The image above is from the class lesson.

Ganora had nothing more to add to the list below so they go on the "research later" list.

The next herb on the list is pau d'arco.  I only have 3 sources that mention it but it's an interesting herb.  I don't know if I'm going to spend as much time on it.  The herb after that is reishi and I do have a mushroom book so I should have some really good information there.

Time to get things done for the day.  Love and Light!

On to the constituents of myrrh!

Acidic polysaccharides (gum):

Commiphoric Acid (Resin):

Furanosesquiterpenes (Volatile Oil):

Heerabolene (Sesquiterpene, in Volatile Oil): -

Myrrholic Acids (In volatile Oil):

Natural Sugars

Sulphates:

Have a Great Day!

The image above is from the class lesson.

Hoffman only had one of the constituents below so I'll check Ganora for the rest tomorrow.  I need to get to work knocking down some of this to-do list.  Live and Light!

On to the constituents of myrrh!

Acidic polysaccharides (gum):

Ash: All Hoffman says on ash is the amount of ash that remains after a dried herbal sample is burned is called the ash value. While this is listed by some as a constituent, it is more likely to be foreign contamination in sticky substances. In the case of myrrh, the ash may even be the provider of the sulfate that is also listed as a constituent.  I'd be interested to see if there is sulfate in samples that have no ash and if it's possible to find samples that don't have any ash (Hoffman, 2003, p. 21).

Commiphoric Acid (Resin):

Furanosesquiterpenes (Volatile Oil):

Heerabolene (Sesquiterpene, in Volatile Oil): -

Myrrholic Acids (In volatile Oil):

Natural Sugars

Sulphates:

Have a Great Day!

The picture above comes from the class lesson. 

My daughter refused to eat breakfast this morning but she ate some beans last night so win and lose.  I discovered the jelly had high fructose corn syrup in it so no wonder the children hate it!  After eating natural, it was just too sweet.  Makes sense.  I tossed it in the trash.  I do wonder if their taste buds can handle the strength of the flavor of my apple pie jam I made.  One way to find out!

I'm thinking I need to spend the rest of the day investigating recipes that are healthy that I might be able to get my children to eat.  Love and Light!

On to the constituents of myrrh!

Acidic polysaccharides (gum):

Ash:

Cholesterol (Sterols): is best known by people for being "bad" because it is high. This is actually vital for cell structure and is found in every cell in the body. It serves as a hormone precursor in the adrenal glands, testes, and ovaries. The liver uses it as a precursor to bile, used in digestion. Ganora adds that, like humans, these are in the plant's cells. Cholesterol effects the fluidity of the membrane of the cells.  This means too much and the cells cannot be nourished but too little and anything can enter, even if it isn't supposed to (Hoffman, 2003, p. 84, 170-1, 300-2; Ganora, 2003, p. 18, 46, 69, 79, 86, 87, 89, 90, 92, 125, 144, 145, 146, 167).

Commiphoric Acid (Resin):

Eugenol (Phenylpropahnoid, in volatile oil) gives cinnamon and cloves their strong flavor and is found in the volatile oil (meaning it is oil-soluble). It's in other plants as well but she specifically calls out cloves and Wild Basil Ocimum gratissium. This is anti-microbial, antiseptic, anesthetic (topical), antioxidant, antimitotic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, inhibits platelet aggregation, and in large amounts is caustic, convulsant, hepatoxic, a nervous system depressant, and induces hemostatic abnormalities. It is found as free eugenol or as eugenyl acetate (Ganora, 2009, p. 58, 65, 68, 109, 110, 139).

Furanosesquiterpenes (Volatile Oil):

Gum consists primarily of monosaccharides. Hoffman describes these as "sticky colloidal dispersions" when they swell in water. Ganora adds these are water-soluble heteropolysaccharides that are emollient, soothing, cooling, healing when used on the skin and mucus membranes.  On page 79, she takes about a third of the page to discuss gums and I'm obviously not going to write all that stuff here.  She does say these are commonly produced by plants when there is trauma, insect attack or an infection.  She contradicts Hoffman by saying they are primarily heteroploysaccharides rather than monosaccharides. She does say they often have the later as well but may also have uronic acids. The gel that gums form when they have a lot of water in them are called hydrocolloids.  She says these are considered dietary fiber and are classified that way medicinally.  One feature she mentions here is they bind bile acids (bile being used in digestion). She explains this can result in lower cholesterol, and decreased risk of colon cancer, coronary artery disease and diabetes (Hoffman, 2003, p. 50-1; Ganora, 2009, p. 44, 63, 73, 75, 79, 139).

