Biologically active compounds include polysaccharides, caffeic acid derivatives, flavonoids, iridoid glycosides and terpenoids. Prices in 2004 were US$ 10.50/kg for dried material wholesale and US$ 58/kg for retail.Ī range of pharmacological activities has been found in tests with Plantago lanceolata extracts, including weak antibiotic, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcerogenic, laxative, analgesic, antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities. In the United Kingdom Plantago lanceolata is cultivated for medicinal purposes, and it is also imported from Bulgaria, Russia, former Yugoslavia, Hungary and Poland. Plantago lanceolata is occasionally grown as a fodder crop and considered to be of better quality than Plantago major.įor Africa, no information on production or trade of Plantago lanceolata is known and general information on production and trade is scarce. Leaves are edible and sometimes eaten as vegetable. In the United States Plantago major has been patented and marketed for the same purpose. Plantago lanceolata is currently being marketed as a stop smoking aid in the United Kingdom, as it is said that it causes an aversion to tobacco. The quality is comparable to that of agar, but at about 10% of the cost. The seeds can be used as a source of a low-cost gelling agent for tissue culture. It is also used in the preparation of chocolate. in lotions and hair wave sets) and as a stabilizer in the ice-cream industry. The seed mucilage is an excellent thickener used in cosmetics (e.g. The roots are traditionally used to treat fertility problems. In Ethiopia Plantago lanceolata is one of the 10 most used taenicidal herbs in local medicine, either as an infusion or in alcoholic beverages. In Nigeria, the whole plants, including the seeds, are used to treat intestinal problems such as gastritis, gastro-enteritis, and salmonellosis, and many respiratory problems. It is also used to wash parts of the body to treat rheumatic pains. A tea made from the whole plant is taken against nausea and is used as a mouth wash for aphthae. A leaf decoction or infusion is used to wash the eyes to treat eye infection. The crushed leaves are applied as a poultice on wounds to stop bleeding. In Mauritius a tincture made from the mashed leaves in alcohol is applied to aching teeth caused by caries. In tropical Africa the uses in traditional medicine are largely the same. Macerates, fluid extracts, syrups and juice from the fresh plant are all used for treating inflammation of the mouth and throat, and externally for inflamed skin. In modern phytotherapy the leaves are used in cough syrups to alleviate irritation. An infusion of the dried seeds is applied as a soothing eye lotion, taken as a treatment for diarrhoea and dysentery or for intestinal worms in children. An infusion acts as a general detoxifier of the body, and is taken to treat colds, cough, hoarseness, asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, fevers, gastritis, ulcers, bladder problems, kidney stones, intestinal complaints, irregular menstrual flow, hypertension, rheumatism and hay fever. The leaves are used as a diuretic and astringent, and to treat wounds, insect stings, sunburn, skin diseases, eye irritation and inflammation of mouth and throat. In temperate regions, Plantago lanceolata has largely the same traditional uses as Plantago major L. In Africa it occurs mainly in the eastern and southern parts, including South Africa. Originally from Europe and northern and central Asia, Plantago lanceolata is now cosmopolitan. Plantain, herbe Caroline, plantain lancéolé, herbe-à-cinq-côtes (Fr).Ribwort (plantain), rib grass, small plantain, narrow-leaved plantain (En).Family: Plantaginaceae Chromosome number: 2n = 12, 18, 24 Vernacular names
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