EU_Declaration_91055.pdf
Botanical Name: Acorus calamus Common name: Sweet Flag, Read More
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Botanical Name: |
Acorus calamus |
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Common name: |
Sweet Flag, calamus, flagroot, sweet cane, sweet grass, sweet-root, sweet rush, Bach |
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Plant family: |
Acoraceae |
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Genus: |
?Acorus |
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Appearance/Color: |
Pale yellow to yellow amber clear liquid |
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Odor: |
Faintly sweet, waxy scent with a base note and medium aroma |
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Blends With: |
Lavender, tea tree, rosemary, clary sage, geranium and marjoram. |
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Origin |
India |
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Source |
Root |
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Method of Extraction |
Steam Distillation |
In Ayurveda Acorus calamus is known as VACHA and publicly known as ?sweet flag or Bacha. This is a species of semiaquatic, perennial, aromatic herb with creeping rhizomes. The plant is found in the northern temperate and subtropical regions of Asia, North America, and Europe. The plant prefers swampy or marshy habitats. It is plentiful in the marshy tracts of Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Naga hills, and is regularly cultivated in Karnataka. The plant exhibits polyploidy and three karyotypes. The diploid karyotype (2n ¼ 24) grows in North America and in parts of Asia (Siberia); the triploid karyotype (3n ¼ 36) is present in Central Europe and Kashmir, India; the tetraploid karyotype (4n ¼ 48) is found in India, East Asia, and Japan. In India, the plant is found growing wild as well as cultivated up to an altitude of 2200m in the Himalayas.
The leaves of Acorus calamus have a lemony scent as well as the roots have a sweet fragrance. Acorus calamus has long been known for its medicinal value and has been cultivated in Asia for this reason. It is a perennial, semi-aquatic and smelly plant, found in both temperate and subtemperate zones. It is up to 6 feet tall, aromatic, sword-shaped leaves and small, yellow/green flowers with branched rhizome.
Acorus calamus plant has a long history of usage in both Native and non-Native folk medicine traditions. Aromatic roots used medicinally and ritually by Algonquins, Cree and other NE tribes. Acorus calamus, a sterile triploid, was introduced to India and North America by early European settlers, who grew it for medicinal uses. Rhizomes propagate easily, and the species has spread throughout India and northeast and central United States.
Uses ascribed in traditional medicine In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, the rhizomes of AC are considered to possess aromatic, stimulant, bitter tonic, emetic, expectorant, emmenagogue, aphrodisiac, laxative, diuretic, antispasmodic, carminative, and anthelmintic properties. They are used for the treatment of a host of diseases such as mental ailments like epilepsy, schizophrenia, and memory disorders, chronic diarrhea and dysentery, bronchial catarrh, intermittent fevers, tympanitis, colic, otitis media, cough, asthma, and glandular and abdominal tumors. They are also used traditionally for flatulent colic and chronic dyspepsia. They are also employed for kidney and liver troubles, rheumatism, and eczema. The skin of the rhizomes is said to be hemostatic. The rhizomes are used in the form of powder, balms, enemas, and pills and in ghee preparations.
Essential oil, an aromatic and volatile liquid, can be extracted from sweet flag. The chemicals in sweet flag oils are secondary metabolites, which play an important role in food preservation as they possess insecticidal and antimicrobial properties. Furthermore, food-borne diseases are a growing public health problem worldwide, calling for more effective preservation strategies. The antibacterial antifungal properties of sweet flag oil and their constituents have been documented extensively. Sweet flag oils have potential for developing into natural insecticide for food preservation.
COMMON USAGE
· Anti-anxiety
· Laxative and diuretic
· Counteract the side effects of hallucinogens
· Mild pain reliever
· Aphrodisiac
· Laxative
· Diuretic
· Antispasmodic
· Carminative
· Anthelmintic
Ingredients:
|
S.No |
Key Constituents |
Strength (%) |
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1 |
Shyobunones |
13.0-45.0 |
|
2 |
Acorenone |
9.0-13.0 |
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3 |
Preisocalamendiol |
7.0-12.0 |
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4 |
Acoronepisoacarone |
8.0-10.0 |
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5 |
Isocalamendiol |
2.0-3.0 |
|
6 |
b-sesquiphellandrene |
0-3.0 |
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7 |
Calamendiol |
1.0 |
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8 |
a-Cadinoal |
1.0 |
|
9 |
d-Cadinene |
1.0 |
TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Safety Summary
· Hazards: Not known.
· Contraindications: Not known.
Organ Specific Effects
· Adverse skin reactions: no information found for diploid calamus oil, or any of its major constituents.
Systemic effects.
· Acute toxicity: no information found for diploid calamus oil, or any of its major constituents.
· Carcinogenic/anticarcinogenic potential: no information! Found for diploid calamus oil, but it contains no known carcinogens. A-cadinoal is active against the human colon cancer cell line HT-29.
Systemic Effects
· Inhalation: Inhalation of high concentrations of vapor may result in irritation of eyes, nose and throat, headache, nausea, and dizziness.
· Skin Contact: Repeated or prolonged contact can cause redness, irritation and scaling of skin (Dermatitis). Adverse skin effects should be prevented by normal care and personal hygiene
· Eye Contact: May irritate eyes. Ingestion: Low order toxicity causing irritation of the stomach and intestines which results in nausea and vomiting.
· Medical Conditions Aggravated by Exposure: May aggravate dermatitis, psoriasis and other skin conditions.
· Chronic Toxicity: May cause allergic reactions on skin Reproductive toxicity: Not specified
· STOT-single exposure: Not specified
· STOT-related exposure: Not specified
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
· Toxicity Acute fish toxicity: LC50 / 96 HOUR – No data available
· Toxicity to aquatic plants – No data available
· Toxicity to microorganisms – No data available
· Toxicity threshold – No data available
· Persistence and degradability Biodegradation is expected
· Bio-accumulative potential Bioaccumulation is unlikely
· Mobility in soil Unknown
