PLANT PART USED : seeds & seed husk of Plantago Ovata

DESCRIPTION :
Seed Hard, transluscent, boat shaped structure, upto 8 mm long and 1 mm broad. Surface glossy and shining having a pinkish brown colour. There is an oval spot in the centre of convex(dorsal) surface. On the concave (ventral) surface. A deep furrow is seen with a hilum which appears as a red spot in the centre. Odour - nil: taste - mucilagenous.
Husk Thin, curved or boat shaped structure of papery texture, representing the seed coat. It measures upto 4 mm long and 1mm broad at the broadest point. The material consists of a lot of broken pieces also. Odour - nil:taste - mucilagenous.

PHYTOACTIVE :
The seeds contain mucilage (10 - 20%) as the major constituent, together with a fatty oil, protein, oxalic and mucic acids, invertase, emulsin and the glycosideaucubin.

The mucilage can be extracted from the seeds or seed coat with cold or boiling water, its composition depending on the method of preparation. It is composed of xylose, arabinose and galacturonic acid, the first being the principal sugar.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE :
The seed is useful in gastric and duodenal ulcers. The husk has emollient and demulcent properties and is given in dysentary and diarrhoea. It is extensively used in laxative formulations.