Possible involvement of H(+)-K(+)-ATPase inhibition and antioxidative mechanism

Banana Bar  

Banana is one of the largest produced fruit in the country and mainly consumed as fresh. It is a good source of carbohydrates, carotenoids, soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Banana pulp extracted from mature ripe banana can be used for the manufacture of banana bar. The excess production of banana results in drop in prices and difficulty in marketing, hence there is a need for development of value added product from banana. Banana bar is highly acceptable with chewy texture, color and overall quality. The bar can be consumed as confectionary product and can be used as a concentrated source of energy in special rations designed for mid-day meal, expeditions and defense. It is suitable for consumption by children, adults, teenagers and aged people. Shelf life of the product is about 6 months. Banana bar is a good source of energy and micro nutrients.

Shelf Stable Muffins and Bread with Natural Preservatives  

CFTRI has commercialized Shelf stable muffins and bread technologies that have natural ingredients as preservatives which function as anti-microbial and antioxidants. These technologies have been transferred to 2 well known companies in the global market. Muffins otherwise called cupcakes have high water content and low shelf-life, the muffins can be kept for 8-10 days without any preservatives. Bread has a shelf life of 2-3 days. Preservatives such as antimicrobials, antioxidants, chelating agents, and calcium propionate / sorbic acid are used to last longer and keeping their colour, taste and nutrients intact. Because of its non-toxic nature and lack of adverse side effects, the use of natural preservatives is gaining importance in recent years. The shelf stable muffins and bread with natural ingredients as preservatives prevent the muffins from going bad and the bread has good volume, soft texture and free from moulds. Therefore, the use of natural ingredients as preservatives is microbiologically healthy for 3 weeks in muffins and mould-free bread shelf life of 5 days.

Gluten Free Bakery Products

Gluten is a storage protein of wheat, it has visco-elasticity in nature and gives shape to the bakery, traditional and pasta products. Gluten causes various health problems in sufferers of gluten-related disorders such as celiac disease (CD), non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), gluten ataxia, dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) and wheat allergy. “Gluten-Free Diet” is a life-long treatment for gluten sensitive patients. In India, prevalence of rate of CD is around 1% which is more prevalent in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. CFTRI developed various Gluten Free Bakery Products such as Gluten Free Cookies, Bread, Muffins and Biscuits to cater the need of CD patients.

Carbonated Beverages

Carbonated beverage market is dominated by carbonated beverages with synthetic colors and flavors with no fruit juice. Preliminary investigations conducted at CSIR-CFTRI, Mysore indicated that the fruit juices of selected fruits can be carbonated to yield highly acceptable beverages. Since, the beverage market is growing every year by more than 30% it is necessary to develop technology for carbonation of fruit juice beverages with assured quality. Technology for carbonated fruit juice beverages from fruit juice of grape, mango, pomegranate, lime, orange, amla are being developed. The technology enables to manufacture carbonated fruit juice beverages with a fruit juice content required as per the FSSA regulations. These carbonated fruit juice beverages were highly acceptable and further studies on the shelf life and nutritional quality are in progress. These beverages can be bottled in 200 ml to 500 ml bottles and marketed.

Osmo-Dried Fruits (Mango, Pineapple, Jackfruit and Amla)

Osmo-drying is a novel approach to get quality product with retention of good color and characteristics flavor. Due to osmosis process, there is a reduction in energy consumption in subsequent drying operations. Reduction in bulk density after osmo-drying and product will have firm texture. The osmo-dried fruit segments are ready to eat (RTE) kind of product with good chew ability. The product has less moisture content and water activity so they are microbiologically safe and stable product with longer shelf life in packed form. It provides high calorific value (Kcal energy) due to enhancement in solid density and good nutrition. The osmo-dried products are good source of minerals like potassium and calcium.

Banana pseudo stem beverage and beverage blends

Banana pseudostem is the flower stalk is an agricultural waste after harvesting the fruit. The outer sheath of the stem has been used for fibre extraction. The inner central core packed with phenolics and minerals can be used for the development of different products. Juice from banana stem is a well-known remedy for urinary disorders. It has been found to be of great help in the treatment for the removal of stones in the kidney, gall bladder and prostate. Availability of the stem and extraction of juice are cumbersome and hence a technology has been developed for the preparation of a ready to serve beverage with a shelf life of 3 to 6 months depending on the packaging material. The product could be consumed for its medicinal value. Due to its high content of phenolics, tannins and minerals its consumption is limited. Its astringent taste has been masked by blending it with suitable fruit juices or spices to render the product more palatable.

