Echinops echinatus, the Indian globe thistle, commonly known as Usnakantaka,[1] is a species of globe thistle, found in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. 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. Alternately arranged oblong, deeply pinnatifid leaves are 7–12 cm long. Flower heads occur in solitary white spherical balls, 3–5 cm across. Petals of the tiny white disc florets are 5 mm long. Flowers are surrounded by straight, strong, white bristles. Often misidentified with Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertner,[2] it is colloquially known as Camel's thistle.[1]
| Echinops echinatus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Echinops |
| Species: | E. echinatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Echinops echinatus | |
Flowering
editFrom December to January.[1]
Chemistry
edit2',5,7- trihydroxy-3.6-dimethoxy flavone-7-O-b-D-galactopyranosyl-[1®4]-O-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 and kaempferol-3-O-a-L-rhamnoside, are reported from the whole plant of Echinops echinatus.
An antiinflammatory 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 7-O-glucoside, and a new acylflavone glucoside named echitin (I) were isolated from Echinops echinatus flowers.
Echinopsidine, a potential MAOI, is found in this species along with the related alkaloids echinopsine and echinozolinone.
References
edit- ^ a b c Maurya, Santosh Kumar; Kushwaha, Ashwini Kumar; Seth, Ankit (2015). "Ethnomedicinal review of Usnakantaka (Echinops echinatus Roxb.)". Pharmacognosy Reviews. 9 (18): 149–154. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.162138. ISSN 0973-7847. PMC 4557238. PMID 26392713.
- ^ Khan, M. A.; Niazi, H. A.; Khalid, S. (2000). "Ethnobotany and taxonomic studies of Echinops echinatus Roxb. (Untkatara) from Potohar region of Pakistan". Hamdard Medicus (Pakistan). ISSN 0250-7188.
Media related to Echinops echinatus at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Echinops echinatus at Wikispecies- Singh B, Gambhir SS, Pandey VB, Joshi VK. 1989. Anti-inflammatory activity of Echinops echinatus
- Flowers of India, Indian Globe Thistle description and photos
- Vashisth Pranav,, Jain Vinay, Mishra Priy , Bharadwaj Sudhir, Agrawal Neha, Chokotia Love , Sikarwar Indu , Sironiya Rajkumar , Matoli Harsha. 2015. Echinops echinatus Roxb., a nature's drugstore, an overview. Indo-American Journal of Pharmaceutical Research Archived 2013-07-27 at the Wayback Machine
- Manish Agrawal, Alok Nahata, Vinod Dixit. 2012. Protective effects of Echinops echinatus on testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in rats. European Journal of Integrative Medicine