Heerabolene (Sesquiterpene, in Volatile Oil): (Myrrh)

Myrrholic Acids (In volatile Oil):

Natural Sugars

Potassium (Bromine Compound) while not described in Ganora, is an essential mineral that most people notice a deficiency when they experience leg cramps. Consuming potassium-rich plants can improve health.  I think there is a limit to how much is good but I can't recall off the top of my head (Ganora, 2009, p. 82, 142). Resins are not water-soluble and need either alcohol or oil to extract the constituents.  The older the sample, the harder it is to extract.

Sesquiterpenes: Constituents are often classified based on structure and this particular one makes that hard...  There are over 200 structure types. The 3 main structures are acyclic, monocytclic, and bicyclic. Some of these act as pheromones for communication between plants. Some provide a defensive role (Hoffman, 2003, p. 67).

Sterols (Aglycone Glycosides) are often used to imply phytosterols in these books. They need to be careful, though because sterols are found in animals while the same molecule can be called a phytosterol because it is found in a plant. calling it a sterol when it's in a plant can cause confusion (Ganora, 2009, p. 92, 93).

Sulphates:

Volatile oil: Volatile just means they evaporate more quickly than other substances. If it says "volatile", you want to use the plant as fresh as possible and try not to warm it up in any way (Ganora, 2009, p. 52, 57, 61, 134, 139). Chevallier (2016) says volatile oils are what is extracted from the plant to make essential oils and are made of a lot of compounds, sometimes as much as 100 (p. 14).

Have a Great Day!

The image above is from my class lesson.

My daughter is all excited about the rain today.  We have flood warnings here but I'm never worried about such things.  We are fine.  My rosemary is blooming like I have never seen her bloom and I took a few pictures of her yesterday.  There are a lot of buds that have not come up yet.  I don't know if these means she thinks it's spring or fall but I'm thinking she thinks it's fall.  She is gorgeous and happy but is drowning in all this rain.  She has discolored leaves again.  While the other plants in the house are growing, the rosemary cutting, again is not.  I fear I've killed it again....  I'm afraid of over-watering it and I think I may not have given it enough.  I think I'll add more and see what happens.  Love and Light!

On to the actions of Myrrh!

Antiparasitic means it kills parasites.  Often these focus on intestinal parasites but not always.

Antitumor means it fights tumors.  This may mean it stops the growth of the tumor but it can also mean it reduces the tumor.  It's used both ways.

Cardiac Stimulant: Stimulates the heart. This is needed for people who have low blood pressure but it also helps increase circulation.

Deodorant means it fights the germs that cause odor.  The term is most known for what we do for hygiene but it can also mean the stuff we put int he trash can to fight odor or even the bathroom.

Disinfectants kill germs that can often cause illness.  These are used on counter tops, door knobs, etc to prevent the spread of what ever ailment is going around or even for daily cleaning.  These are also used in terms of health to fight infection.

Emetic (in large doses) means it causes nausea and vomiting.

Wound Healer is most often seen as an indication rather than an action but it's exactly as it sounds.  It's purpose is to help wounds heal faster.  These are generally used externally in this fashion on lesions on the skin.

Constituents: Volatile oil, gum, resins, sterols (Hoffman, 2003, p. 541). Petersen (2018) says the oil contains eugenol, myrrholic acids, heerabolene (a sesquiterpene), cholesterol, natural sugars, ash, sulfates, and potassium (Petersen, 2018, p. 134). Chevallier (2016) adds gum (acidic polysaccharides) and furanosesquiterpenes which is a group of volatile oils (p. 85). Milss and Bone (2010) say volatile oil (contains sesquiterpenes), resin (including commiphoric acid), gum, furanosesquiterpenoids, and triterpenoid resins (p. 514).

Have a Great Day!

The image above comes from the class lesson.

I really like this herb. I think the picture above explains why it needs the properties listed below so it's quite fitting for this post.   I didn't get any work done on my book yesterday but I did some more work on this site.  I forgot a few pages.  I'm also still trying to decide what information I want to put in the descriptions of each herb that I'll write up on the virtual herbarium page.  I have the format the way I want it but that page requires a bit more time and effort.

My daughter rediscovered Super Wings this morning.  I knew this day would come.  My children have also discovered if they turn the water on in the kitchen sink then pour dish soap in it, they can make bubbles...

