Date Published: 14 June 2019
American Botanical Council announce adoption of Garlic and Artichoke via Adopt-an-Herb Program
The American Botanical Council (ABC) has recently announced1 adoptions of garlic (Allium sativum) and artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) through ABC's Adopt-an-Herb program. By participation in this scheme in the form of these adoptions Neem Biotech, a biotechnology company based in Wales (UK)2, is helping ABC to expand its nonprofit educational mission and to maintain its HerbMedPro3 database that makes available the latest scientific research about these botanical sources online.
Notes about the artichoke plant from ABC
This large, spiny, perennial member of the sunflower family is native to the Mediterranean area and northern Africa. Artichoke plants are known to be a good source of inulin, flavonoids, and phytosterols. They also contain sesquiterpene lactones, which gives artichoke plants a bitter taste.
The main medicinal part of artichoke plants is the leaf, which can be prepared as an extract. Historically artichoke has been used for intestinal distress. The Greeks and Romans used it as a diuretic and choleretic (bile-producing agent that aids digestion). Other traditional uses of artichoke concern liver and digestive health. Research has found that artichoke leaf extract supplementation is correlated with lower cholesterol levels and positive effects on blood lipid composition. Artichoke leaf extract is also used for digestive complaints. [These brief notes about artichoke are from cms.herbalgram.org1.]
Notes about garlic from ABC
Garlic, a member of the amaryllis family, has long been used as human food and for medicinal purposes. An Egyptian medical document circa 1550 BCE suggests uses of garlic bulb in treatments for abnormal growths and abscesses, circulatory ailments, general malaise, and parasites. Indications dating back to around 1400 BCE suggest consumption of garlic as a tonic for athletes and warriors dates in ancient Greece and Rome. Greek physicians Hippocrates (ca. 460-370 BCE) and Dioscorides (ca. 40-90 CE) both wrote about the use of garlic for circulatory and pulmonary complaints.
Garlic has been used in medicine in India, China, and Japan as a digestion aid and for its antimicrobial activity. It is still well-known and studied for its cardiovascular benefits including the lowering of blood pressure and its effects on blood sugar and cholesterol levels. [These brief notes about garlic are based on information from cms.herbalgram.org1.]
More about ABC's Adopt-an-Herb Program
This scheme1 enables companies, groups or individuals to 'adopt' one or more specific herbs in the HerbMedPro database. So far 66 herbs have been adopted by a total of 60 adopters. This supports ABC's work to gather, organize, and disseminate information about herbs, medicinal plants, and other botanical- and fungal-based ingredients in use throughout the world. The American Botanical Council is an independent research and education organization that ensures herb adopters do not influence the scientific information that is compiled for their adopted herbs.
