This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Medicinal properties is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
Many plants have traditional medical uses. Ethnobotanists and pharmacognacists catalog and study these plants and uses. This is a list of some of the more common medicinal properties that are ascribed to plants.
- Anti-catarrhal -- eliminates or counteracts mucous conditions
- Anti-coagulant -- prevent coagulation of blood
- Anti-histamine -- reduce or eliminate allergic effects mediated by histamine
- Anti-emetic -- relieves vomiting
- Anti-inflammatory -- reduces inflammation
- Anti-microbial -- kills or slows the growth of microbes
- Anti-bacterial -- kills or slows the growth of bacteria
- Anti-fungal -- kills or slows the growth of fungi
- Anti-viral -- kills or slows the growth of viruses
- Anti-parasitic -- kills or slows the growth of parasites
- Anti-pyretic -- prevents or reduces fever by lowering body temperature
- Anti-spasmodic -- suppresses smooth muscle contractions
- Astringent -- shrinks or constricts body tissues
- Carminative -- anti-spasmodic, used particularly against cramps of the digestive tract
- Cholagogue -- promotes the discharge of bile from the system
- Demulcent -- acts as a protective barrier on irritated or inflamed tissue
- Diaphoretic -- increases perspiration
- Diuretic -- elevates the rate of bodily urine excretion
- Emetic -- induces vomiting
- Emmenagogue -- stimulates blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus
- Expectorant -- loosen mucus from the respiratory tract
- Hepatic -- strengthens or regulates the secretion of bile
- Laxative -- promotes defecation
- Nervine -- has a beneficial effect upon the nervous system in some way
- Sedative -- depresses the central nervous system, causing calmness, relaxation and similar, stronger effects
- Tonic -- strengthens and improves specific organs, systems, weaknesses or the body as a whole
- Stomachic -- tones the stomach, improving its function and increasing appetite
- Vulnerary -- used in healing or treating wounds
See also
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 30 December 2007, at 09:30.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Medicinal properties".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.