Grain based foods

The concept of eating grain based food more as a source of functional food ingredients is gaining importance. For example coarse cereals like sorghum, maize and bajra are rich in high content of insoluble fibre, non – starch polysaccharide, hydrophobic proteins which are most suitable for obese population. Millets like foxtail, proso and barnyard millets are potential sources of micronutrients like carotenoids, tocopherols, polyphenols and flavonoids. For example, barnyard millet contains serotonin derivative which is known to exhibit anti – inflammatory properties. More attention is given to cereals and millets whereas legumes are largely neglected. Horse gram, moth bean, kidney bean and rice bean are examples of a few lesser known pulses which are rich in bioactive components. Consumption of whole grains is more beneficial than processed grains. The institute is therefore working on development of a variety of grain based functional and nutritious foods, which is the need of the hour.

Good Quality protein source

The naive and engineered bacterial systems such as Lactococcus, Kluveromyces, and E.coli for production of therapeutic and nutritionally important proteins are used. Also the indigenous protein rich plant fruits (papaya for papain), and seeds (ground nuts for butter, and for hydrolysates, concentrate, etc) for the production of certain food additives as well as rich nutrients are utilized.
The development pertaining to pleomorphism in bifidobacteria is likely revolutionize the bifidobacteria research in the country. Bifidobacteria specifically accepts probiotic microbes as a feed but not E. coli. Therefore, the preference goes for useful bacteria, but not for others. Few pictures have been enclosed for the viewers.

Beverages from green coffee  

Green coffee extract rich in bioactive molecules are used for preparation of natural polyphenol rich carbonated and non carbonated beverages. The polyphenol enriched carbonated and non carbonated beverages with health benefits can be used as a refreshing drink with enhanced antioxidant properties.

Probiotics cold coffee  

Polyphenol enriched cold coffee containing viable count of >10⁷ CFU/gm of a Lactobacillus pure culture is formulated. The composition and nutritional benefit of green coffee will be good for consumers .

Instant coffee cubes  

A new form of instant coffee with health benefits of dietary polyphenols from green coffee is prepared. The product is light weight, portable, low in calories pre-sweetened, without any artificial flavours, chemicals or additives. Drop a cube into boiled water, stir, and enjoy a smooth, bold coffee you can brew wherever you want.

Natural Beverages

Beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. When you think of good-for-you beverages, water immediately comes to mind, but there are others worth adding to your diet. Some drinks have tremendous health benefits, from relieving minor ailments like indigestion to protecting against diseases.  Such beverages like sugarcane, neera, ginger etc..have been developed by CFTRI and transferred to many industries. Fresh ginger has a juicy, refreshing and sweet pleasant ginger aroma. Fresh ginger is converted to candies by syruping in sugar syrup of incremental increase in degree brix. The ginger pieces (cubes/slices/titbits) are removed from syrup and rolled or coated in powdered sugar and air dried. The left over syrup after removing the ginger pieces diluted with water appropriately and carbonated to obtain ready to drink ginger beverage.

A 25 g of beverage concentrate dissolved in 75 ml of water/carbonated water gives to drink refreshing RTS ginger beverage. Ginger drinks have tremendous health benefits, from relieving minor ailments like indigestion to protecting against diseases. Several health components present in fresh ginger makes it a useful candidate for preparation of functional food products.

Spice Nutraceuticals

Zerumbone a nutraceutical and reported to possess physiological health benefits. Simple process for the preparation of pure Zerumbone crystals. Zerumbone crystals find application in Food & Pharma Industries. Zingiber Zerumbet Smith is a tall upright ginger growing up to 3m tall with long, narrow leaves grown in Southeast Asia, but has been widely cultivated in tropical and sub tropical area around the world. Zerumbone is a sesquiterpene phytochemical from Zingiber Zerumbet and has been subjected for biochemical studies because of its high medicinal values. Zerumbone is chemically known as a sesquiterpene had a characteristic of colorless, white crystals, typical aroma, with M.P. 62-65°C and its authenticity was established by structural elucidation with NMR spectra. Purity established by Gas Chromatography. CSIR-CFTRI developed a facile process for the preparation of pure Zerumbone crystals, which results in the pharmaceutical benefits such as antitumour, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, analgesic etc.