I have a LOT to do today but I don't think that's any different than any other day so I'll get to it.  Love and Light!

On to Myrrh!

Constituents: Volatile oil, gum, resins, sterols (Hoffman, 2003, p. 541). Petersen (2018) says the oil contains eugenol, myrrholic acids, heerabolene (a sesquiterpene), cholesterol, natural sugars, ash, sulfates, and potassium (Petersen, 2018, p. 134). Chevallier (2016) adds gum (acidic polysaccharides) and furanosesquiterpenes which is a group of volatile oils (p. 85). Milss and Bone (2010) say volatile oil (contains sesquiterpenes), resin (including commiphoric acid), gum, furanosesquiterpenoids, and triterpenoid resins (p. 514).

Therapeutic Actions: Antimicrobial, astringent, carminative, anticatarrhal, expectorant, vulnerary (Hoffman, 2003, p. 541). Petersen (2018) adds anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitumor, antiviral, cardiac stimulant, deodorant, disinfectant, emetic (in large doses), emmenagogue, hypoglycemic, purgative, rubefacient, stomachic, and tonic (p. 135). Chevallier (2016) adds antiparasitic, antiulcer and wound healer (p; 85). Mills and Bone (2010) say astringent, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and vulnerary (p. 514).

Indications: Stimulates white blood cell production and has a direct antimicrobial effect. Infections of the mouth and colds. Treats boils, glandular fevers and brucellosis. Heals/antiseptic for wounds and abrasions. (Hoffman, 2003, p. 541). Chevallier (2016) adds sore throats, canker sores, and gum disease. Also useful in digestive tract infections. It promotes healing in inflamed areas like gastric ulcers. It cleans the blood and may improve intellect. It can also be taken for menstrual issues. He says externally, this is an underused herb for treating acne, boils, and inflammation. Germans use this for the sores caused by prosthetics (p. 85). Mills and Bone (2010) say pharyngitis, aphthous ulceration, respiratory infection, and topical furunculosis are traditional uses. In the Middle East, it was used for diabetes, gastric inflammation, and ulceration (p. 514).

Safety: Undiluted tincture by mouth may burn and irritate the palate. Hypoglycemic properties have been detected. (Hoffman, 2003, p. 541). May cause contact dermatitis. Do not use during pregnancy or with excessive uterine bleeding. 4 grams or more at once may cause kidney irritation and diarrhea.  Large doses can cause the heart to race (Petersen, 2018, p. 136). Mills and Bone (2010) say there is no evidence of problems using this during pregnancy but use caution during lactation as it may cause an allergy (p. 514).

Have a Great Day!

The image above comes from A Photo Marine.
http://www.aphotomarine.com/brown_seaweed_ascophyllum_nodosum_ecad_mackaii.html

It was hard finding a scientific source for this one.  Its literally in ONE of my school books and that is just a "mention".  I'd imagine the traits are similar to bladderwrack which I've already discussed but I'll share what I was able to find here. There are many species of kelp (seaweed), this being the second I've discussed here. 

I will only spend two days on this one.  I want to look into the constituents more then I'll move on to myrrh. 

What I do enjoy is learning that seaweed is more than just a nuisance.  My own personal experience with this plant is being on the beach in Florida as a kid and having the stuff wrap around my ankles as the waves came in, getting me entangled.  I was so afraid I'd fall in and drown because I couldn't move my feet!  If anyone knows of a good reference book on sea plants, I'd appreciate letting me know.  I'd love to learn more about this nature's gift.

One thing I wanted to mention even though we've moved on from ginkgo.  I was thinking about this last night and felt I needed to share.  In a previous post, I discussed the different ways of using herbs and why it's important to understand the correct way of using them.  I have heard many people say that ginkgo for memory doesn't work.  There are a few reasons for this.  One of which is the product is labeled ginkgo and doesn't have any or enough for it to matter.  The other is, historically, the herb was taken as a TEA for this purpose and drank WARM. 

This brings out the point that just because a constituent is water-soluble doesn't mean that temperature doesn't matter.  Some are best used in warm water, some in cold.  This is why I make sure to note this information when i find it so my readers will better understand the proper and safe way of using herbal products.

