The Artemisia annua L. species of the Asteraceae family is also known as sweet wormwood, sweet annie or chinese wormwood. It appears to have fern-like alternating leaves that grows on alternating branches, bright yellow flowers and a camphor-like scent and usually grows anywhere in the world. The plant stands about two feet tall and is cross-pollinated by the wind or insects. Artemisia annua is a rich source of essential oils and the aromatic artemisinin.
Numerous imbricated bracts enclose nodding flowers or capitula which contain central bisexual florets and receptacles. The florets and receptacles bear biseriate glandular trichomes that sequester artemisinin and other aromatic essential oils.
In vitro production of Artemisia annua is easily propagated through microcuttings in a hormone-free medium. Shoots in vitro produce artemisinin and enhanced by root presence although none or very small traces of artemisinin are found in roots, callus and cells. The commercially viable field production of Artemisia annua produces ample amounts of artemisinin especially in conducive tropical climates.
Artemisia annua is used traditionally as a Chinese herb for treating fevers and hemorrhoids. It is basically a rich source of artemisinin and volatile or essential oils effectively used in the crafting of aromatic wreaths and flavoring of spirits like vermouth.
It also is an important natural anti-malarial effective against multi-drug resistant plasmodium species by reacting with iron and producing harmful free radicals that damage biological macromolecules including the cell membrane.
This active compound also prevents the development of parasite resistance.
Wormwood has been the subject of several research studies for its proposed efficacy in treating cancer. The nontoxic substance directly eradicated cancer cells while having only marginal impact on remaining healthy tissues.
In modern China, wormwood is considered a delicacy and used as food in salad-like form with somewhat bitter taste and strong acid overtones.
Black walnut trees usually grow in central and eastern North America wherein essential oils are extracted from the plant’s nuts. Black walnut extract is a natural botanical dietary supplement also called “English or Persian walnuts”. It used to be regarded as beneficial to the brain and kidneys while some cultures believe it to be a charm for fertility. Black walnut is a rich source of iodine and trace minerals and also contains linolenic acid, tannine, quinone compounds and vitamin C or ascorbic acid. As essential fatty acid, it cannot be readily produced by the body and must be obtained through diet or supplementation.
Black walnut extract is derived from the leaves, bark, kernel and unripe hull of the fruit of the black walnut tree. The harvested green hulls that surround the nut produce huge quantities of essential oils prior to being separated into smaller pieces and submerged in organic grain alcohol and distilled water solution.
The black walnut has several known medicinal and food uses. It is used as an ingredient in many bakery products and is an effective astringent, toothpaste and a traditional hair tonic. Internally, black walnut extract is an anti-parasitic that controls internal parasites and rids the body of different worms. It is also proven effective for gout, rheumatism and glandular disturbances.
It contains essential fatty acids that protect the body against heart disease, monitors insulin utilization and balance mood. It also contains certain properties of low density lipoproteins or LDL which greatly helps in reducing cholesterol and blood pressure.
It is widely used in many types of skin conditions like ringworm, jock itch, athlete’s foot, psoriasis, blisters, eczema, scabbing pruritus, varicose ulcers, eyelid irritations and syphilis sores.
Respiratory conditions like cough, asthma and bronchitis can also be aided by black walnut extract. The plant is also employed in most kidney stone remedies to reduce pain and greatly helps in improve sleep and appetite patterns.
Pomegranate seed or punica granatum is a fruit-bearing shrub native from Iran to India. Its fruits are the main reason for its cultivation which appears rounded and hexagonal with pulp colors like purple. The leaves of the plant are glossy or deciduous with flowers on the branch tips singly or clustered. It is also called “Chinese apple”.
Scoring the pomegranate with a knife and breaking it open will yield arils or seed casings separated from the skin and reveal white supporting structures. The entire seed is then processed, dried or soaked depending on its intended use. It can be very sweet, sour or tangy laced with notes of its tannin.
Forty percent of an adult’s daily vitamin C requirement can be obtained from a single pomegranate which is a rich source of folic acid and other antioxidants. It is also high in polyphenols which contribute to its antioxidant properties.
