By Titilayo Kupoliyi
Henna is a dye prepared from the plant. It has been used for thousands of years, especially in India as a cosmetic and hair dye.
The Hausa call it Marandaa while the Yoruba call it Laali.
It is also used to dye fabrics like silk, wool and leather. It is one of the oldest cosmetics in the world and it is of great importance in Islam, where it is used in many ceremonies, especially during marriage ceremonies to paint intricate patterns on the skin, especially the hands and feet of a bride and her female wedding guests.
It is widely grown in gardens as an ornamental or hedge plant, appreciated for the strong, pleasant fragrance of its flowers.
Though, it can darken after it is applied on the skin, natural henna is never black! The original colour is a rich red-brown stain, in fact, It is sometimes referred to as “red henna” to differentiate it from products sold as “black henna” or “neutral henna,” which may not actually contain henna but are instead made from other plants or dyes.
Aside its cosmetic values, many studies have confirmed that it has a significant anti-sickling effect. Lawsone, the dyeing agent in the plant, is the molecule responsible for the anti-sickling activity of the plant by increasing oxygen affinity of red blood cells.
In traditional medicine, it is used as a panacea against almost any disease. The plant harbours a well-documented folklore history for treating convulsion, jaundice and malignant ulcers.
It contains medicinal properties for the cure of renal lithiasis, jaundice and wound healing.
It prevents skin inflammation. In Arabic and Indian medicine, preparations from the leaves, sometimes including other parts of the plant (root), are effectively used to promote childbirth, as an abortifacient and as an emmenagogue (a substance that stimulates or increases menstrual flow).
The leaves of Lawsonia inermis are used to treat poliomyelitis, measles among the Yoruba in the South-West, Nigeria.
Natural History Museum
A decoction of the leaves and roots is effective against certain forms of diarrhoea.
Also, In Côte d’Ivoire and Northern Nigeria, the leaves are used in the treatment of trypanosomiasis.
The bark is traditionally used in the treatment of jaundice and enlargement of the spleen, renal calculus, leprosy and obstinate skin diseases.
The plant is also used as a “blood tonic.” It is an astringent herb with a tea-like aroma that controls bleeding.
It is regarded as a nerve tonic in Ayurvedic medicine. It has been traditionally reported to be used in treatment of headache, hemicranias, lumbago, bronchitis, boils, ophthalmia, syphilitis, sores, amenorrhea, scabies, diseases of the spleen, dysuria, bleeding disorder and skin diseases.
Report has it that the plant contain lawsone (the dyeing agent in the plant), Esculetin, Fraxetin, Isoplumbagin, Scopoletin, Betulin, Betulinic acid, Hennadiol, Lupeol, Lacoumarin, Laxanthone, Flavone glycosides and two pentacytic triterpenes.
It also contains carbohydrates, proteins, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic compounds, alkaloids, terpenoids, quinones, coumarins, xanthones and fatty acids.
It is now measured as a valuable source of exclusive natural products for growth of medicines against various diseases and also for the development of industrial products.
The leaves are taken internally in the treatment of amoebic dysentery. They are used as a gargle to treat sore throats. Extracts of the leaves have an astringent effect on the skin.
This effect, combined with a slight bactericidal and fungicidal action, makes it a useful medicine for external use against many skin and nail complaints. The leaves are therefore used externally in the treatment of various skin diseases (including leprosy), wounds, ulcers and herpes.
Dyeing the hair with henna effectively kills lice. The young leafy shoots are picked during the growing season and dried for use in powders.
An essential oil obtained from the flowers is used in perfumery. It is lilac-scented.
The fragrant flowers are macerated, then infused in oil to impart their fine scent for use as a perfume.
The seeds contain about 10 per cent of a non-drying, viscous oil, composed mainly of oleic, linoleic and stearic acids.
The seeds have been reported to possess deodorant action and are used in most cases for gynaecological disorders such as menorrhagia, vaginal discharge and leucorrhoea. The wood is fine-grained, hard and used for fuel. It is also used for making tent pegs and tool handles.
The plant has a multifaceted use. Truly, Lawsonia inermis is a plant with more than cosmetic values.
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