Role of Wild Violet in Cancer Treatment and other Medicinal Uses

Source, Morphology and Distribution of Wild Violet Plant:

Biological Name : Viola odorata

Family : Violaceae

Synonyms of Wild Violet :

• Hindi – Banafshah
• Sanskrit – Banafsha
• English – Wild violet
• Bengali – Banafshah
• Gujarati – Banaphsa
• Marathi – Bag a banasa
• Tamil – Vialettu
• Kannada – Violethoo

English: Viola odorata, Violaceae, Sweet Violet, English Violet, Common Violet, Garden Violet, habitus; Eßlingen, Germany. Deutsch: Viola odorata, Violaceae, Duftveilchen, Märzveilchen, Wohlriechendes Veilchen, Habitus; Eßlingen, Deutschland. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The trade name of wild violet is sweet violet. Wild violet is a herbaceous perennial plant with a short rhizome and creeping stolons which put out roots. The flowers are reddish brown in colour. It is grown in India in Kashmir and in the temperate Western Himalayas. The useful parts of the plant are stem, flowers and leaves.

English: Viola odorata with pink background. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Properties of Wild Violet:

• Emetic
• Purgative
• Emollient
• Demulcent
• Diaphoretic
• Diuretic
• Anti-pyretic
• Febrifuge
• Expectorant
• Laxative
• Anti-cancerous

Phytochemicals of Wild Violet:

The phytochemicals which are present in the wild violet are: The roots and flowers contains an alkaloid namely violine, a glycoside- violuquercetin. Roots, leaves and blossoms contain methyl salicylate in the form of glucoside. Flowers also contain volatile oil. Roots and rhizomes contain an alkaloid-odoratine.

Forms of use: It is used in the form of flower infusion, decoction and juice -syrup.

Medicinal uses of Wild Violet in Cancer Treatment

• The fresh leaves of viola odorate are useful drugs for treating cancer.
• Leaves relieve pain from cancerous growth of throat.
• To treat cancer of throat and tongue, 2.5 oz of fresh leaves are infused in a pint of boiling water in a covered metallic jar for 12 hours, the liquid is strained and is taken in a course of a day, in a dose of a full glass at a time.

Other Uses and Health Benefits of Wild Violet:

• The leaves acts as an emollient and laxative.
• Powdered leaves are taken at bed time with plain water for constipation.
• The underground root acts as emetic and purgative, the infusion is made with 2 oz of the roots , its juice causes nausea and vomiting.
• The flowers are taken to treat bilious affection, epilepsy, nervous disorders, prolapse of the rectum and uterus and inflammatory swelling.
• The flowers are used as diaphoretic.
• The flowers are also used for treating cough, sore throat, kidney diseases and liver disorders.
• It is given in the form of infusion or as syrup.

Doses:

Flower infusion – 30 to 50 ml

Leaves decoction – 500 ml to 1 litre