PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part: El rizoma.

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: Astringentes y vulnerarias. Además, se emplea para las escrófulas, la hidropesía y el mal de piedra.

POSOLOGÍA= Posology: Inflamanciones de los ganglios. Poner en infusión 125 cm cubicos de agua con 4 g de rizoma seco. Dejar reposar durante 15 minutos y colar. Tomar 3 infusiones durante el día: una en ayunas, otra al mediodía y la otra por la noche. Seguir con las tomas hasta que desaparezca la inflamación.

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: Su rizoma y raíz contienen abundantes sales minerales.

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: Caminos de Santiago.

DIVERSIDAD GENÉTICA Y MEJORAMIENTO DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants and improvement of medicinal herbs:

The 5.8 S rRNA from O. regalis was isolated and sequenced.  Modified nucleotides were identified and localized.  Residues contg. a 2'-O-methylribose moiety manifest themselves by a gap in the ladder of formamide degrdn. bands, whereas, the base-specific reactions are unimpeded.  The fern sequence was compared with nucleotide sequences of higher plant 5.8 S rRNAs in which modified residues have been detd.  The amt. and position of modifications, 2'-O-methylated nucleotides and pseudouridine, is not const. and they are always restricted to or closely situated at higher conserved sequences in the mol.  The highly conserved GAAC sequence in positions 46-49 which has been suggested to be a putative tRNA binding site contains one 2'-O-methylated adenylic acid residue in all plant 5.8 S rRNAs.  Mnium rugicum 5.8 S rRNA is more modified that that of ferns or seed plants and contains only 2'-O-methylated nucleotides.  Pseudouridine is found only in 5.8 S rRNA of flowering plants.  The regulatory role of modified residues in 5.8 S-25 S rRNA complexes with proteins is discussed.

ÚLTIMOS AVANCES EN LA QUÍMICA Y ACTIVIDADES BACTERIOLÓGICAS EN LAS PLANTAS MEDICINALES= Medicinal plants, last advances on chemistry and bacteria activities on the medicinal herbs
 
1) The chem. compn. of rodlet-shaped wax crystals on fronds of Osmunda regalis was analyzed.  In all, 139 compds. belonging to 14 homologous series were detected in the surface ext.  They included typical plant wax constituents: alkanes (C25-C33), alkyl esters (C38-C50), primary alcs. (C22-C32), secondary alcs. (C27 and C29), ketones (C27-C33), aldehydes (C24-C34), fatty acids (C24-C32), and b-sitosterol.  Addnl., bifunctional C29 compds. (a-diketone, ketols, diols) were identified.  Nonacosan-10-one as the most abundant single compd., together with its bifunctional derivs., is likely to form the wax crystals found on O. regalis fronds.  Hence, a new type of wax crystals is defined morphol. and chem.  The occurrence of comparable wax aggregates on surfaces of higher plants is discussed.

2) In the frond waxes of Osmunda regalis four homologous series of previously unknown compds. were detected.  In order to assign their structures various derivs. were prepd. and analyzed by GC-MS.  The wax components were identified as C28 to C32 alkanediols, C26 to C36 ketoalcs., C28 to C36 ketoaldehydes and long-chain fatty acid esters of C28 to C36 ketoalcs.  All fractions showed strong prevalence of even numbered homologues with a max. for C30.  Isomer distributions were in all cases dominated by 1,9, 1,11-, 1,13- and 1,15-compds., their relative abundances shifting towards the latter with increasing homolog chain length.  A total of 77 (69 novel) compds. were identified, partially as minor components in unresolved isomer mixts.
 
3) A qual. investigation was made of phenols in the rhizome, leaf bases, roots, and fronds of O. regalis.  Caffeic, p-hydroxybenzoic, and p-coumaric acids were present as free compds. in all parts of the plant.  Gallic, vanillic, salicylic, and ferulic acids were also found in hydrolyzed exts.  Acylphloroglucinol derivs. were not detected.

Origin

The Himalayas, Khasi hills and the Western Ghats at altitudes of 1,500 – 3,000 m.

Action:

Fern—antispasmodic, astringent, an aqueous extract is administered for intestinal gripe; used externally in rheumatism; also prescribed in muscular debility. Fonds enter into diuretic drinks used for treating body swellings.

Root—mucilaginous, styptic, stimulant.

1) ALFARO, Txumari, Plantas y remedios naturales de los caminos de santiago. Barcelona: B.S.A. 2008, p. 104.
2) MELEKHOVETS, Yuri F.; TROITSKY, Alex V.  Sequence and methylation of 5.8S rRNA in fern, Osmunda regalis.   Nucleic Acids Research. 1993, vol.21, nº12, p.2941.
 
3) JETTER, Reinhard; RIEDERER, Markus. Composition of cuticular waxes on Osmunda regalis fronds. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 2000, vol.26, nº2, p.399-412.
 
4) JETTER, Reinhard; RIEDERER, Markus. Long-chain alkanediols, ketoaldehydes, ketoalcohols and ketoalkyl esters in the cuticular waxes of Osmunda regalis fronds.    Phytochemistry. 1999, vol.52, nº5, p.907-915.

5) LAZARO-CARRASCO, M. J., et al. Phenolic acids and acylphloroglucinol derivatives in Osmunda regalis L. Anales de la Real Academia de Farmacia. 1987, vol.53, nº1, p.91-6.

6) Khare, C.P./ Indian Medicinal Plants. -- Nueva Dheli: Springer, 2007 . - p  458.