Henna
Lawsonia alba
“Orally, henna is used for gastrointestinal ulcers. … Traditionally, henna has been used for amebic dysentery, cancer, enlarged spleen, headache, jaundice, and skin conditions.”
- PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2nd edition
“The applicable part of henna is the leaf. Henna leaf contains lawsone, gallic acid, and 5% to 10% tannin. It is thought to have astringent and diuretic properties. Some evidence suggests henna might have activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In female rats, henna leaves inhibit fertility. The constituents, lawsone and gallic acid, have antibacterial properties. Studies suggest that lawsone might also have antifungal, antitumor, antispasmodic and weak vitamin K activity. Evidence shows it might be able to decrease the formation of sickled cells in individuals with sickle cell anemia. An ethanol extract containing luteolin, beta-sitosterol, and lawsone was claimed to have anti-inflammatory, antihyaluronidase, and analgesic activity.”
- http://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com/nd/Search.aspx?cs=NONMP&s=ND&pt=100&id=854&fs=ND&searchid=58865846
a.k.a.
alcanna, Egyptian privet, Jamaica mignonette, mehndi, mignonette tree, reseda