Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. |
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Botanical Name |
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Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. |
English
Name |
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Lady's Finger, Bindi, Gombo, Gumbo, Okra, Lady's finger, Gumbo. |
Synonym(s) |
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Hibiscus esculentus L. |
Family |
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Malvaceae |
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General Info
| Description |
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Annual herbaceous shrub growing to a height from 3 feet in dwarf varieties to 7 or 8 feet in others. Leaves orbicular, 5-7 lobed, lobes ovate to oblong, obtuse or acute, base cordate, margin crenate to coarsely serrate; petiole 1-6cm; stipules linear. 0.5-1.5 cm. The flowers are hermaphrodite, solitary, axillary, pedicels 2-3 cm. Epicalyx segments 7-12, free, linear, 1-2 cm. Calyx c. 2 cm. Corolla yellow, sometimes with red base 4.5-7 cm across. Staminal tube c 2 cm, pollen-bearing throughout. The fruit is a long pod, generally ribbed, and spineless in cultivated kinds. They attain lengths of 6 to 8 inches, and up to 1 inch or more in diameter. |
| Herb Effects |
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Fungitoxic against Helminthosporium oryzae (seed extract); inhibits growth of cancerous cells (seed); diuretic, demulcent and emollient (fruit capsule);
as dietary protein sources (seed); gastroprotective. |
Chemistry
| Active Ingredients |
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Alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, folacin, methionine, niacin, thiamin, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine (fruit); alpha-tocopherol (oil); ascorbic acid (plant); gossypol, linoleic acid, oleic acid (seed); quercetin (flower) |
| Chemistry
of Active Ingredients |
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|
 |
Name |
CAS# |
IUPAC Name |
Formula |
Structure |
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| Alanine |
35597-43-4 |
2-[2-[2-amino-4-(hyd
roxy-methyl-phosphor
yl)-butanoyl]aminopr
opanoylami
no]propa
noic acid |
C11H22N3O6P |
|
| Arginine |
7004-12-8 |
2-amino-5-guanidino-
pentanoic acid |
C6H14N4O2 |
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| Aspartic acid |
6899-03-2 |
2-aminobutanedioic
acid |
C4H7NO4 |
|
| Folacin |
6484-89-5 |
2-[4-[(2-amino-4-oxo
-1H-pteridin-6-yl)me
thylamino]benzoyl]am
inopentane
dioic
acid |
C19H19N7O6 |
|
| Methionine |
348-67-4 |
2-amino-4-methylsulf
anyl-butanoic acid |
C5H11NO2S |
|
| Niacin |
99148-57-9 |
pyridine-3-carboxyli
c acid |
C6H5NO2 |
|
| Thiamin |
59-43-8 |
2-[3-[(4-amino-2-met
hyl-pyrimidin-5-yl)m
ethyl]-4-methyl-1-th
ia-3-azoni
acyclope
nta-2,4-dien-5-yl]et
hanol |
C12H17N4OS+ |
|
| Tryptophan |
80206-30-0 |
2-amino-3-(1H-indol-
3-yl)propanoic acid |
C11H12N2O2 |
|
| Tyrosine |
556-02-5 |
2-amino-3-(4-hydroxy
phenyl)-propanoic
acid |
C9H11NO3 |
|
| Valine |
7004-03-7 |
2-amino-3-methyl-but
anoic acid |
C5H11NO2 |
|
| alpha-Tocopherol |
364-50-1 |
2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-
2-(5,9,13-trimethylt
etradecyl)chroman-6-
ol |
C30H52O2 |
|
| Ascorbic Acid |
Not Available |
2-(1,2-dihydroxyethy
l)-4,5-dihydroxy-fur
an-3-one |
C6H8O6 |
|
| Gossypol |
12542-36-8 |
7-(8-formyl-1,6,7-tr
ihydroxy-3-methyl-5-
propan-2-yl-naphthal
en-2-yl)-2
,3,8-tri
hydroxy-6-methyl-4-p
ropan-2-yl-naphthale
ne-1-carbaldehyde |
C30H30O8 |
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| Linoleic acid |
8024-22-4 |
Octadeca-9,12-dienoi
c acid |
C18H32O2 |
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| Oleic acid |
8046-01-3 |
octadec-9-enoic acid |
C18H34O2 |
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| Quercetin |
Not Available |
2-(3,4-dihydroxyphen
yl)-3,4,5-trihydroxy
-chromen-7-one |
C15H10O7 |
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Pharmacology
| Medicinal Use |
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Gonorrhoea and problems with the urogenital system (mucilage of fruit); catarrh and throat problems (fruit capsule); as a poultice (leaf and fruit capsule); gonorrhea (roots and leaves);the immature capsules is demulcent, diuretic and emollient; the seeds are antispasmodic, cordial, stimulant and allay thirst, cure stomatitis, dyspepsia, urinary discharge,leucoderma and itch. |
| Contraindication |
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Not available |
| Reference |
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 Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.
Johnson T. Medicinal Plants (Bentley and Trimen), CRC Ethnobotany Desk Reference (www.herbweb.com/herbage). |
Dealers
Products
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