Uses

• Diuretic,
• Lactogenic,
• Reduces Hyperglycemia
• backache,
• Debility,
• Anaemia
• Impaired nutrition
  
• Increases the quantity and quality of the milk in nursing women
• increases the appetite.

Description

A hardy perennial herb growing up to 1 m in height.

Stem

Smooth and branched.

Leaves

imparipinnate with 6 to 8 pairs of leaflets; stipules lanceolate, agitate on one side, leaflets bright, green, smoother slightly hairy, short petioled, lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, slightly mucronate 2-5 cm in length and 2 to 6 mm in breadth.

Flowers

small, white to purplish-blue, papillonacious, in axillary raceams.

Fruit

a slender legume containing 4 to 6 brownish-black seeds. Odour is distinct, taste mucilagenous slightly bitter and astringent, the saliva being coloured a yellowish-green.

Distribution

Southern Europe. Naturalized in United States.

Parts used

Whole plant

Microscopical

Powder light green to yellowish-green Chief diagnostic characters are numerous curved or slightly undulate, thick walled non-glandular hairs,crystal fibers containing monoclinic prisms of calcium oxalate up to 25 u in length and smooth, spheroidal pollengrains up to 20 u in diameter. An alkaloid called galegine (tanret) which is guanidine derivative possessing the property of reducing blood sugar, tannin, bitter principles etc.

Identification

1. Alcoholic concentrated extractive with solvent system ethanol: acetone: Water (60:15:15%) on T.L.C. confirms for the presence of one spot with Rf 0.91 when sprayed with 0.5% 8-hydroxy quinoline in 60% ethanol.
2. To alcoholic extract when 1 drop of aqueous ferric produced, with disappears on addition of dilute sulphuric acid forming a yellowish-brown precipitate.

Mentioned In

1. Dorreta and corron do la carriers clinically used it,
2. mentioned in Clerke; Dictionary of practical Mat. Med. l., 794;
3. Boericke; Materia Medica with repertory.

Preparation

Mother Tincture Drug strength 1/10

• Galega officinalis                  100 g
• Strong Alcohol q.s.

To make one liter of the Mother Tincture.