I know it's Monday and it's supposed to be a bad day but this has been the most amazing day and it's not even lunch time yet!  I started the process for a business grant for my husband back in April and the final should be delivered to me tomorrow.  I got some really amazing personal news this morning in my inbox and I'm finally able to resume working on my book.  Once I finish going through all the rest of the books I found (I thought I was done with this part), I can then start sending letters to publishers asking for permission to use their cited material in my final product.  It shouldn't take too long (I hope) but progress is being made.  I'm still working on the house and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Love and Light!

On to Knotted Wrack.

Constituents: phlorotannins, which are unique to seaweed and may be able to inhibit starch and lipid absorption (The seaweed site). RBGE Herbal Journal says it’s rich in iodine, Vitamin B12, calcium, and potassium and has trace elements of nitrogen, Sulphur, phosphorous, manganese, copper, zinc, and iron.

Therapeutic Actions: ascophyllan, which may have immunostimulatory properties. Ascophyllum nodosum extract has anti-inflammatory properties (The seaweed site).

Indications: sunscreen and topical tissue repair (RBGE Herbal Journal).

Safety: As with all iodide-rich plants, be careful with the thyroid.  These can vary in the amount and while some may treat under-active thyroid, these can also create or agitate an over active thyroid.

Have a Great Day!

The image above comes from https://doris.ffessm.fr/Especes/Ascophyllum-nodosum-Ascophylle-2299

Neither of the constituents that were listed were in my books so at least I have a definition for each to put in my list.

The day has gone okay for now.  I said it was a great day yesterday on here then things went south so I learned my lesson! I have music going and will resume work on my book once I publish this.  Tomorrow will begin myrrh and I'll get that research done tomorrow so the post may be a little late.  I expect some great information on it to share with you all.  Love and light!

Have a great day!

The image above is from my class lesson.

I discovered this site didn't hyperlink the links I shared yesterday so I went back and fixed it.

I have not looked yet for the remaining constituents in Ganora (doing things backwards today). The herb I will start tomorrow is kelp.  This is one I had trouble finding information on so I'm hoping I can find enough to fill in the fields and provide helpful information. 

I have all the word documents down and even restructured how the Virtual Herbarium page looks.  For those I have grown and taken pictures, I have a picture of the herb next to the link.  The rest of the pictures will come.  It will either be me taking them or me finding someone who I can attribute the work to.  I certainly won't be growing kelp (for example) any time soon!  I may also go to a nursery and see if they will allow me to take pictures of the plants.  That will be interesting with the children!

Time to see how much I can fill in below.  Love and Light!

On to Ginkgo constituents.

Diterpene lactones are also called terpene trilactones. Ganora explain this is because they have three lactone rings within their structure (Ganora, 2009, p 140).

Kaempferol Derivatives

Bilobalide is a PAF and a bronchodilator.  They also work with flavonols for anti-inflammatory and CNS-protective effects (Ganora, 2009, p. 140).  What this says in "english" is it prevents blood clotting, expands the respiratory system to help with asthmatic attacks and helps protect the central nervous system.

Flavone glycosides

Flavonol glycosides are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective compounds (Ganora, 2009, p. 121)

the trilactonic diterpenes

Have a Great Day!

The image above is from my class lesson.

I went into the laundry room this morning to turn on the light for my plants and got a pleasant surprise.  Watch the video on my YouTube channel (link below) if you are interested.

For those who know where I live and watch the weather, we are FINE.  I swear there is a protection over our house (not complaining!) that we don't get dangerous weather over our house.  We even still have power though I guess there are places in town that are out? I've been told there are trees down and such.  I see new twigs in the front yard from the storm last night.  In fact, the weather says it's supposed to be raining right now.  My sky is grey but that's it.

I have four herbariums left to get properly posted which is great, it will be done just in time to start working on writing the next one as I'm almost done with ginkgo.  If you have the free membership to this site, check out the rosemary herbarium to understand where the others are going once I get my own pictures.  Yes, I'm a stickler for that.  I do not like using the work of others and posting it without proper citation.

Also, I recorded my mantra this morning and will post it with the poem on the correct page so if you want to watch it, it's available.  The direct link is:

On to Ginkgo constituents.

Ginkgetin: Hoffman describes this as "dimethyl ether of amentoflavone occurs in autumnal leaves" (Hoffman, 2003, p. 108).

Flavone is anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, anticarcinogenic, anti-microbial, and antibacterial (Hoffman, 2003, p. 101; Ganora, 2009, p. 67, 119).

Isorhamnetin: Hoffman just says this can be in a free form or found as a glycoside. Ganora adds this is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anti-allergenic  (Hoffman, 2003, p. 105; Ganora, 2009, p. 66, 120, 121).

