Ammi visnaga
Part Used: Dried mature seed (Morocco)
Khella (Ammi visnaga) is native to the Mediterranean, and is cultivated in the United States, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. The plant is about 5 feet tall, with flowers and small fruit. It is commonly used for asthma relief due to its coronary blood vessel dilating effects. It is a smooth muscle relaxant in the bronchial tissue, vasodilator and helps to relieve spasms. It is also used for chest pain (angina), irregular heartbeat, whooping cough, and abdominal cramps. In the treatment of kidney stones, it helps relax the ducts to the bladder, allowing the stones to pass. Externally, it's used on wounds, inflammation, and poisonous bites.
Khella combats spasms in the smooth muscles that line the walls of blood vessels, bronchial airways, and other tubes and ducts. It improves circulation in the heart muscle and gives a mild boost to the heart's pumping action. Other uses include relief for angina, kidney stones, and vitiligo. It contains khellin, from which particularly safe pharmaceutical drugs for the treatment of asthma have been made. The seeds are basically used in the treatment of asthma, angina, coronary arteriosclerosis and kidney stones. By relaxing the muscles of the urethra, it visnaga reduces the pain caused by trapped kidney stones and helps ease the stone down into the bladder. It has also been indicated in coronary insufficiency, angina, arteriosclerosis, spastic heart, cardiac asthma, and recovery after heart attack.
References:
PDRhealth. http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/herbaldrugs/101620.shtml
HerbalEd. http://www.herbaled.org/THM/Singles/khella.html
