Active ingredients
- Topic in Gardening courses
Active ingredients in herbs are substances in plants that have medicinal benefits. In herbal medicine the active ingredient is often unknown or requires other factors for a therapeutic effect.
Alkaloids
- Main article: Alkaloids
Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that contain mostly basic nitrogen atoms.
Anthraquinone
- Main article: Anthraquinone
Anthraquinone is a building block of many dyes and is used in bleaching pulp for papermaking. Anthraquinones act to stimulate muscular contraction of the large intestine and therefore have a laxative effect.
Flavonoid
- Main article: Flavonoid
Flavonoids are the most important plant pigments for yellow or orange colors in herbs. Many animals, and also humans, ingest significant quantities in their diet. Many flavonoids have a diuretic action, others are antiseptic.
Mucilage
- Main article: Mucilage
Mucilage is a sweet, gel-like substance produced by most plants and some microorganisms. It has the tendency to draw water to it - so that when water is added it swells to form a viscous fluid.
External links
- Active ingredients in herbs Herb Health Guide
- Active ingredient Wikipedia
Videos
- Difference Between Herbs & Drugs Some plants contain relatively more nutrients and other plants more active ingredients.
