Gleditsia triacanthos

Gleditsia triacanthos
Family:Gleditsia triacanthos; Anaesthetic; Antiseptic; Cancer; Stomachic.
Common name:Honey locust
The pods have been made into a tea for the treatment of indigestion measles catarrh etc. The juice of the pods is antiseptic. The pods have been seen as a good antidote for children's complaints. The alcoholic extract of the fruits of the honey locust after elimination of tannin considerably retarded the growth up to 63% of Ehrlich mouse carcinoma. However the cytotoxicity of the extract was quite high and the animals besides losing weight showed dystrophic changes in their liver and spleen. The alcoholic extract of the fruit exerted moderate oncostatic activity against sarcoma 180 and Ehrlich carcinoma at the total dose 350 mg/kg/body weight/mouse. Weight loss was considerable. An infusion of the bark has been drunk and used as a wash in the treatment of dyspepsia. It has also been used in the treatment of whooping cough measles smallpox etc. The twigs and the leaves contain the alkaloids gleditschine and stenocarpine. Stenocarpine has been used as a local anaesthetic whilst gleditschine causes stupor and loss of reflex activity. Current research is examining the leaves as a potential source of anticancer compounds.

Herbal Database

01.01.2005 03:29 []