Phytochemical and Pharmacological Properties of Argemone mexicana (Mexican poppy)

Abstract

Mexican poppies, also known as Argemone mexicana or "Satyanasi or Bhatkatiya" in India, are valued medicinal plants that are said to have extraordinary curative potential.
Indigenous people in Mexico and the western United States have long employed the stress-resistant herb Argemone mexicana, a member of the Papaveraceae family, in traditional medicine. For more than 5000 years, the Indian traditional medical system of Ayurveda has employed it to treat a variety of illnesses. Its seeds, latex, roots, stems, and leaves all have various pharmacological effects. Numerous bioactive substances derived from Argemone seeds are particularly effective in the treatment of chronic diarrhoea, dysentery, peptic ulcers, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, anti-malarial, expectorant, anti-diabetic, neuro-pharmacological activity, anti-HIV activity, as well as respiratory infections.
Argemone mexicana has been shown to offer a wide variety of therapeutic effects, including those of analgesic, antispasmodic, depurative, emetic, antipyretic, emmenagogue, sedative, antispasmodic, healing dermatological disorders, etc. There is a common belief that this plant is toxic and produces epidemic dropsy, which is characterised by excessive swelling, especially in the legs, but this is what happens during the process of adulterating edible oils, thus its medical use is not often promoted.