Natural Flavourants for Food Application

Fish gelatin prepared from skin, bone and scales of fish can be a good alternative to mammalian gelatin for use in food and pharmaceutical industry. Preparation of gelatin from fish byproducts provides not only value to the waste generated in fish industry, but also reduces pollution potential of the industry. CFTRI has standardized a process to extract gelatin from fish wastes which is comparable to bovine gelatin with respect to functional properties and gel strength. By the developed process, gelatin can be prepared from fresh water fish skin and scale without fishy odor and hence can be used in food products as gelling agent.
Wafers are the crispy snack foods loved by kids to grey haired. CFTRI has brought a new taste to our tongue by introducing “Non-veg wafers”, like Chicken, Egg, Fish, Meat, Pork and Prawn wafers. These wafers are protein enriched and are Ready-to-eat.

Eggs are a rich source of high quality protein, vitamins and dietary minerals and healthy food choice for people. Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet and are considered as nutrient dense food. In fact, eggs are pretty much the perfect food, they contain a little bit of almost every nutrient we need. Eggs also contain various other trace nutrients that are important for good health. An egg a day keeps a ‘doctor away’. CFTRI has paved the way in making ‘shelf-stable’ egg delicacies including egg paneer; deep fat fried cubes and dehydrated egg cubes. The egg cubes can be prepared from egg albumin or egg yolk or whole egg liquid. These egg cubes are ready to use in curry preparation. One of the mouth-watering egg delicacies is the egg crunchy bites, available in various flavours like onion, garlic and pepper. Egg crunchy bites can be used as a snack food. The remarkable feature is that all these products are shelf-stable for 6 months at a room temperature storage and does not have any chemicals and synthetic preservatives.

Common name:

Botanical name:     Family: (Oleander family)

Swallow-Root is an endemic and endangered plant of
Andhra Pradesh. It grows in between the rocks and places where there
is thick vegetation. Milky latex is present in the entire plant. Each
root is 5-10 cm in diameter and 4-10 roots arise from the rootstock. A
2-3 year old plant produce 15-20 kg of roots and one year old plant
produces 1-2 kg of roots. It is a climbing shrubs, with branchlets
jointed. Leaves are up to 6 x 4.5 cm, obovate-elliptic or circular, tip
blunt, base wedge-shaped, membranous. Leaf-stalks are up to 1.5 cm.
Flower are borne in cymes trichotomously branched. Calyx deeply 5
lobed, 2 mm, oblong. Flower-tube is 1 mm, petals 3 x 2 mm, oblong,
recurved, white pubescent inside; corona of 10 scales, alternately long
hooked and short; filaments 1 mm, anthers attached to style apex;
ovaries 1 mm. Seedpods are cylindrical oblong, in pairs, woody when
dry. Seeds are many, egg shaped with long white silky hairs.
Swallow-Root is found in Peninsular India.

• Is this flower misidentified?

The swallowwort gentian ( Gentiana asclepiadea ) is a species of the genus Gentian ( Gentiana ) in the gentian family (Gentianaceae).

The German common name Schwalbenwurz-Gentian refers to the similarity with the Schwalbenwurz ( Vincetoxicum hirundinaria ), whose leaves are also arranged opposite.

Other common names are blue crucifer after the leaves opposite to the cross, goat ladders after the ladder-shaped shadow leaves, autumn gentian and stag rutting gentian after its late heyday.

Illustration from Germany’s flora in images based on nature

The swallow-root gentian grows as a perennial herbaceous plant and reaches heights of 30 to 100 centimeters. Several upright to overhanging, multi-flowered stems are formed. The stems are simple and dense, evenly leafed.

