The document summarizes information about Urginea maritima (European squill), an ancient medicinal plant. It describes the plant's cultivation, physical characteristics, microscopic features, constituents including glycosides and flavonoids, and medicinal uses as an expectorant and cough treatment. It also compares the European squill to the smaller Indian variety (U.indica), noting differences in their epidermal cells, extractive values, and physical features.
The document summarizes information about Urginea maritima (European squill), an ancient medicinal plant. It describes the plant's cultivation, physical characteristics, microscopic features, constituents including glycosides and flavonoids, and medicinal uses as an expectorant and cough treatment. It also compares the European squill to the smaller Indian variety (U.indica), noting differences in their epidermal cells, extractive values, and physical features.
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The document summarizes information about Urginea maritima (European squill), an ancient medicinal plant. It describes the plant's cultivation, physical characteristics, microscopic features, constituents including glycosides and flavonoids, and medicinal uses as an expectorant and cough treatment. It also compares the European squill to the smaller Indian variety (U.indica), noting differences in their epidermal cells, extractive values, and physical features.
Copyright:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Urginea maritima (European) Liliaceae • It is one of the most ancient medicinal plants known to Greeks & Egypt • Two varieties White Preferred in England Sicily & Malta Red Used medicinally in France Algeria & Cyprus Cultivation • Usually not cultivated • It requires sandy soil & half submerged • For cultivation raised from seeds & the plant acquires full size within 5yrs • Bulbs collected after flowering & without any aerial leaves • Fibrous roots cut away & external thin slices are removed • 3-4 vertical incisions 1cm deep are made across the base &3-4 at right angles to these • Then bulb cut into transverse slices about 1cm thick & dried Description • Bulbs are pear shaped • Shape Arcuate , Concavo-convex Wide & thick at middle point • Color Yellowish white translucent strips tapering at both ends • Texture Brittle when dry but absorbs moisture & become tough & flexible • Very slight odour • Tatse Bitter , acrid , disagreeable Microscopy (Isobilateral leaf) • Epidermis Rectangular cells , cuticularised Circular stomata & wide guard cells Very few on lower surface Very rare on upper surface • Mesophyll Not differentiated Large polygonal parenchymatous Contain mucilage Mucilage surrounds bundle of calcium oxalate crystal raphides V.B Collateral Xylem towards lower side Phloem towards upper side Constituents • Glycoside Scillaren A (crystlline) Scillaren B (amorphous) • Also contain glucoscillaren A(tri glycoside) • Xanthoscillide lemon yellow crystals • Mucilage • Flavonoids (quercetin) enzyme hydrolysis Proscillaridin A + Glucose
Scillaridin A + Rhamnose • Scillaren
acid hydrolysis Scillaridin A + Scillabiose
(scillarenin) (Glc + Rha) Uses • Resembles Digitalis • Powerful expectorant • Used in chronic bronchitis & for cough • Large doses produce emesis • Scillaroside present in red variety is a rodenticide Indian Squill (U.indica) • Smaller than European • Longitudinally ribbed • Epidermal cells 3 – 5 times as long as they are broad • European length is ≥ about twice the breadth • Constituents water extractive 60%alcohol extractive • European 79 – 81% 70 – 80% • Indian 60 – 70% 20 – 40% Tests Mucilage
Scandinavian Studies Volume 85 Issue 3 2013 (Doi 10.5406/scanstud.85.3.0267) Anders Andrén - Places, Monuments, and Objects - The Past in Ancient Scandinavia