym, Source, Uses hello friends I hope you all are good today I am going to discuss about Ephedra a crude drug in pharmacognosy which is usually used in asthma. So we are going to discuss here are the topics about ephedra are Synonyms, biological source, Cultivation and collection, Organoleptic Characters, Extra features, Microscopic characters, chemical constituents, uses etc.
Ephedra
Ephedra gerardiana
This drugs act on CNS. The drugs have stimulant or inhibitory activity on acetylcholine or noradrenaline produce a physiological properties. Example Adrenaline like drugs ephedrine from the stems of various ephedra species.
Synonyms : Ma Haung
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Ephedra biological source
Ephedra consists of dried young stem of Ephedra gerardiana, and Ephedra nebrodensis belonging to family Gnetaceae collected in autumn. It contains not less than 1% of total alkaloids calculated as ephedrine. Ephedra sinica and Ephedra eguisetina are the Chinese species yielding drug.
Geographical distribution
Ephedra is found in China, Pakistan and India. It is also found in Spain, and Afghanistan. It grows in western ghats of Himalaya and Sikkim.
Cultivation and collection
Four sspecies of Ephedra are in India. Ephedra is used for medicinal purposes is cultivated in USA, England, Kenya and Australia. Indian species are ephedra gerardiana and Ephedra major. Ephedra can be cultivated at an altitude of 2500 to 3000 M. Annual rainfall should not exceed 50 cm. It can be propagated by seeds or by layers or division of the roots stock. Seeds are sown early in the spring at a distance of 5 cm keeping the distance of one metre between two rows. The plants are collected after attaining the age of 4 years for the extraction of alkaloids. During this period proper irrigation and weeding is necessary. The alkaloids content of the drug varies from the season to the season. It is maximum in October and November. When plants and twigs are dark green in colour. Twigs are generally dried in sun or by artificial means. They are stored in well closed container.
Organoleptic Characters
Colour : Greenish yellow
Odour : Aromatic and pine like
Taste : Astringent
fracture : Fibrous in Cortex.
Shape : cylindrical, elongated with well marked furrows, nodes, internodes and stipulate leaves on nodes.
Extra features
In the natural habitat ephedra is found with arrangements of branches and branchlets. The branching is decrease opposite with whorls from nodes. Scale leaves are also present in the drug. Scale leaves are dark brown in color about 0.5 to 1mm in length and are present surrounding the nodes. The fruits are ovoid, sweet and red. The seeds are present.
Microscopic characters
The Transverse section of Ephedra shows the following characteristics
- unicellular epidermis made up of quadrangular cells along with thick walled cuticle.
- Verticle rrows of sunken stomata and papillae on the ridges
- chlorenchyma cortex
- Non lignified hypdermal fibres
- lignified pericyclic fibres
- Crystals of calcium oxalate in the Cortex and
- Parenchyma dark brown color pith.
Ephedra contains active constituent
Ephedra contains about 1 to 1.5% of total alkaloids of Ephedra calculated as ephedrine.
The ddifferent alkaloids of Ephedra are as follows
- Ephedrine or L-ephedrine
- L methyl ephedrine
- D methyl iso ephedrine
- D pseudoephedrine
- Norephedrine aand
- dimethyl ephedrine
Ephedra uses
ephedra is used for early relief of asthma in hay fever and whooping cough. It is a Sympathomimetic drug. It is used for the extraction of ephedrine. The action of ephedrine is more prolonged than that of adrenaline. It has further advantages that it need not be given by injection but may be administered orally.
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Conclusion
So friends this was all about eephedra which is used in asthma and whooping cough. This drug active constituents is ephedrine. I hope you get a clear understanding of this crude drug. Thank you for reading our article. Visit next time.
