Plumbago Zeylanica is also known as Chitrakmool or Citrak

In Ayurvedic medicine, Plumbago Zeylanica has been mentioned as having pungent, astringent, diuretic, germicidal, and vesicant properties. Others mention chitrakmool to have benefit in terms of digestive, nervous and female reproductive system. Used in indigestion, gas, hemorrhoids, rheumatism, promotes sweating and small doses stimulate the central nervous system. See a list of ayurvedic herbs. See also information on chitrakmool.

Plumbago zeylanica is also a medicinal plant commonly used in Ethiopia for skin diseases.

Fertility effect
Antifertility activity of leaves of Plumbago zeylanica Linn. in female albino rats.
Department of Herbal Drug Research, B. R. Nahata College of Pharmacy and Research Centre, Mhow Neemuch Road, Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
To evaluate the antifertility properties of extracts of leaves of Plumbago zeylanica Linn. (Plumbaginaceae). The effects of petroleum ether, chloroform, acetone, ethanol and aqueous extracts of the leaves of P. zeylanica on the estrous cycle of rats were studied at two dose levels, namely, 200 and 400 mg/kg. The effective extracts were assessed with regard to their oestrogenic activity in the same species. RESULTS: The acetone and ethanol extracts were most effective in interrupting the estrous cycle of the rats (p < 0.05). The animals exhibited a prolonged diestrous stage of the estrous cycle corresponding to a temporary inhibition of ovulation. The antiovulatory activity was reversible on discontinuation of treatment. Both extracts showed significant oestrogenic and anti-oestrogenic activity. The acetone and ethanolic extracts of leaves of P. zeylanica have an antifertility activity.

Plumbago Zeylanica and prostate cancer
Human prostate cancer cell growth is inhibited by plumbagin, a constituent of the widely used medicinal herb Plumbago Zeylanica.

Plumbagin, a medicinal plant-derived naphthoquinone, is a novel inhibitor of the growth and invasion of hormone-refractory prostate cancer.
Cancer Res. 2008. Aziz MH, Dreckschmidt NE, Verma AK. Department of Human Oncology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
We present here that plumbagin, a quinoid constituent isolated from the root of the medicinal plant Plumbago zeylanica L., may be a potential novel agent in the control of hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Specific observations are the findings that plumbagin inhibited prostate cancer cell invasion and selectively induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells but not in immortalized nontumorigenic prostate epithelial RWPE-1 cells. Plumbagin inhibits multiple molecular targets including PKCepsilon, a predictive biomarker of prostate cancer aggressiveness. Plumbagin may be a novel agent for therapy of hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

Substances in Plumbago Zeylanica
Aerial parts have plumbagin, isoshinanolone, plumbagic acid, beta-sitosterol, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, trans-cinnamic acid, vanillic acid, 2, 5-dimethyl-7-hydroxychromone, and indole-3-carboxaldehyde.

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