Quetzalcoatl Botanical Garden propagates the medicinal plants of the Maya and Naga Maya; the cultures that have given us the healing systems of curanderismo and Ayurveda. The seeds from these medicinal plants will be given to underprivileged communities, with training as to cultivation and use, so that they can be empowered to heal themselves.
With the imposition of western medicine many have lost their knowledge and access to plant medicine to heal themselves. We return the seeds in gratitude to indigenous people for the healing knowledge passed down to us. We are also growing sesame in our desert climate, to provide organic cold-pressed oil to the community.
With the imposition of western medicine many have lost their knowledge and access to plant medicine to heal themselves. We return the seeds in gratitude to indigenous people for the healing knowledge passed down to us. We are also growing sesame in our desert climate, to provide organic cold-pressed oil to the community.
Please click at this donate button to contribute to these efforts to bring medicinal plants to low-income communities.
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We continue to develop the garden into a source of medicinal plants and wisdom. You can read about some of these plants below the section on Buffalo gourds.
We are growing Buffalo gourds in order to make alcohol fuel this winter. We will be writing a manual to teach others how to make fuel themselves from this low-water, native species. Climate change and pollution has many people asking for a solution. Using alcohol as fuel does not cause pollution or contribute to climate change. We are asking for help to build a demonstration of an alcohol fuel distiller, to be fed native low water plant materials, specifically Buffalo Gourd roots. While making fuel from buffalo gourd root has been studied for decades, no one has yet taken this to a practical level. Links to some of these studies are posted at the bottom of the page. Our Unique Contributions We will create two innovations that will make fuel alcohol practical, and document our efforts to make it easy to repeat in other communities.
The suitability of using annually grown, carrot-sized buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) roots as a feedstock for alcoholic fermentation has been shown to be practical from many studies. Buffalo Gourd (Cucurbitafoetidissima) is a feral species related to cultivated squashes and pumpkins. It is highly adapted to many arid and semiarid regions of southwest. We will be informed by these studies and use the innovations mentioned above to make alcohol fuel practical, affordable and easy to understand. This link will take you to an abstract of this study, but we have the whole study available. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18576470/ https://books.google.com/books?id=1xUYPY6JfnYC&pg=PA111&lpg=PA111&dq=the+fuel+alcohol+textbook+5th+edition+pdf+download&source=bl&ots=LSlr_yo_YA&sig=ACfU3U1rd7Cvvz2sxI5bOoFbava7ljnwww&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiP_ouUu_DyAhXkPn0KHa5DBTQQ6AF6BAgYEAM#v=onepage&q=the%20fuel%20alcohol%20textbook%205th%20edition%20pdf%20download&f=false This document gives detailed information on the process. https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/bitstream/handle/2346/12378/31295005913529.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y This is another study noting the use of Buffalo Gourd for oil and root starch. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4254798 This is our reference book: Alcohol Can be a Gas, by David Blume. These are some of the plants that we are growing.