The oppositely arranged leaves are one-sided (fo. Pectinata ) in the shade and all -sided in open, clear places (fo. Cruciata ) , depending on their location . The 4 to 8 centimeters long leaves are smaller from top to bottom. The simple leaf blades are lanceolate and entire. They have three to five distinct longitudinal arteries and are network nerve in between.

Up to three of the flowers sit in the upper leaf axils. The hermaphrodite flowers are about 35 to 50 millimeters in size and are five-fold with a double flower envelope . The five membranous sepals are fused to form a calyx tube that ends in five very short and narrow calyx tips. The dark-azure-blue, narrow-bell-shaped crown shows a dark blue color on the outside, inside it is dotted red-violet with mostly light blue vertical stripes.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 44.

The swallowwort gentian is a hemicryptophyte .

The flowering period extends from August to October. Because of the late flowering period, self-pollination plays a major role in this species , with the stigmas rolling back so far that they come into contact with the lower anthers.

Habit, opposite leaves and flowers

Habit, opposite leaves and flowers

The hermaphrodite flowers of the swallow root gentian are pre-male , which means that the pollen is emptied through the anthers before the stigma ripens. A temporal overlap between these two stages is under discussion, but has not yet been clarified. The swallowwort gentian offers nectar and is primarily pollinated by bees and bumblebees. Self-pollination also occurs.

The caterpillars of the highly endangered ) and the gentian alpine leaf tensioner ) are oligophagous dependent on the swallow root gentian as a fodder plant .

The swallow root gentian is attacked by the rust fungus Cronartium flaccidum with uredia and telia .

Occurrence and endangerment

The range of the swallowwort gentian includes the mountains of central and southern Europe. Quite common in the Alps in the marginal Alps, scattered in the Inner Alps. In the German foothills of the Alps, the occurrence extends at least to the Starnberg district .

The swallowwort gentian thrives at altitudes from the valley up to about 2200 meters. In the Allgäu Alps, it rises to an altitude of 1900 meters. As a location preferred this lime-loving plant wet meadows, fens, forest edges, Riedwiesen, Hochstaudenfluren and Legföhrengebüsche . In Central Europe, it occurs primarily in societies of the Molinion Association, in the high mountains also in societies of the Fagion, Erico-Pinion or the Origanetalia or Adenostyletalia orders.

The swallowwort gentian is considered endangered in Germany. The intensive grazing of fresh and wet meadows mainly contributes to this. The swallow-root gentian is also very popular with collectors, which also has a negative effect on the stock situation.

All parts of the plant of swallow-root gentian, especially the «rhizome», contain bitter glycosides like all types of gentian and the drug was used medicinally. In folk medicine it was thought to have healing powers against rabies and was used for dog bites (Bitzwurzen), in veterinary medicine as a remedy against claw diseases (cloav root).

• Xaver Finkenzeller, Jürke Grau: Alpine flowers. Recognize and determine (=  Steinbach’s natural guide ). Mosaik, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-576-11482-3 .
• Manfred A. Fischer, Wolfgang Adler, Karl Oswald: Excursion flora for Austria, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol . 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. State of Upper Austria, Biology Center of the Upper Austrian State Museums, Linz 2005, ISBN 3-85474-140-5 .
• Thomas Gaskell Tutin : Gentiana. In: TG Tutin, VH Heywood, NA Burges, DM Moore, DH Valentine, SM Walters, DA Webb (eds.): Flora Europaea . Volume 3: Diapensiaceae to Myoporaceae . Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1972, ISBN 0-521-08489-X , (English, limited preview in Google Book Search).
• Stingl, Wagner, Haseder, Erlbeck: Das Kosmos Wald- und Forstlexikon , Kosmos-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-440-10375-3 .

1. ^ ^{A b} Gentiana asclepiadea L., Swallowwort gentian.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areasWith the collaboration of Angelika Schwabe and Theo Müller. 8th, heavily revised and expanded edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2001,
3. database of biological-ecological characteristics of the flora of Germany.
4. The swallow-root gentian as a caterpillar forage plant at Flora.web.
5. Peter Zwetko: The rust mushrooms Austria. Supplement and host-parasite directory to the 2nd edition of the Catalogus Florae Austriae, III. Part, Book 1, Uredinales. (PDF; 1.8 MB).
6. Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 2, IHW, Eching 2004, ISBN 3-930167-61-1 , p. 334.