Several clinical trials of pomegranate seed extract resulted effectiveness in reducing heart conditions, LDL oxidation, macrophage oxidative status and foam cell formation which are predisposing factors of atherosclerosis and heart disease. The herb further reduces systolic blood pressure by inhibiting serum angiotensin-converting enzyme.
Pomegranate seeds also have reported claims in treating cancer by eliminating cancer cells directly while keeping healthy ones alive. In bioassay, its hypotensive, antispasmodic and antihelmintic properties are also recognized. It effectively rids the body of tapeworms and can relieve bronchitis, oral and throat inflammation.
The antioxidant qualities of the herb are indispensable as further studies are going on to link these traits with its new known function of possible replacing estrogen in women.
Pomegranate juice is widely use for its therapeutic effects on dyspepsia, diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhages, prostate cancer, osteoarthritis and leprosy. Overdoses are emetic or purgative and may cause papillary dilatation, dimming of sight, muscle weakness and paralysis.
Wormwood or Artemisia absinthum is a volatile oil with high levels of thuione. It has sesquiterpene bitter principles including absinthine, anab sinthine, artabsine and matricine, sesquiterpene lactones, acetylenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans and other acids. It is a deciduous perennial plant which does well in droughts and cultivated beds. It is also knows as “absinthium”, “green ginger”, “absinthe”, “old woman” and “southernwood”.
The leaves and flowering tops of wormwood are cut in which the parts are crushed, concocted or cooked to serve its relative therapeutic use. Aromatic essential oils are also extracted from the buds when it is of the right age which yield absinthine or absinthum.
The bitter herb is effective as a carminative, anti-microbial, antihelmintic, aromatic, tonic, antiseptic, febrifuge agent useful for loss of appetite, dyspeptic disorders and bloating meteorism. The bitter taste is also used concurrently as a flavoring agent.
It is also traditionally used for gastric insufficiency, intestinal atonia, gastritis, stomachache, anemia, irregular menstruation, fever and worm infestation especially roundworm and pinworm.
Wormwood is externally effective for poor-healing wounds, ulcers, skin blotches, and insect bites. If taken internally, it should only be in small doses as overdose may result to poisoning. Do not prescribe for children and pregnant women.
Wormwood also improves digestion and nutrient absorption by increasing stomach acid and bile production which in turn relieves liver and gallbladder complaints. It can help return the body to full vitality after chronic disease.
The leaves and flowering shoots are anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, anti-tumor, carminative, cholagogue, emmenagogue, febrifuge, hypnotic, stimulant, stomachic, tonic and vermifuge.
Garlic oils are basically used as culinary herbs and one of the oldest kinds of manufactured ingredients. It has been used worldwide for thousands of years for its various nutrition benefits. Allium sativum or garlic oil is a wonder drug rich in sulfur compounds mainly allicin which explains its extensive medicinal benefits and potent odor.
Garlic oil is almost always present in kitchens as a seasoning and flavoring agent. Garlic oil can be made in two methods. The first one is to steam crushed garlic and capture the resultant oil as allicin breaks down into simpler sulphides. One pound of garlic only produces one gram of oil. The second method is to crush or chop garlic and incubate it for twenty four hours in vegetable oil then removing all remaining pieces of garlic.
Meats, canned goods, sauces, confectionery and several other food products are seasoned and flavored with garlic oil.
Medicinal benefits of garlic oil are derived from its digestive, stimulant, diuretic and antispasmodic properties. It generally has a lot of support in circulatory functions like maintaining normal blood LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, preventing clumping of blood platelets and regulates clotting factors and decreasing blood pressure through vasodilation.
It supports normal blood sugar and immunologic factors to combat illnesses and protects cells from damage through oxidizing agents.
Garlic oil is generally popular for its antifungal and antibacterial effects. It unleashes some one hundred sulfur-containing compounds that battle infection and microbes. It can be used effectively for wound healing and its expectorating properties open up the lungs and bronchial tubes as well as clear the airway of excess mucous secretions.
The miracle herb greatly reduces risks for cardiovascular disease and cancer, stimulates immune function, enhances detoxification of the body and restores physical health and strength by protecting the cells and tissues from damage and preventing bacterial and fungal proliferation.