Kalmegh has been used in Ayurveda to eliminate virus and fungus for thousands of years. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take Andrographis. There is a great deal of western research exploring the success of these Ayurvedic herbs for coronaviruses. It has been sold out worldwide all of April and March of 2020 for this reason. “The present invention relates to the use of herbal diterpenoids in Andrographis paniculata. More specifically refers to the medical use of andrographolide and derivatives, particularly its anti-coronavirus activity can be used in the prevention, treatment of SARS viral diseases medicament....SARS is caused by a coronavirus recently encountered a disease human, highly contagious, it poses a great threat to human health and life, and seriously affected the way people live and work order worldwide. The present invention andrographolide and derivatives of andrographolide extract obtained in pharmacological screening, proved that it has the anti-coronavirus activity, is expected to contribute to the prevention and treatment of SARS coronavirus” https://patents.google.com/patent/CN1165302C/en https://www.grovesnaturopathics.com.au/2020/01/31/how-to-prepared-for-pandemic-flu-covid-19-coronavirus-from-a-natural-medicine-per “BANGKOK (The Nation/ANN): The best available protection against the recently identified coronavirus 2019-nCoV might be kariyat, (Kalmegh) an herbal remedy that’s been used in ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years.” https://www.thestar.com.my/news/2020/01/31/ancient-herb-kariyat-might-ease-virus-symptoms-says-thai-doctor "The constituent andrographolide from Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata) displayed inhibitory activity against avian influenza A (H9N2 and H5N1) and human H1N1 influenza A viruses in vitro and in vivo. (64) Andrographolide interferes with HA to prevent the virus from binding to cellular receptors (65)." From Cara Health https://www.carahealth.com/health-articles/immune-food-allergy-infection/natural-medicine-preparation-for-coronavirus “After phylogenetic analysis and sequence alignment of 23 coronaviruses from various species. We found three coronaviruses from bat (96%, 88% and 88% for Bat-Cov RaTG13, bat-SL-CoVZXC12 and bat-SL-CoVZC45, respectively) have the highest genome sequence identity to SARS-CoV-2 “https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211383520302999 “The plant that might stop Covid 19” In the US all treatments that are not drugs are generally banned from discussion. That is not true everywhere though https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30382571 Please go to this link for more information about the use of Kalmegh and why it is crucial to save these seeds. https://www.curanderahealing.com/store/p120/curanderahealing.com/store/p120/Flu_virus_--_Organic_Formula_96_capsules_.html.html |
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Ashwagandha root grows well here in the alkaline soils of the southwest. You can read more about this medicinal plant on this page, curanderahealing.com/store/p204/curanderahealing.com/store/p204/Ashwagandha_96_capsules.html.html
Many Ayurvedic formulas use Neem. It is a subtropical tree so it is kept in pots to be moved into the greenhouse in the winter.
Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family Moringaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of South Asia. Common names include moringa, drumstick tree, horseradish tree. Almost all parts of the tree are eaten or used as ingredients in traditional herbal medicines. This especially applies to the leaves and pods, which are commonly eaten in parts of India and Africa
This plant has become a fad in the US and is sold in capsules or as a supplement powder. Taking Moringa oleifera supplements in capsules won’t supply a quantity of nutrients.
Fresh and raw moringa beans are quite tender. They can be steamed, boiled or roasted for various purposes. Moringa is a nutrient-dense plant that is rich in vitamins, calcium, iron and essential amino acids. It can benefit the body in a number of ways.
Here are some health benefits of moringa:
Steep moringa leaves in hot water for 15 minutes and drink it before you go to bed for a good night's rest. It helps you slip into slumber at night, and in turn will leave you energised to tackle the day," says Dr. Choudhary, Max Hospital.
Moringa seeds help you slip into slumber at night, and in turn will leave you energised to tackle the day.
Moringa seeds are high in fibre, and help in moving food along your digestive system.
Moringa is a great source of zinc and can regulate blood sugar levels which can help manage or even prevent diabetes. Moringa seeds are a great source of zinc.
A single serving of moringa has almost three times the amount of iron as spinach.
This plant has become a fad in the US and is sold in capsules or as a supplement powder. Taking Moringa oleifera supplements in capsules won’t supply a quantity of nutrients.
Fresh and raw moringa beans are quite tender. They can be steamed, boiled or roasted for various purposes. Moringa is a nutrient-dense plant that is rich in vitamins, calcium, iron and essential amino acids. It can benefit the body in a number of ways.
Here are some health benefits of moringa:
Steep moringa leaves in hot water for 15 minutes and drink it before you go to bed for a good night's rest. It helps you slip into slumber at night, and in turn will leave you energised to tackle the day," says Dr. Choudhary, Max Hospital.
Moringa seeds help you slip into slumber at night, and in turn will leave you energised to tackle the day.
Moringa seeds are high in fibre, and help in moving food along your digestive system.
Moringa is a great source of zinc and can regulate blood sugar levels which can help manage or even prevent diabetes. Moringa seeds are a great source of zinc.
A single serving of moringa has almost three times the amount of iron as spinach.
Monarch butterfly habitat
These beneficial insects are losing habitat for many reasons. We are providing a place where this native species can propagate. These are some of the reasons this species has been dying off.
