Aloe vera is a species of succulent plant that probably originated in northern Africa.

The species does not have any naturally occurring populations, although closely related aloes do occur in northern Africa.[1] The species is frequently cited as being used in herbal medicine since the beginning of the first century AD. Extracts from A. vera are widely used in the cosmetics and alternative medicine industries, being marketed as variously having rejuvenating, healing or soothing properties.[2][3][4] There is, however, little scientific evidence of the effectiveness or safety of A. vera extracts for either cosmetic or medicinal purposes, and what positive evidence is available is frequently contradicted by other studies.[5][6][7][8] Medical uses of aloe vera are being investigated as well. [edit]Uses
Aloe vera gel being used to make a dessert.

Preparations made from the plant Aloe vera are often referred to as "aloe vera".[39] Scientific evidence for the cosmetic and therapeutic effectiveness of aloe vera is limited and when present is frequently contradictory.[5][6] Despite this, the cosmetic and alternative medicine industries regularly make claims regarding the soothing, moisturizing, and healing properties of aloe vera, especially via Internet advertising.[7][3][4][2][40] Aloe vera gel is used as an ingredient in commercially available lotions, yogurt, beverages, and some desserts,[41][42][43] although at certain doses, it has toxic properties when used either for ingested or topical applications.[44] [edit]Folk

medicine

Aloe vera has a long association with herbal medicine, although it is not known when its medical applications were first suspected. Early records ofAloe vera use appear in the Ebers Papyrus from 16th century BC,[17] in both Dioscorides' De Materia Medica and Pliny the Elder's Natural Historywritten in the mid-first century CE[17] along with the Juliana Anicia Codex produced in 512 AD.[41] The species is used widely in the traditional herbal medicine of China, Japan, Russia, South Africa, the United States, Jamaica, Latin America and India.[7] [edit]Uses
Aloe vera gel being used to make a dessert.

Preparations made from the plant Aloe vera are often referred to as "aloe vera".[39] Scientific evidence for the cosmetic and therapeutic effectiveness of aloe vera is limited and when present is frequently contradictory.[5][6] Despite this, the cosmetic and alternative medicine industries regularly make claims regarding the soothing, moisturizing, and healing properties of aloe vera, especially via Internet advertising.[7][3][4][2][40] Aloe vera gel is used as an ingredient in commercially available lotions, yogurt, beverages, and some desserts,[41][42][43] although at certain doses, it has toxic properties when used either for ingested or topical applications.[44] [edit]Folk

medicine

Aloe vera has a long association with herbal medicine, although it is not known when its medical applications were first suspected. Early records ofAloe vera use appear in the Ebers Papyrus from 16th century BC,[17] in both Dioscorides' De Materia Medica and Pliny the Elder's Natural Historywritten in the mid-first century CE[17] along with the Juliana Anicia Codex produced in 512 AD.[41] The species is used widely in the traditional herbal medicine of China, Japan, Russia, South Africa, the United States, Jamaica, Latin America and India.[7]
]Wound & Lesion Treatment Skin Protection and Cancer ]Dental care ]Diabetes

and blood lipids

Withania somnifera
Withania somnifera, also known as ashwagandha,[2] Indian ginseng,[citation needed] or winter cherry,
[2]

is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Several other species in the genus Withania are

morphologically similar.[3] It is used as a herb in Ayurvedic medicine.

Culinary use
The berries can be used as a substitute for rennet, to coagulate milk in cheese-making.[4] [edit]Medicinal

use

The main active constituents are alkaloids and steroidal lactones. These include tropine and cuscohygrine. The leaves contain the steroidal lactones,withanolides, notably withaferin A, which was the first withanolide to be isolated from W. somnifera. [edit]Traditional

medicinal uses

In Ayurveda, the berries and leaves of W. somnifera are locally applied to tumors, tubercular glands, carbuncles, and ulcers.[4] The roots of W. somnifera are used to prepare the herbal remedy ashwagandha, which has been traditionally used to treat various symptoms and conditions.[4][9] [10][11] [12] [13] [14] [edit]Tumour

growth dementia

Several studies have reported that withaferin A has anti-metastatic activity in mice.[15][16][17][18][19] [edit]Alzheimer's