• Profile and distribution map for Bavaria . In: Botanical Information Hub of Bavaria .
• Gentiana asclepiadea L. In: Info Flora , the national data and information center for Swiss flora . Retrieved January 23, 2016.
• Thomas Meyer: Data sheet with identification key and photos at Flora-de: Flora von Deutschland (old name of the website: Flowers in Swabia ).

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues

Common name:

Botanical name:     Family: (Oleander family)
Synonyms: Stelmacrypton khasianum, Pentanura khasiana, Periploca khasiana

Khasi Swallow-Root is a large climber up to 10 m.
Flowers are tiny, yellow-green, about 6 mm wide, velvet-hairy; lobes
ovate. Corona lobes ovate. Flower-stalks are about 2 mm. Sepals are
broadly ovate, hairless. Flower clusters are shorter than leaves, 4- or
5-flowered, carried on flower-cluster-stalk about 5 mm. Branchlets are
warty, velvet-hairy when young. Leaf-stalks are about 5 mm; leaf blade
reddish, oblong-elliptic to elliptic-ovate, 7-17 x 2.5-8 cm, somewhat
leathery, hairless, base wedge-shaped, tip pointed or short tapering;
lateral veins about 7 pairs. Follicles are paired, oblong-elliptic, 5-9
x about 2 cm, hairless. Khasi Swallow-Root is found in bushland,
forests, in NE India, Myanmar to China. Flowering: May-September.

Medicinal uses: All parts are used medicinally
for bronchitis, cough, and epidemic influenza. The roots yield an
aromatic oil.

• Is this flower misidentified?

The Schwalbenwurzen ( Vincetoxicum hirundinaria ) is a species of the genus Schwalbenwurzen ( Vincetoxicum ) and belongs to the family of the dog poison plants (Apocynaceae). It is the only native representative of the silk plant family (Asclepiadoideae), a species-rich subfamily that is particularly widespread in the tropics.

The perennial plant reaches heights of between 30 and 100 centimeters. The opposite leaves are elongated and heart-shaped at the base. They are smooth-edged and have a dark bluish-green color on top, and noticeably lighter on the underside.

The flowers are in small clusters in the leaf axils. The crown is about five to seven millimeters wide, is yellowish white and wheel-shaped. The flowering period lasts from May to August.

The chromosome number is 2n = 22, less often 44.

The swallow root is a hemikryptophyte (stem plant) or a climbing perennial. As a free-standing plant, it grows upright. But if it has to grow between competing plants of about the same height, then its internodes lengthen and it becomes a left-handed creeper with lighter green leaves. It then winds in the same direction as the bindweed and field bindweed . Its creeping rhizome is knotty. The plant is equipped with articulated milk tubes , as is customary in the whole family circle. It is a deep and intensive root.

The flowers are «clip-trap flowers», the pollen of which is transmitted in packets. The stamen appendages are fused into a 5-column wreath. The dust compartment contents ( pollinia ) of two neighboring dust bags are connected by a thread (translator), at the center of which the clamp body is located. The 5 nectaries that surround the anthers sit alternately with the anthers. If visitors step «next to it», they get caught with their «feet» in the clamp body and, if they want to leave the flower again, have to pull out the «feet» including the pollinium. Larger flies (e.g. blowflies ) succeed in doing this, while smaller mosquitoes get caught in the clamp body of the flowers and die there. The flowers smell fish-like due to amines , which mainly attracts flies . The flowering period extends from May to August.

Often only one of the two carpels develops into an up to 7 cm long, bellows-like fruit , which, however, opens along the dorsal seam to release numerous seeds individually. The egg-shaped, flat, up to 7 mm long and 7–8 mg heavy seeds have a conspicuous head of hair up to 18 mm long, with the help of which they spread out like an umbrella flyer; its speed of fall is 60 cm / s. In addition, it spreads as water-bound. Often there are several embryos in one seed; it is therefore polyembryonia . Fruit ripening is from August to October; the fruits are winter dwellers. Vegetative propagation occurs through runners .

