''Echinops echinatus'', the Indian globe thistle, commonly known as ''Usnakantaka'',
is a species of
globe thistle
''Echinops'' is a genus of about 120 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, commonly known as globe thistles. They have spiny foliage and produce blue or white spherical flower heads. They are native to Europe, east to central As ...
, found in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, and
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. Indian globe thistle is an erect branched herb about 100 cm high. It has short, stout stems, branching from the base, covered with white cottony hair.
Alternate
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
ly arranged
oblong, deeply pinnatifid leaves are 7–12 cm long.
Flower heads
A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...
occur in solitary white spherical balls, 3–5 cm across. Petals of the tiny white
disc floret
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
s are 5 mm long. Flowers are surrounded by straight, strong, white bristles. Often misidentified with
Silybum marianum
''Silybum marianum'' is a species of thistle. It has various common names including milk thistle, blessed milkthistle, Marian thistle, Mary thistle, Saint Mary's thistle, Mediterranean milk thistle, variegated thistle and Scotch thistle (thou ...
(L.)
Gaertner,
it is colloquially known as Camel's thistle.
Flowering
From December to January.
Chemistry
2',5,7- trihydroxy-3.6-dimethoxy flavone-7-O-b-D-galactopyranosyl-
®4O-a-L-rhamnopyranoside is reported from the seeds of ''Echinops echinatus''.
7-hydroxyisoflavone,
kaempferol-4'-methylether,
kaempferol-7-methylether,
myricetin-3-O-a-L-rhamnoside,
kaempferol
Kaempferol (3,4′,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone) is a natural flavonol, a type of flavonoid, found in a variety of plants and plant-derived foods including kale, beans, tea, spinach, and broccoli. Kaempferol is a yellow crystalline solid with a meltin ...
and
kaempferol-3-O-a-L-rhamnoside, are reported from the whole plant of ''Echinops echinatus''.
An
antiinflammatory
Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs remedy pain by reducing inflammation as o ...
active
flavanone glycoside 5,7-dihydroxy-8,4'-dimethoxyflavanone-5-O-a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-7-O-b-D-arabinopyranosyl-(1®4)-O-b-D-glucopyranoside A along with a known compound
dihydroquercetin-4'-Me ether is also reported from the leaves of ''Echinops echinatus''.
Apigenin
Apigenin (4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone), found in many plants, is a natural product belonging to the flavone class that is the aglycone of several naturally occurring glycosides. It is a yellow crystalline solid that has been used to dye wool.
S ...
,
apigenin 7-O-glucoside, and a new
acylflavone glucoside named
echitin (I) were isolated from ''Echinops echinatus flowers''.
Echinopsidine, a potential
MAOI
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are a class of drugs that inhibit the activity of one or both monoamine oxidase enzymes: monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). They are best known as effective antidepressants, especi ...
, is found in this species along with the related
alkaloid
Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...
s
echinopsine and
echinozolinone.
References
*
*
Singh B, Gambhir SS, Pandey VB, Joshi VK. 1989. Anti-inflammatory activity of Echinops echinatus
description and photos
*[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221875805_Protective_effects_of_Echinops_echinatus_on_testosterone-induced_prostatic_hyperplasia_in_rats Manish Agrawal, Alok Nahata, Vinod Dixit. 2012. Protective effects of ''Echinops echinatus'' on testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in rats. European Journal of Integrative Medicine ]
{{Taxonbar, from=Q14859878
Echinops, echinatus
Medicinal plants
Flora of the Indian subcontinent
Plants described in 1832