The effect of a semipurified root extract of W. somnifera containing mostly withanolides was investigated using a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The transgenic mice showed reversal of behavioral deficits and plaque load after treatment with the extract for 30 days.[20][21] [edit]Side

effects

In two published clinical trials of W. somnifera, the side effects were not significantly different from those experienced by placebo-treated individuals.[12][22] A case report implicated ashwaganda as the cause of thyrotoxicosis in a 32-year old female who had taken ashwaganada extract capsules for symptoms of chronic fatigue.[23]

Alfalfa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about plant and flower. For the actor and character of the series Our Gang, see Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. For the community in Central Oregon, see Alfalfa, Oregon. Alfalfa ( /lflf/; Medicago sativa) is a perennial flowering plant in the pea

family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. The English name is adopted from the Spanish, originally alfalfez, which in turn is derived from the Arabic al-fisfisa "fresh fodder". The Spanish name is widely used, particularly in the US but it is also known as lucerne in the UK, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, erba medica in Italy, meaning medical herb, luzerne in France, and lucerne grass in South Asian English. It superficially resembles clover, with clusters of

small purple flowers followed by fruits spiralled in 2 to 3 turns containing 10-20 seeds. Alfalfa has been cultivated by humans since at least the 4th century CE and has some use in herbal medicine.

Medical uses
Alfalfa has been used as an herbal medicine for over 1,500 years.[citation needed] Alfalfa is high in protein, calcium, plus other minerals, vitamins in the B group, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, andvitamin K.[60][61][62][63] In early Chinese medicines, physicians used young alfalfa leaves to treat disorders related to the digestive tract and the kidneys.[citation needed] In Ayurvedic medicine, physicians used the leaves for treating poor digestion. They made a cooling poultice from the seeds for boils. At the time, alfalfa was also believed to be beneficial to people suffering from arthritis and water retention.[citation needed] [edit]Vitamin

The sun-dried hay of Alfalfa (also known as Lucerne) has been found as a source of vitamin D, containing 48 ng/g (1920 IU/kg) vitamin D2 and 0.63 ng/g (25 IU/kg) vitamin D3.[64] There is reference to vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 being found in the alfalfa shoot, this is awaiting verification. [65] Mushrooms are not allowed in Jain vegetarianism making alfalfa the only known source they can use to make vitamin D2 supplements from.

Arnica /rnk/ is a genus with about 30 perennial, herbaceous species, belonging to the
sunflower family (Asteraceae). The genus name Arnica may be derived from the Greek arna, "lamb," in reference to the soft, hairy leaves. This circumboreal and montane (subalpine) genus occurs mostly in the temperate regions of western North America while two are native to Eurasia (A. angustifolia and A. montana).[citation needed] Arnica used to be included in the tribe Senecioneae because it has a flower or pappus of fine bristles. This was soon questioned and Nordenstam (1977) placed it tentatively in tribe Heliantheae s.l.[citation needed] This arrangement also became uncertain because of the sesquiterpene lactonechemistry in certain species. Lately Arnica was placed in an unresolved clade together with Madiinae, Eupatorieae, Heliantheae s.s. andPectidinae.[citation needed] Several species, such as Arnica montana and Arnica chamissonis, contain helenalin, a sesquiterpene lactone that is a major ingredient in anti-inflammatory preparations (used mostly for bruises). Arnica species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Bucculatrix arnicella. Arnica is also known by the names Mountain Tobacco and, somewhat confusingly, Leopard's bane and Wolfsbane - two names that it shares with the entirely separate genus Aconitum.

Medicinal uses
Arnica montana has been used medicinally for centuries, however there are no scientific studies that prove the medical effectiveness.[1] The roots contain derivatives of thymol,[3] which are used as fungicides and preservatives. Arnica is currently used in liniment and ointment preparations used for strains, sprains, and bruises. Commercial Arnica preparations are frequently used by professional athletes.[4] The thymol derivatives concentrated in the plants roots have been clinically shown to be effective vasodilators of subcutaneous blood capillaries. A study of wound-healing after surgery to treat varicose veins found no statistically significant proof of efficacy.[5] [edit]Toxicity Arnica contains the toxin helenalin, which can be poisonous if large amounts of the plant are eaten, and contact with the plant can also cause skin irritation.[6][7] If enough of the material is ingested, the toxin helenalin produces severe gastroenteritis, and internal bleeding of the digestive tract.[8] Homeopathic preparations of Arnica 24X dilution or more are not toxic as negligible amounts of Arnica remains.[9][10][11]