A Project By Jayesh Narayan.

Roll No - 27
Created Using Microsoft PowerPoint

Table Of Contents
Aloe Vera Ashwagandha

(Withania somnifera) Lavender (Lavandula angustiforia) Black Radish (Raphanus sativus niger) Peppermint (Mentha x. peperita)

Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a succulent plant

species that probably originated in northern Africa. The species is frequently cited as being used in herbal medicine since the beginning of the first century AD. Extracts. from Aloe vera are widely used in the cosmetics and alternative medicine industries, being marketed as various products having rejuvenating, healing or soothing properties.

Features Of Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a stemless or very short-stemmed

succulent plant growing to 60100 cm tall, spreading by offsets. The leaves are thick and fleshy, green to grey-green, with some varieties showing white flecks on the upper and lower stem surfaces . The margin of the leaf is serrated and has small white teeth. The flowers are produced in summer on a spike up to 90 cm tall, each flower being pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 23 cm long. Aloe vera has been widely grown as an ornamental plant.

Uses Of Aloe Vera

Aloe vera, called kathalai in Ayurvedic medicine, is

used as a multipurpose skin treatment. Aloe vera juice is marketed to support the health of the digestive system. It has also been suggested that biofuels could be obtained from Aloe vera seeds. Aloe is also used as a food substance, possibly for its gelling properties. It is common practice for cosmetic companies to add sap or other derivatives from Aloe vera to products such as makeup, tissues, moisturizers, soaps, sunscreens, incense, shaving cream or shampoos.

Ashwagandha
Withania somnifera, known commonly as ashwagandha, is used as a herb in Ayurvedic medicine. This species is a short shrub growing 35 to 75 centimeters tall. Tomentose branches extend radially from a central stem. The flowers are small and green. The ripe fruit is orange-red. The species name somnifera means "sleep-inducing" in Latin.

Features Of Ashwagandha
Height: usually 30-60 cm but can grow up to 170 cm. Shape: upright and stout shrub with central stem. Branches: star-shaped branching; branches are covered in fine Leaves: alternate and ovate, up to 10 cm long and up to 5 cm wide. Flowers: yellow petals on the inside but with a green outer-covering Fruit: red berries in papery protective covering (calyx). Withania Somnifera grows abundantly in India (especially Madhya Pradesh), Pakistan, Bangla Desh, Sri Lanka and parts of northern Africa.

Uses and Benefits

The plant's long, brown, tuberous roots are used for medicinal purposes. In Ayurveda, the berries and leaves are applied externally to tumors, tubercular glands, carbuncles, and ulcers. General tonic and "adaptogen", helping the body adapt to stress, especially for geriatrics; to promote strength and vigor; used as sedative or calming agent and for insomnia Anti-inflammatory agent; it is used to treat rheumatic pain and arthritis; Coagulant: the berries are used as a substitute for rennet, to coagulate milk in cheese making. Its leaf extracts contains Withanolides which have been found to have regenerative properties on brain-cell synapses in mice and in human cell lines in laboratory studies.

It is grown as a condiment and used in salads and dressings. Flowers yield abundant nectar from which bees make a highquality honey. Flowers can be candied and are sometimes used as cake decorations. Lavender lends a floral and slightly sweet flavour to most dishes, and is sometimes paired with sheep'smilk and goat's-milk cheeses. In the United States, both lavender syrup and dried lavender buds are used to make lavender scones and marshmallows.

The essential oil was used in hospitals during World War I. Lavender is used extensively with herbs and aromatherapy. Infusions are believed to soothe insect bites, burns, and headaches. Bunches of lavender repel insects. In pillows, lavender seeds and flowers aid sleep and relaxation. An infusion of flowerheads added to a cup of boiling water is used to sooth and relax at bedtime. Lavender oil (or extract of Lavender) is used to treat acne when diluted 1:10 with water, rosewater, or witch hazel; it also treats skin burns and inflammatory conditions. It showed meaningful efficacy in alleviating anxiety and related sleep disturbances.

BLACK RADISH

Black radish, Raphanus sativus L. var. niger belongs to the Cruciferae (mustard plant) family and is an ancient vegetable thought to come from Asia, although it may have originated from early Egyptians who began making oil from radish seeds in ancient times. Black radish is a root vegetable the size of a turnip, with a black skin and white flesh. Black radishes have a strong bitter flavor and, like other cruciferous vegetables, they are often associated with causing bloating upon digestion. Black radishes have many medicinal properties and are more commonly used as a medicine than as a food, particularly for stimulating the production of bile, treating gallbladder gravel and serving as a liver tonic. The root is also rich in vitamin C, which makes it valuable during the winter months, particularly for helping individuals to fight infections and free radicals. Black radish also has documented antiviral activity against influenza. . Additionally, black radish juice is recommended to treat cough and to fortify

USES OF BLACK RADISH

- Anti-aging - Antibacterial - Antioxidant - Antiviral - Bile Deficiency - Blood Purifier - Cellular Regeneration - Cleansing, Detoxifying - Colds and Flu, Bronchitis, Sore Throat - Constipation (whole root taken raw) - Coughs - Digestive Disorders - Gallbladder Health Maintenance - Liver Health Maintenance - Nutritive - Respiratory Health Maintenance - Scurvy - Thyroid Health Maintenance - Tonic - Vascular Disorders - Vitamin Deficiencies

CULINARY USES

Culpeper recommends a wineglassful of radish juice mixed with other juices taken daily, starting with a small amount and increasing gradually. Black radishes can also be eaten raw. The skin of the fresh radish is hard and must be removed. One source recommends serving them grated up as a salad with salt and cream added to tame their strong flavor. You can also cook them like you would do with

Peppermint
It is a herbaceous rhizomatous perennial plant growing to 30

90 cm tall, with smooth stems, square in cross section. The rhizomes are wide-spreading, fleshy, and bare fibrous roots. The leaves are from 49 cm long and 1.54 cm broad, dark green with reddish veins, and with an acute apex and coarsely toothed margins. . The leaves and stems are usually slightly fuzzy. Peppermint typically occurs in moist habitats including stream sides and drainage ditches. Being a hybrid, it is usually sterile, producing no seeds and reproducing only vegetatively, spreading by its rhizomes. If placed, it can grow anywhere, with a few exceptions. They grow quickly and cover the ground with runners if it is permanently moist. The leaves and flowering tops are used; they are collected as soon as the flowers begin to open and can be dried.

 Peppermint has a high menthol

content, and is often used in tea and for flavouring ice cream, confectionery, chewing gum, and toothpaste. It is the oldest and most popular flavour of mint-flavoured confectionery. Peppermint can also be found in some shampoos, soaps and skin care products. It is also soothing to an upset stomach, due to the menthol it contains . The menthol in peppermint soothes the lining of the digestive tract an stimulates the production of bile, which is an essential digestive fluid. A hot cup of herbal tea is an excellent way to settle your stomach after a big meal.

Further Uses
Indigestion, Heartburn Nausea , Vomiting and Morning sickness Cramps of the upper gastrointestinal tract

and bile ducts Diarrhoea & Bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine and Gas Colds & Coughs Inflammation of the mouth and throat Sinus and respiratory infections Liver and gallbladder problems Headache, Muscle pain, Nerve pain Toothache, Inflammation of the mouth Joint conditions , Itchiness, Allergic rash Bacterial and viral infections Repelling mosquitoes

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By Jayesh Narayan (27) 10C