Paeonia officinalis L.; Paeonia emodi Royle (Paeoniaceae)

Abstract

A native  to France, Switzerland and Italy, its roots known as Common Paeony or Garden Paeony , is grown in gardens for its flowers. This drug is the female Paeony of Dioscorides, and was held in great esteem by the ancients as a valuable remedy in uterine obstructions, colic, bilious obstructions, dropsy, epilepsy, convulsions and hysteria. Dioscorides described two kinds of Paeony, male (P. corallina) and female (P. officinalis); these are also the two kinds described by the Arabic and Persian writers. Ud-e-Saleeb means “wood of the cross” because the wood on section shows two lines crossing each other like a cross. Galen described its acrid qualities and emmenagogue virtues, and its use as an astringent in diarrhea. In Galen’s time, a superstition prevailed that Paeony root enclosed in a bag and hung around a child’s neck both prevented epileptic attacks and cured them. According to Pliny the Elder, the name Paeonia is derived from Paeon, the physician of the gods, who was the first to discover this plant. Hippocrates mentioned the use of seeds in uterine obstruction. It is considered emmenagogue in Italy. Paeonia spp. are also mentioned by Avicenna in his legendary book Canon of Medicine for the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding. Roots contain alkaloids, tannins, saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, terpenes, steroids, carbohydrates and proteins. Monoterpene galactosides, paeonins A and B, isolated from the roots are potent LOX inhibitors. Treatment of high-fat diet-induced dyslipidemic rats with hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts significantly lowered TC, LDL-C, TGs and atherogenic index, while HDL-C, SOD, and GPx were significantly elevated. Aqueous infusion of roots significantly ameliorated CCl₄-hepatotoxicity in rats.

Both P. emodi and P. officinalis are described as Ud-e-saleeb in Unani books; though the plants look similar but differ in flowers.