Medicinal Plants No 40

Ananas comosus (Linn.) Merrill (A.sativus Schultes f.) Bromeliaceae (अनंनास-कुलम्)

Eng : Pineapple Hin : Ananās (3716TH) Kan : Anasahannu (GSTIDO) Mal : Kaitaccakka, Kappaccakka, Ananás

(കൈതച്ചക്ക, കപ്പച്ചക്ക, അനനാസ്) San

: Anamnásam, Bahunētſaphalam (31İTH, 2677190) Tam : Annāśippalam ( 760 Müdyo) Tel : Annasapandu (e.Jojoxo)

Distribution: Throughout India, cultivated

The plant: A herbaceous perennial with a short stout stem; leaves

numerous, spirally and compactly arranged, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, margins spiny, toothed, shining on the upper surface, those subtending the inflorescence small, much reduced, reddish; heads terminal, ovoid, bracicoles reddish, numerous, triangluar-ovato to oblong-ovate, imbricate ; fruits composite, succulent, bearing a crown of leaves.

Parts used: fruits, leaves

Properties and uses: The unripe fruits are sour, cooling, appetiser,

digestive, anthelmintic, cathartic, cardiotonic, uterine tonic, emmenagogue and febrifuge. They are useful in vitiated conditions of pitta, anorexia, dyspepsia, helminthiasis, constipation, cardiac debility, haematemesis, sexually transmitted diseases, amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea and fever.

The ripe fruits are sweet, cooling emollient, diuretic, carminative, digestive, cardiotonic, sudorific, styptic, lithontriptic, antiscorbutic, febrifuge and tonic. They are useful in vitiated conditions of pitta, strangury, dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, hyperacidity, cardiac debility, haematemesis, haemoptysis, jaundice, renal and vesical calculi,scabies, pruritus, fever and general debility.

The leaves are anthelmintic, abortifacient and emmenagogue, and are useful in induction of abortion, helminthiasis, amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea and whooping cough.

"अनंनासं पारवती चामं कौतुकसंज्ञकम् । (नि.र.) ["Anamnasam paravati camam kautukasamjnakam" (Ni.ra.)]

"अनंनासमपक्वन्तु रुच्यं हृद्यं गुरुर्मतम् । कफपित्तकरं चैव प्रोक्तं चान्नमरोचकम् । श्रमं कळमं नाशयति तत्पक्वं स्वादु पित्तहृत् । रसातपविकारांश्च नाशयेदिति कीर्तितम् ॥” (नि.र.) ["Anamnāsamapakvantu rucyam hrdyam gururmutam Kaphapitttakaram caiva pröktam cānnamarõcakam Sramam kļamam nāśayati tatpakvam svādu pittahrt Rasatapavikaramsca nāsayediti kirttitam" (Ni.ra.)

"बहुनेत्रफलं चाम्ळं कृमिघ्नं मधुरं सरम् । बल्यं वातहरं रुच्यं श्ळेष्मळं तर्पणं गुरु ॥ (रा.व.) ["Bahunētraphalam cām!am krmighnam madhuram saram Balyam vataharam rucyam Slesmalam tarpanam guru" (Ra.va.)]

"आम त्वनानसफलं सरमम्ळं सुदीपनम् । रजःप्रवर्तकं स्निग्धं रक्तस्तंभनकृत् हिमम् ।। परन्त्वत्युपयोगेन गर्भस्रावकरं च तत् । पक्वं फलं स्वादु शीतं मूत्रळं रक्तरोधनम् ॥ अग्निदीप्तिकरं हृद्यं स्वेदनं त्वग्विकारनुत् । अश्मरीगुल्मशूलघ्नं विषदोषहरं सरम् ॥ पत्रं तु शस्तं हिध्मायां रेचनं कृमिरोगजित् । (स्व.) ["Amam.tvanānasaphalam saramamlam sudīpanaſ Rajaḥpravarttakam snigdham raktastambhanakịt himam Parantvatyupayōgēna garbhasrāvakaram ca tat Pakvam phalaſ svādu śītam mütsaļam raktarodhanam Agnidiptikaram hrdyam svēdanam tvagvikāranut Asmarigulmaśūlaghnam visadõşaharam saram Patram tu śastaſ hidhmāyām rēcanam krmirõgajit" (Sva.)]