Ginger root or zingiber officinalea is a native Southeast Asian plant related to the turmeric and marjoram families. It has been used around the world in many diverse locations for thousands of years as a therapeutic herb and an aromatic spice. Jamaica today is a major cultivator of ginger root. It was used by the Greeks to make bread which is the forerunner of the famous gingerbread.
Ginger being a dietary supplement has various health benefits used widely in traditional folk medicine. It is usually grown in warmer climates and takes the name of its place of origin like Jamaican ginger, African ginger and Cochin ginger only differing in concentration rates. It is chemically classified as an essential oil with pungent principles from oleoresin. The dried rhizome contains approximately one to three percent volatile oil which is the source of ginger's characteristic aroma.
Ginger root is from the division of ginger rootstock. The rhizome or root is unearthed when propagated ginger is around ten months old then washed, soaked, boiled and peeled. This part of the rhizome is completely found under the soil’s surface and commonly consumed fresh, dehydrated or sugar-preserved.
Ginger root possesses anti-emetic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and cardiotonic properties. Its cholagogic property promotes the flow of bile into the intestine by contracting the gallbladder.
Its anti-emetic functions prevent motion sickness and nausea. It also was claimed to have antispasmodic, anticholinergic and antihistaminic actions. It aids in gastrointestinal functions by increasing salivation and hastening intestinal motility through increased tone and peristalsis of the intestines. It has excellent therapeutic use in digestive complaints like indigestion, nausea, gas and colic. Motion and morning sickness relief and antiseptic qualities also benefits gastrointestinal processes.
As an anti-inflammatory agent, ginger root inhibits thromboxane synthetase which is a prostacyclin agonist. It inhibits biosynthesis of prostaglandin and leukotriene thereby controlling vascular permeability which results in cardinal signs of inflammation.
Ginger root also serves as an analgesic by directly acting on the central nervous system or CNS by targeting prostaglandin synthesis which results to decreased perception of pain.
It further inhibits arachidonic acid production which induces platelet activation in humans. The herb promotes circulation thus preventing high blood pressure and regulating body heat during occasions of fever.
Respiratory benefits of ginger root are also indicated through common treatments of coughs, colds and flu as well as other lung and airway problems.
Believed to have originated in Southeast Asia, the clove or Syzygium aromaticum of the eucalyptus family Myrtaceae is a tall slender evergreen tree with leathery leaves. It is now cultivated in many tropical regions worldwide due to its vitality in warm climates. It is also traditionally a Chinese herbal medicine and other countries like the Philippines, Madagascar and Indonesia produce clove oil extensively due to its therapeutic effects of being a stimulating aromatic, useful carminative, potent germicide and local anesthetic.
The long buds of the clove tree have a rosy pink corolla at the tip which fades then eventually turns red. Long greenish buds called cloves appear at the beginning of the rainy season ready for extraction. Clove bud oil is steam distilled from the cloves. It is a common component in dental preparations, toothpastes, soaps, toiletries, cosmetics and perfumes. It is also present in major food categories, alcoholic and soft drinks as a flavoring agent.
Clove oil has distinctive properties of being an effective anti-helmintic, antibiotic, anti-aphrodisiac, emetic, antihistaminic, anti-rheumatic, anti-neuralgic, antioxidant, antiseptic, counter-irritant, expectorant, stimulant, spasmolytic, stomachic and vermifugic.
Traditional uses of clove oil are stomach and headache relief. It also can be used to treat hernias, diarrhea and bad breath due to its germicidal effects. If topically used, it is very effective as a counterirritant and dental anesthetic as well as treating inflammation of mucous membranes inside the oral cavity. Further, ringworm-caused diseases and symptoms such as athlete’s foot can be effectively treated with a tincture of clove.
Its beneficial blood clotting and coagulation properties have also been considered as well as chemoprotective and fever-reducing effects. The oil also inhibits spasms and the production of histamine which in turn prevents vasoconstriction.
Internal clove oil uses are reducing gas and vomiting due to its anti-emetic effects. Stomach ulcers can greatly be relieved by the herb. Widely used in aromatherapy, it is beneficial in treating gastrointestinal problems like amoebic diarrhea and dysentery.