Advisory Services

Linseeds

Description: Linum-usitatissimum   Description: alsi

BOTANICAL NAME:

  • Linum usitatissimum  

FAMILY:

  • Linaceae

SYNONYM(S):

  • Linum trimervium

URDU NAME:

  • Alsi

REGIONAL NAME:

  • Bengali: Tisi, Masina
  • Persian: Bazrak, Tukhm-I- Zaghira
  • Pashto: Alsi
  • Sanskrit: Uma, Badgandia, Atasi
  • Arabic: Bazural Kattan
  • Punjabi: Hing
  • Kashmeri: Keun
  • Punjabi: Alsi, Tisi
  • Hindi: Alsi, Tisi

UNANI/TIBBI NAME:

  • Katan

ENGLISH NAME:

  • Linseed, Common Flax

HABITAT:

  • It is common crop of the plains and hills upto altitudes of 6000 fts,
  • It is cultivated as a commercial crop in Punjab and sindh.

DESCRIPTION:

  • It is an annual herb mostly cultivated but also found growing on wastelands
  • Bear blue and white flowers
  • Capsule is globose
  • Five carpals each containing two seeds which are flatted, elongated, ovoid, having and acute edge, these have glossy polished surfaces and are brown in color

PART USED:

  • Seeds

TASTE:

  • Tasteless and mucilaginous

TEMPERAMENT:

  • Hot 1°, dry 1°

PERIOD OF OCCURRENCE:

  • It is sown in plains from Octobers to Novembers
  • Whereas in hilly areas in the month of February
  • It is ready  for harvesting from  March to end April

PROCEDURE & TIME OF COLLECTION:

  • The plants are cut along with the pods and are left to dry in the open for a few days.
  • The seeds are separated from the rest of plants by beating the dried pods

CONSTITUENTS:

  • Fixed oil
  • Mucilage
  • Protein
  • Wax
  • Carbohydrate, sugar
  • Glycoside linamarin
  • Phosphate & potassium
  •  magnesium
  • Calcium
  • Carotene
  • Thiamine
  • Riboflavin
  • Niacin
  • Pantothenic acid
  • Choline
  • Vitamin E

SUBSTITUTES:

  • Hulba/fenugreek seeds (trigpnella foenum graecun)

ACTIONS AND USES IN UNANI SYSTEM OF MEDICINE:

Pharmacological action:

  • Emollient
  • Digestive
  • Aphrodisiac
  • Demulscent
  • Expectorant
  • Diuretic
  • Astringent

Therapeutic uses:

  • Poultice made from seeds is recommended for application on gouty and rheumatic swelling, inflammation, tumors, seeds infusion is used in pharyngitis, cough problems, for inflammation conditions of intestinal colon and the urinary tract e.g. colitis and cystitis. Soothe conjunctivitis

DOSES:

  • 5-10 g

CORRECTIVES:

  • Dhania/coriander (coriandrum sativum)
  • Lemon Juice

IMPORTANT UNANI FORMULATIONS:

  • Laooq mutadil
  • Laooq zeequn-nafis
  • Laooq katan
  • Kairuthee bazarul katttan
  • Majoon mobahee antaki
  • Marham dakhliyun
  • Sharbat sadar
  • Safuf muqliyasa

ASTROLOGY:

  • Moon

 
By Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences