ASAFOTIDA
Ferula foetida
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Description of the species:
Vigorous redivive with large pulpy root, branching above spongy cormus with bushy spherical inflorescences.
Used part of the plant:
Roots, aerial part.
Natural area:
Desert zone of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Surkhandarya regions, Kara-Kalpak and other Central Asian republics.
Conditions of growth:
In desert zone, foothills.
Period of collection:
June - September.
Collection method:
Manual; transportation to production site within 3-12 hours.
Material processing:
Steam distillation, for receiving ether oil from the roots; production of gum (solidified milky sap) from faces of aerial parts.
Storage:
Dry clean space.
Components specification:
Linalool, citronellol and doremol acetates, ferulene, sambulene, doremon and doremol.
Major components:
Ferulene, sambulene.
Features of the oil:
Anticonvulsant, vermifuge, expectorative, tonic and general health-improving.
Indications:
Helminthiasis, hysteria, diseases of nervous system, exudative diathesis, bronchial asthma, otitis.
Possible usage:
Homeopathy, food industry.
Literature:
E. P. Korovin - Ferula // Flora of the USSA. Moscow – St-Petersburg, 1951; v. XVII, p. 62—142.
