Anastatica hierochuntica
Other Names : Rose of Jericho, Resurrection plant, Kaff Maryam, Genggam Fatimah, Mary's flower, Mary's hand, צמח השדה
Anastatica hierochuntica L. is a small, gray winter annual herb that grows to a maximum height of 15 cm, and produces small white flowers. It is found in the arid regions of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, the UAE, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, and North Africa, and can survive without water for long periods. The herb curls inward under dry conditions, and then emerges from this dormant state when water is available
Special Precautions of Anastatica hierochuntica
With the introduction of modern drugs for labor induction, and insulin for mothers with gestational diabetes, safety concerns regarding the possibility of uterine hyperstimulation, over induction of labor, or even hypoglycemia in the mother or the fetus, dictate that this herb should be used with caution.
Health Benefits and Uses of Anastatica hierochuntica
- in Arab countries widely consumed as a tea beverage. It is powdered, mixed with honey and taken for the treatment of many conditions, in particular as a remedy for difficult childbirth and uterine hemorrhage (Khalifa and Ahmad, 1980; El-Ghazali et al., 2010). It is used as folk medicine during late pregnancy, particularly before delivery for the cultural belief that it eases childbirth, reduces uterine hemorrhage, and facilitates expulsion of a dead fetus. It was claimed to be highly beneficial in antepartum care.
- It has also been reported to have anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, and hypoglycemic properties
- In addition, it is used to treat asthma, gastrointestinal disorders, depression, high blood pressure, indigestion, headache, cold, fever, malaria, epilepsy, fatigue, diabetes, heart disease, and infertility (Batanouny, 1999; Eman et al., 2011).
- Cancer : Extracts of Kaff Maryam also registered very good cytotoxic activities against HeLa cell lines. Kaff Maryam extracts have good antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activities and the results of this study provide the basis for further investigation of Kaff Maryam for potential identification of novel bioactive compounds with therapeutic properties.
References
- www.academicjournals.org/article/article1380735847_Daur.pdf
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297758316_Determination_of_antioxidant_and_anti-inflammatory_activities_as_well_as_in_vitro_cytotoxic_activities_of_extracts_of_Anastatica_hierochuntica_Kaff_Maryam_against_HeLa_cell_lines
- Law KS, Soon LK, Syed Mohsin SS, Farid CG. Ultrastructural Findings of Anastatica hierochuntica L. (Sanggul Fatimah) towards explaining its Medicinal Properties. Annals of Microscopy 2009;9:50-56
- AlGamdi N, Mullen W, Crozier A. Tea prepared from Anastatica hirerochuntica seeds contains a diversity of antioxidant flavonoids, chlorogenic acids and phenolic compounds. Phytochemistry 2011. Feb;72(2-3):248-254 10.1016/j.phytochem.2010.11.017
- Khalil MA. EL-Beltagi HES. Chemical composition and antioxidant/antimicrobial activities of kaff maryam (Anastatica hierochuntica) and doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica) cultivated in Egypt. Biyoloji Bilimleri Arastirma Dergisi. 2009;2:71-79
- Rahmy TR, El-Ridi MR. Action of Anastatica hierochuntica plant extract on Islets of Langerhans in normal and diabetic rats. Egypt J Biol 2002;4:87-94
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5469452/