The lime-loving plant is widespread in Europe; scattered in Germany, often represented in Austria in all federal states. The preferred location is dry, warm, light forests and stony dry grasslands. In Central Europe it thrives on warm, alkaline, mostly calcareous, often poor, loose, often stony clay or loam soils, also on sandy soils or stone rubble. It is a weak species of the Geranion sanguinei association, but also occurs in societies of the order Stipetalia calamagrostis, the Quercetalia pubescentis and in the associations Cephalanthero-Fagion, Carpinion or Erico-Pinion. In the Allgäu Alps, it rises to an altitude of around 1600 meters.

Vincetoxicum hirundinaria in Catalonia

In the case of the white swallowwort, around 11 subspecies can be distinguished:

• Vincetoxicum hirundinaria subsp. adriaticum
  (Syn .: Vincetoxicum adriaticum ): It occurs on the northwestern Balkan peninsula.
• Vincetoxicum hirundinaria subsp. apodum : It only occurs in Spain.
• Vincetoxicum hirundinaria subsp. contiguum (Syn .: Cynanchum contiguum ): It occurs in Corsica , in Italy and on the northwestern Balkan peninsula.
• Vincetoxicum hirundinaria subsp. cretaceum (Syn .: Antitoxicum cretaceum ): It occurs from the southern and eastern Ukraine to the Caucasus.
• Vincetoxicum hirundinaria subsp. hirundinaria : It occurs from Europe to western Siberia and northern Turkey, in north-western Africa and in the Himalayas.
• Vincetoxicum hirundinaria subsp. intermedium (Loret & Barrandon) Markgr. : It occurs from southern France to northeastern Spain and the Balearic Islands .
• Vincetoxicum hirundinaria subsp. jailicola (Syn .: Vincetoxicum jailicola ): It occurs only in the Crimea .
• Vincetoxicum hirundinaria subsp. lusitanicum : It occurs from northern Spain to northwestern Portugal.
• Vincetoxicum hirundinaria subsp. luteolum (Jord. & Fourr.) la Valva, Moraldo & Caputo (Syn .: Vincetoxicum luteolum Jord. & Fourr. ): It occurs in France and Italy.
• Vincetoxicum hirundinaria subsp. nivale (Boiss. & Heldr.) Markgr. (Syn .: Vincetoxicum nivale Boiss. & Heldr. ): It occurs on the Balkan Peninsula.
• Vincetoxicum hirundinaria subsp. stepposum (Syn .: Antitoxicum stepposum ): It occurs from the Crimea to western Siberia and the northern Caucasus region.

The plant was previously used in medicine. Oxasteroid glycosides with saponin-like properties ( vincetoxin ) and small amounts of isoquinoline alkaloids such as tylophorin are particularly active ingredients in the underground organs .

Today swallowwort is no longer used in conventional medicine. The earlier use of the underground parts as a diuretic and perspiration is out of date. The name alone has survived from its original use as an antidote against snake venom. It is still used in homeopathy, e.g. B. Engystol for a cold.

All parts of the plant, especially those underground, contain a mixture of glycosides known as vincetoxin. The effect is similar to that of monkshood , at high doses death from respiratory paralysis is said to occur, but the danger is controversial. The preferred aglycone is hirundigenin . Sheep and cattle avoid the plant. It is only eaten by horses after frost .

The plant serves as an intermediate host for the pine bladder rust .

Origin of name

The genus name Vincetoxicum is derived from the Latin vincere “to defeat” and toxicum “poison” and denotes a plant that acts as an antidote . The name Schwalbenwurz is derived from the Middle Latin name of the plant hirundinaria or from the Latin hirundo «swallow» and expresses the similarity of the hair-provided seeds with flying swallows . Other common names include St. Lawrence root, St. Lawrence herb and white swallow root. Because of the resemblance of the root to a dragon’s head, the plant was called dragon root in the 15th century.

In the 15th century «Schwalbenwurcz» was mentioned in Nikolaus Frauenlob’s herbal book under the name «Trakkenwurcz» (Dragon Arum). When applied externally, it was supposed to pull fragments of bone from wounds and heal the bites of poisonous animals. Taken internally in wine, it was recommended as a repellent against poison and to expel stones from the urinary bladder.

