Glycyrrhiza glabra

Also, Known As:

• Chinese Licorice
• Gan Cao
• Kan-ts’ao
• Kuo-lao
• Licorice
• Licorice Root
• Ling-t’ung
• Liquorice
• Mei-ts’ao
• Mi-kan
• Mi-ts’ao
• Sweet Licorice
• Sweet Wood
• Yasti Madhu

Licorice refers to the roots and rhizome of a variety of plants belonging to the species Glycyrrhiza glabra L. of the family Fabaceae. This is a European species and possesses a sweet yellow wood. There are also Asian species of the plant like Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. and others. In the commercially available licorice in the US markets, all these species are included since a significant part of licorice is imported from China and other Asian countries.

The herb has expectorant and demulcent properties and has been used traditionally in the treatment of common cold and coughs. The medication is commonly called licorice root or Glycyrrhiza and has also been in use as a flavoring agent. Licorice has been popular for long, in many parts of the…

Deep in the jungles of Africa, the bark of the borututu tree (Cochlospermum angolensis) holds many treasures. A tea made from this interesting substance has traditionally been used to manage ailments related to liver function, indigestion, and fatigue. Indeed, borututu bark tea as a broad spectrum tonic is an old-world tradition. A natural and powerful broad spectrum cleansing agent, traditional African medicine favors borututu for the management of problems of the liver and gallbladder.

Beneficial Compounds in Borututu Bark

Rich in active ingredients such as quinones, catechins, phenols, and bio-flavonoids, borututu has a wealth of substances shown to benefit the liver and gallbladder. For problems related to the digestive system and gallbladder, hands down, borututu bark is one of nature’s most powerful tonics. This is why borututu bark is one of the ingredients used to create Livatrex®, a powerful blend of herbs that support detoxification and normal function of…

Inula helenium

Also, Known As

• Elecampane
• Horseheal
• Scabwort

Elecampane (botanical name Inula helenium) is a tall, bristly perennial plant that is native to south-eastern Europe and western Asia. This herb, which bears yellow flowers resembling the daisy, has been naturalized in North America and is found growing in abundance in the moist meadows, fields and along the roads in the central and eastern regions of the United States and neighboring Canada. Elecampane belongs to the Asteraceae family and grows up to a height of four to six feet. The herb has a heavy branching stem that emerges from a basal rosette (a circular arrangement of leaves at the base) with leaves that are large, oval-shaped and pointed at the end. The herb bears vivid yellow flower heads during the period between the middle to the end of the summer. The flower heads of elecampane are generally four inches in diameter…

Also, Known As:

• Ashwagandha
• Indian Ginseng
• Withania

The herb known as the ashwagandha is a small plant in the same plant family as the common garden tomato. This plant is a stout shrub which can grow to a height of about five feet-170 centimeters when fully matured. The ashwagandha is similar to the tomato, in that it too bears yellow flowers and has a red colored fruit, the fruit is, however, berrylike in size and shape and the resemblance to the berry of tomato is not very easy to recognize. This herb is endemic to South Asia, and the ashwagandha grows abundantly in the wild in countries like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka-all of which are in South Asia and share a similar climate. Herbal remedies make use of all the parts of this particular herb and many different herbal medicines are prepared from this herb.

The meaning of the…

Cassia senna syn. Senna Alexandria

Also, Known As:

• Alexandrian Senna
• Senna

The senna plant is a small shrub belonging to the Caesalpiniaceae family. Incidentally, the senna belongs to two genus of Cassia – C. senna is also known as Alexandrina senna and C. Angustifolia that is also called the Tinnevelly senna. While the first variety of senna is found along the Nile River in Egypt and Sudan, the second type is widely cultivated in southern and eastern parts of India. It may be noted here that some experts are of the opinion that both the varieties of senna belong to a single species – Senna Alexandrina. Despite such claims, it may be said that the two varieties of senna differ greatly both according to morphology (structure of the plants) and histology (tissue study). Hence, the theory that Senna belongs to one single species is yet to get the pharmacognosists’ sanction.