Plantain Benefits Properties And Uses

Plantain (Plantago major)

Name : Plantago major L.
Family: Plantaginaceae.
Genre: Plantago.
Species: major.

General Description
The plantain, a herbaceous plant which abounds in orchards, wetlands, grasslands, field boundaries and embankments. The whole plant is useful, although the aerial parts are preferred. The leaves are big as the sole of the foot, born at ground level and develops vertically. Light green in color,join to the stem by a long petiole.


On the underside include seven parallel veins very robust. From the same point where start the leaves few flower stalks arise whose upper half is covered with small flowerets stalkless, abundant, forming as a reddish brush. The fruit is a small capsule which when ripe, opens transversely dropping the seeds that containing.


Distribution
Cosmopolitan . Introduced from Europe and feral.

Active components: Both the leaves and flowers and stems have a glucoside, aucubin, along with tannins and minerals, and also is rich in sulfur. The seeds contain abundant mucilage and lots of oils.

Extensive researchs performed on these species, have found the presence of the following substances.

Glycosides aucubin, catalpol and asperuloside, found in P. lanceolata.If the plantain is not dried properly, acquires a dark color, which is due to a dark brown polymer which forms the aucubin after hydrolyzed.


Mucilage : Composed by polysaccharide of glucomannan type,rhamnogalacturonan and arabinogalactan.
Phenolic acids: p- hydroxybenzoic acid, syringic, gentisic, caffeic, ferulic, and p- hydroxyphenylacetic.
Tannins - flavonoids, such as apigenin, luteolin and escutellarina.Silicic acid, mineral salts of potassium and zinc, and other compounds routinely tannins, alkaloids, oils, resins, steroids, aminated base and sulfur compounds.


With plantain have made significant pharmacological investigations to assess some of its medicinal properties. There are reports of non-routine work, where are realize positive results in the treatment of malignant gastric lesions. Its main virtue is the anti-inflammatory and emollient effect produced by seeds.


Other plantain health benefits:
Use to treat gastritis and digestive ulcers is supported by clinical studies.

* Softens the skin.
* It shrinks and hardens the organic tissues.
* Destroy germs from the skin or mucous membranes.
* Clean the blood of impurities and other bodily humors.


Useful parts:
The whole plant and leaves are used.

Uses:
Hoarseness : Perform rinses with liquid from the infusion of one teaspoon of dried leaves per cup of water. We can swallow the liquid .

* Respiratory system : Soothes the respiratory mucous, kills microorganisms that cause diseases of the respiratory system. Perform rinses with liquid from the infusion of one teaspoon of dried leaves per cup of water. We can swallow the liquid.

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