The Lucky Nut, Be Still Tree, Digoxin, Yellow Oleander

All of my Art has a story.

There was a time when all the oil Sheiks of Saudi Arabia brought all these existing plants in the U.S. for their palaces. I remember those couple of years. The Yellow Bells is indigenous to South America and now the tree is now considered an invasive tree in many parts of Africa and Pacific Islands.

Although Thevtia peruviana, AKA Yellow Oleander or Lucky Nut is a poison when ingested by humans, Its seed oil is used as an antifungal, antibactetrial and antitermite. It can be used in oil in paint to prevent termites. Thevetia peruviana inhibited spermatogenesis in rats, indicating the possibility of developing herbal male contraceptive.
TRAIL has now been recognized, as one of the few tumor selective agents able to eradicate cancer cells selectively by activating a signalling pathway that is used by the innate immune system, opening an entirely novel dimension to cancer research and therapy. Thevitia peruvian may take a key roll in this cancer cures. Cardenolide glycosides 1 and 2 showed significant reversal effect on TRAIL resistance in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells.

Yellow Oleander (Thevetia Peruviana)

Thevetia peruviana, Yellow Oleander is native to South America and could be another plant 

the has to do with curing specific cancer cells. 

Medicinal Facts for Thevetia peruviana.

     Although Thevtia peruviana is a poison when ingested by humans. Its seed oil is used as an antifungal, antibactetrial and antitermite properties.  It can be used in oil is use in paint and it can prevent termites. Thevetia peruviana inhibited spermatogenesis in rats, indicating the possibility of developing herbal male contraceptive.
TRAIL has now been recognized, as one of the few tumor selective agents able to eradicate cancer cells selectively by activating a signalling pathway that is used by the innate immune system, opening an entirely novel dimension to cancer research and therapy. Thevitia peruvian may take a key roll in cancer cures. Cardenolide glycosides 1 and 2 showed significant reversal effect on TRAIL resistance in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells.

Serendipity with a Little John Bottlebrush

I arrived early to Sunday services at church and photographed this beautiful plant 

in the parking lot island blooming.

Little John Bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus viminalis cultivar)

The Bottlebrush
 
 Unless you're from the Australia,  New Caledonia or Philippines, you are probably unaware of the marvelous healthsource growing greater Phoenix.  The bottlebrush tree or shrub (Callistemon citrinus viminalis), also sometimes called the Ringworm bush in its native habitat, is a hardwood tree that bears much more than a pretty bright red floral display to the environment.
      The leaves contain oils which are useful for their antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties. The chemicals cineole and pinene are known  for their insect-repelling qualities as well as antibacterial.  Menthyl acetate, an essential oil, is also found in the plant and is responsible for its fragrance. These are the primary ingredients found in this tree's foliage. In a process known as quorum sensing, bacteria are able to somehow communicate with each other on an intercellular basis. The chemical components found in the bottlebrush leaves have an ability to disrupt this procedure. (Bacteria disruption study Bacteria disruption study.)   In Jamaica it has been used for generations for a hot drink  call “tea” used for the treatment of gastro-enteritis, diarrhea and skin infections.
     In a 2010 report (Am. J. Applied Sci. 7 (1) 13-16) leaves of C. citrinus were shade dried for 48 hours and crushed into a powder using a blender. Six grams of powder were used in 10 ml of ethanol distilled water to make an ethanol extract and 10 mls of of methanol distilled water for a methanolic extraction. They were then centrifuged (3,000 rpms) for 15 minutes and clear liquid harvested. This was done three times then the alcohol evaporated by incubating at room temperature. This oil had antibacterial and antifungal activity.
       Veterinary research has discovered that the bottlebrush's leaves for combating intestinal parasites in animals.  By rubbing crushed leaves on your skin, insects have been effectively repelled from these oils. Many studies have been performed on the effects of the bottlebrush tree's oils. In Florida is has been observed that you won't find insects other than bees around the bottlebrush.
       The leaves can also be made into a tea and for flavor similar to a bay leaf. Some use the flowers to make a sweet tea and as a dye. The aborigines use it as a sweetener.

Snapdragon oil is like olive oil

     The Snapdragon (Antirrhinum magusis), also called toad's mouth, dog's mouth and lions mouth, indigenous to Europe and has been used as a garden plant since the Romans and Greeks thought snapdragons had the power to protect them from witchcraft.

Descorides, the Greek physician wrote that protection would be given to the person that wore snapdragons around their neck. In the medieval period, snapdragons were thought to be the guardians of European castles and were planted near the gates.   Early German society thought a bunch of snapdragons hung near a baby would keep the baby from being afraid of evil spirits. Women boiled snapdragons and applied the resulting infusion to their faces to keep them beautiful and restore youth. In Russia, snapdragons were believed to boost the body’s energy.  A cream or lotion can be  made for rashes and sunburns from its leaves and flowers. A gargle can also be made from its leaves and flowers for mouth ulcers and opera singers once drank a tea brew from the flowers before a concert to heal a aching, strained throat. Muclia pectin and gallic acid give the plant its anti-inflammatory qualities and has also been used for the treatment of hemorrhoids.
     In the fifteen century it was cultivated in Russia for oil found in the seeds as is only slightly inferior to olive oil.  The snapdragon depends almost entirely on the bumblebees for pollination because the flower's design make honey bees ineffective.