I'll look in Ganora for these below tomorrow.

Diterpene lactones

Kaempferol Derivatives

Bilobalide

Flavone glycosides

Flavonol glycosides

the trilactonic diterpenes

Have a Great Day!

The image above comes from the class lesson.

I have nine herbariums left to the posted on this site.  I also wrote a poem last night which is my new mantra which I will be adding today.  It occurred to me most mantras out there have negative words and I wanted only positive ones. I'll record it once I get time.  It's going to be another very busy day.

As I was working on the herbariums yesterday, I was thinking about how I post the actions and constituents here.  Since the actions are a much smaller list and are used more frequently, I have no problem with the way I'm doing them but I'm still not fully happy with the constituents.  Once I have posted the rest of the herbariums the right way, I'll go through each and create appendices for the actions and constituents.  This will create a consolidated list for each herb to make it easier to find the information.  I'll still post here as I do but update the herbariums once the posts are all done.  This will also give me a head start on the book entries for those herbs as all book entries will be fully broken out.

Much to get done.  Love and Light!

On to Ginkgo constituents.

Diterpene lactones

Ginkgetin

Kaempferol Derivatives

Kaempferol (3,5,7,4-tetrahydroxyflavone) (Flavonoids): responsible for eliminating free radicals in plants caused by UV radiation of the sun.

Quercetin (Flavonoid) reduces allergy-induced inflammation, inhibits the growth of head and neck cancers, inhibits reverse transcriptase. Fallon says this has anti-thyroid properties (Hoffman, 2003, p. 14; Fallon, 2001, p. 502). (Buchu, Cinnamon, European elder, Marshmallow, Passionflower)

Gingkolides (A, B, C, J, and M) (Diterpene Lactones, Flavones): These inhibit the PAF (platelet activating factor). This means is prevents clotting, thins the blood.  Use caution if taking blood thinners. (Ginkgo)

Sesquiterpene lactones: these can kill sheep and goats - are highly irritating to their nose, eyes, and gastrointestinal tracts. Other lactones break down the toxins through metabolism. These can help with cancer but can also be cytotoxic so they are often avoided (Hoffman, 2003, p. 70, 174, 199, 370).

Bilobalide

Flavone glycosides

Flavonol glycosides

Flavonoids: All polyphenolic plant pigments of a specific structure. There are over 4,000 of them. These are broken down into categories: Catechins, dihydrochalones, chalones, flavanones (dihydroflavones), flavones, isoflavones, anthocyanides, aurones, flavanols, and flavonols. This general property is immunomodulatory due to antioxidant/free-radical scavenging ability (Hoffman, 2006, p. 100-102, 152, 167, 170, 174).

Amino Acid (Protein) can be very water soluble. The issue here is amino acids vary greatly on pH. Some are water soluble, some are alcohol soluble.  Temperature can also have an effect.  (Ganora, 2009, 12, 21, 44, 45, 65, 101, 103, 104, 107, 114, 133, 154).

Alkaloids are defined by Hoffman as "organic compounds with at least one nitrogen atom in the heterocyclic ring". This is the ONLY thing they all have in common. They are not usually soluble in water, nor are their salts. Most are also alkaline (Hoffman, 2003, p. 120-133, 152).

Flavone

Rutin (Flavonoid) is an anti-inflammatory and loves to scavenge free-radicals. It helps strengthen blood vessels - specifically capillaries and veins. It is also antiviral and antibacterial (Hoffman, 2003, p. 105).

Proanthocyanidins are condensed tannins.  If acids or enzymes are present, they are not water-soluble. These are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective (Hoffman, 2003, p. 13, 114, Ganora, 2009, p. 66).

Isorhamnetin

the trilactonic diterpenes

Cyanogenic glycosides (C-glycosides) (Amino Acid): These are composed of a sugar moiety, 2 variable R groups, and a nitrile group. They are also derived of various amino acids such as phenylalanine, tyrosine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These are bitter compounds that can be toxic but humans do not complete absorption of them. We are able to digest a very small amount as a result. These are more soluble in hot water or hot alcohol.

Phenolic compounds are compounds of simple phenols and polyphenols. They are found as glycosides which are more water-soluble than the other form which is aglycones. There is a list here of the various compounds and what their solubility is if it can be narrowed down to one solvent (Ganora, 2009, p. 45).

Have a Great Day!