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Tlahui-Medic. No. 7, I/1999
Dr. Mario Rojas Alba English common name: Pomegranate Botanical characteristics and
habitat: A shrub that originated in
Asia, it is currently cultivated in many countries in Asia, Europe, the Americas
and Africa. Pomegranate, Punica granatum L., is 13 to 16 feet high (4 to
5 meters); its trunk is smooth and tortuous; the leaves are oblong, opposite,
petiolated, and shiny. The branches are flexible, thin and spiny; the flowers
are scarlet in color, with many stamens and the petals are crumpled. The fruit
of the Punica granatum is the pomegranate, which is a globose berry,
thick, coriaceous, with many scarlet semitransparent fleshy seeds. Properties: Anthelmintic, teniafuge, astringent, antidiarrheal,
antidysenteric, and depurative. Uses in traditional medicine: Root bark has a bitter taste. It is used as
antihelmintic and astringent. The rind of the fruit is used as an antiseptic in
episodes of gingivitis, stomatitis, pyorrhea, tonsillitis and pharyngitis. The
medicinal uses of pomegranate go back to ancient Egypt. It was also well-known
in the traditional cultures of Persia and Pakistan. In addition, the Arabs had
great appreciation for pomegranate. They introduced it to the south of Spain. The
Spanish conquistadores introduced it widely in the colonies, where the
indigenous people highly valued its many qualities and adopted it as part of
their repertoire of medicinal plants. Remedies:
Constituents: Root bark contains up to 3% of 4 alkaloides
(pelletierine, methyl-pelletierine, isopelletierine, and pseudopelletierine),
granatotannic acid and gallotannic acid. Precautions & contraindications: Doses greater than those recommended may cause nausea, dizziness and
vomiting. Consult your doctor. |