Sources on the history of swallowwort, dragonwort and asclepias (selection)

• Antiquity: Pedanios Dioscurides 1st century (Asclepias) — Pliny the Elder 1st century (Asclepias)
• Latin Middle Ages: Nikolaus Frauenlob 15th century — Hieronymus Brunschwig 1500
• 16th century: Otto Brunfels 1532 — Hieronymus Bock 1539 — Leonhart Fuchs 1543 — Camerarius 1586
• 17th and 18th centuries: Johann Schröder Pharmacopoee 1644-1748 — Moyse Charas Pharmacopoee 1676 — Nicolas Lémery Dictionnaire universel 1699-1721 — Strasbourg Pharmacopoeia 1725 — Georg Ernst Stahl 1731 — Württemberg Pharmacopoeia 1741– 1786 — Pharmacopoea Parisiensis 1748 — Onomatologia — Medical Lexicon 1755
• 19th century: Analysis 1825 — Encyclopedic Dictionary 1833 — August Husemann and Theodor Husemann 1871 — Theodor Husemann 1883

• Elisabeth Stahl-Biskup and Beatrice Gehrmann. Vincetoxicum . In: Hager’s Handbook of Pharmaceutical Practice . 5th edition, Volume 6 (Drugs PZ), Springer, Berlin etc. 1994, pp. 1134–1141 ISBN 3-540-52639-0
• Gunter Steinbach (Ed.), Bruno P. Kremer u. a .: wildflowers. Recognize & determine. Mosaik, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-576-11456-4 .
• Manfred A. Fischer , Wolfgang Adler, Karl Oswald: Excursion flora for Austria, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol. 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. State of Upper Austria, Biology Center of the Upper Austrian State Museums, Linz 2005, ISBN 3-85474-140-5 .
• Ruprecht Düll , Herfried Kutzelnigg : Pocket dictionary of plants in Germany. A botanical-ecological excursion companion to the most important species. 6th, completely revised edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2005, ISBN 3-494-01397-7 .
• Ruprecht Düll, Herfried Kutzelnigg: Pocket dictionary of plants in Germany and neighboring countries. The most common Central European species in portrait. 7th, corrected and enlarged edition. Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2011, ISBN 978-3-494-01424-1 .
• Ingrid and Peter Schönfelder : The new manual of medicinal plants, Franckh-Kosmos Verlagsgesellschaft, 2004, ISBN 3-440-09387-5
• Roth / Daunderer / Kormann: Poisonous plants, plant poisons. 4th edition.

• Swallowwort. In: FloraWeb.de.
• Swallowwort . In: BiolFlor, the database of biological-ecological characteristics of the flora of Germany.
• Vincetoxicum hirundinaria Medik. In: Info Flora , the national data and information center for Swiss flora . Retrieved January 26, 2016.
• Worldwide distribution map
• Thomas Meyer: Data sheet with identification key and photos at Flora-de: Flora von Deutschland (old name of the website: Flowers in Swabia )
• The poisonous plant white swallowwort

Botanical name:     Family: (Oleander family)
Synonyms: Brachylepis nervosa Wight & Arn.

Nerved-Leaf Swallow-Root is a climbing shrub, with
stem purplish, velvet-hairy; latex milky. Leaves are simple opposite,
5-10 x 3-7 cm, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, pointed to tapering, base
blunt, upper surface hairless and shining; lateral nerves 8-10 pairs,
prominent below, opurplish in young leaves; leaf-stalk to 1 cm long.
Flowers are borne in leaf-axils and at branch-ends, in condensed cymes.
Flower-cluster-stalk is velvet-hairy or becoming hairless. Calyx is
deeply lobed, sepals ovate, pointed. Flower are pinwheel shaped, petals
ovate greenish-purple; corona of 5 broad membranous scales. Stamens 5,
attached to the throat of flower; filaments short. Ovary hairless;
style tip capitate. Follicles narrowly lanceshaped, 6-7 cm long.
Nerved-Leaf Swallow-Root is endemic to Western Ghats
Flowering: September-April.

Medicinal uses: Root is used as pickles,
indigestion and substitute of Nannari plant for health drink.

• Is this flower misidentified?