“Isapgol”
Plantago ovata Forsk
Botanical Name:
Plantago ovata Forsk

Isapgol consists of the epidermis and collapsed adjacent layers removed from the seeds of Plantago ovata Forsk, Family Plantaginaceae

Common Name(s) in English & Indian Languages
Sanskrit: Asvagola, Asvakarna, Isadgola, Ishadgol, Ishadgola, Isvarabola, Shlakshnajira
English: Indian Plantain, Isphagul, Psyllium
Guajarati: Isabagola
Hindi: Isabghul, Isabgol, Isapghul
Kannada: Esabakolu, Esabgolu
Malayalam: Ispaghal, Karkatasringi, Snigddhajirakam
Marathi: Isabagola
Tamil: Aliyakocam, Aliyakocavirai, Capja, Icapkol
Telugu: Isapagala, Isapagalavittulu
Urdu: Ispaghul Musallam, Subus Isapghol

Botanical description:
An annual, acaulescent herb. Stem highly ramified bearing linear leaves, which are lanceolate, dentate and pubescent. Flowers white and grouped into cylindrical spikes; sepals characterized by a distinct midrib extending from the base to the summit; petal lobes oval with a mucronate summit. Seeds oval, clearly carinate, 2–3 mm long, light grey-pink, with a brown line running along their convex side

Parts used:
Dried seed coats (epidermis)

Major chemical constituent
The major constituent is a mucilaginous hydrocolloid (20–30%), which is a soluble polysaccharide fraction, composed primarily of an arabinoxylan (up to 85%). The polymer backbone is a xylan with 1→ 3 and 1→ 4 linkages with no apparent regularity in their distribution. The monosaccharides in this main chain are substituted on C-2 or C-3 by l-arabinose, d-xylose, and α-d-galacturonyl-(1→2)-l-rhamnose. Fixed oil (5–10%) is another major constituent

Therapeutic uses:
• Diarrhoea (Atisara)
• Rheumatism (Amavata)
• Gout (Vatasonita)
 


 
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