Page 30 - Pharmacognosy-I (02-06-06-102)

Linseed (Flax seed) ‫بذور الكتان‬

Medicinal parts: Linseed is the dried ripe seed of Linum usitatissimum

Linne. family Linaceae. It contains not less than 30% of fixed oil.

Constituents:

1-Linseed contains from 30-40 % of fixed oil,
2 -About 25 % of proteins - About 4.5-9% of mucilage
3-A small amount of cyanogenetic (cyanophoric) glycoside linamarin.
The oil which is prepared by hot expression consists of the glycerides of the
unsaturated fatty acids; linolenic, linoleic and oleic acid, in addition to some
saturated fatty acids such as stearic and palmitic acid

Test for cyanogenetic glycoside

1-Place about 0.5 gm of the powdered seed in a test tube with one ml of
water cover the test tube with a cork to which is attached a moist piece of
Guignard's paper.
2 -Leave for about 30 minutes at a temperature not exceeding 37 c, where the
colour of the paper changes from yellow to brick-red.
N.B. Guignard's paper is a filter paper soaked in 1% picric acid solution,
dried and then soaked in 10 % sodium carbonate solution and redried.

Medicinal uses:

Approved by Commission E: • The Commission E approved the internal
use of flaxseed for chronic constipation, for colons damaged by abuse of
laxatives, irritable colon, diverticulitis, and as mucilage for gastritis and
enteritis.
• External use is approved as a cataplasm for local inflammation.

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