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Botanical Name : Lawsonia Inermis
Common Name : Mehndi
Plant Parts Used : Bark, Leaves, Flowers, Seeds Description :
A glabrous much branched shrub or quite a small tree with grayish brown bark. Leaves are opposite, subsessile, elliptic or broadly lanceolate, entire, acute or obtuse, 2-3 cm long and 1-2 cm wide. Flowers are numerous, small, white or rose coloured, fragrant. Characteristics and Constituents :
The leaves of lawsonia inermis contain soluble matter, lawsone, 2-hydroxy - 1:4 - naphthoquinone resin and tannin, gallic acid, glucose, mannitol, fat, resin and mucilage are also present. The colouring matter is the quinone.
Actions and Uses :
Alcoholic extract of the leaves showed mild anti- bacterial activity against Staph aureus and E. coli. Antibacterial and antifungal activities have been confirmed. The antihaemorrhagic properties are attributed to lawsone. The naphthoquinone has emmenogogue and oxytocie actions. |
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