These beneficial insects are losing habitat for many reasons. We are providing a place where this native species can propagate. These are some of the reasons this species has been dying off.
- Loss of milkweed plants
Although monarchs feed on the nectar of many flowers, they lay their eggs only on certain types of milkweed plants. Unfortunately, milkweeds are often eradicated as noxious weeds. Urbanization, industrialized, large-scale farms, and drought conditions have also resulted in significant plant loss.
- Loss of winter habitat
The butterflies' winter habitat in Mexico and California is rapidly shrinking due to deforestation, harsh weather, development and other disruptions. Because all monarchs gather in only a few locations, the overall population is at risk.
- Climate Change
Especially during the last decade, changes in climate have resulted in more out-of-season storms, severe temperature drops and excessive rain. The combination of both wet and cold is deadly and has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of millions of butterflies.
Bhringaraj
Botanical Name: Eclipta alba
Active Agents: Mainly coumestans i.e. wedelolactone (I) and demethylwedelolactone (II), polypeptides, polyacetylenes, thiophene-derivatives, steroids, triterpenes and flavonoids. Other constituents includes thiopene derivatives e.g. Ecliptal; saponins viz., hentriacontanol, 14-heptacosanol; flavonoids e.g. Luteolin-7-O-glucoside; alkaloids and polypeptides.
Ayurvedic Uses of BhringarajAlopecia and Hair Loss: Apply the juice of bhringaraj or a paste of the powder on bald areas. Let it dry for 20 minutes, then wash off to stimulate the growth of healthy hair.
Eye Disorders: Put two drops of bhringaraj juice in eyes, after or before sunset to cure eye pain and swelling.
Take 10 gm powder of shade dried bhringaraj leaves, 3 gm honey and 3 gm ghee. Mix well and take every night before going to bed to cure eye disorders.
Blood Pressure: Take 2 teaspoons of juice of bhringaraj leaves with a teaspoon of honey mixed in it to normalize blood pressure. This remedy is sometimes observed to cure BP permanently.
Kapikachhu herb is a very efficient nerve tonic and aphrodisiac, it increases the testosterone level. L-Dopa is a major constituent of Kapikachhu herb which is capable of increasing the production of dopamine in the brain, improving ones mood, reproductive health and co-ordination. It is used as part of the Ayurvedic therapy to heal from Parkinson's and in a formula for prostate problems.
It is taken for maintenance of reproductive vitality. For this purpose it is combined with ashwagandha and gokshura. Animal studies and long-term traditional use confirm mucuna’s powerful effects of normalizing sexual dysfunction and erectile problems and reversing oxidative stress causing reduced sperm count, motility, and viability. Shukla, Kamla Kant, et al. “< i> Mucuna pruriens improves male fertility by its action on the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal axis.” Fertility and Sterility, 92.6 (2009): 1934-1940.PDF available at: PDF copy of Mucuna pruriens trial
Botanical Name: Eclipta alba
Active Agents: Mainly coumestans i.e. wedelolactone (I) and demethylwedelolactone (II), polypeptides, polyacetylenes, thiophene-derivatives, steroids, triterpenes and flavonoids. Other constituents includes thiopene derivatives e.g. Ecliptal; saponins viz., hentriacontanol, 14-heptacosanol; flavonoids e.g. Luteolin-7-O-glucoside; alkaloids and polypeptides.
Ayurvedic Uses of BhringarajAlopecia and Hair Loss: Apply the juice of bhringaraj or a paste of the powder on bald areas. Let it dry for 20 minutes, then wash off to stimulate the growth of healthy hair.
Eye Disorders: Put two drops of bhringaraj juice in eyes, after or before sunset to cure eye pain and swelling.
Take 10 gm powder of shade dried bhringaraj leaves, 3 gm honey and 3 gm ghee. Mix well and take every night before going to bed to cure eye disorders.
Blood Pressure: Take 2 teaspoons of juice of bhringaraj leaves with a teaspoon of honey mixed in it to normalize blood pressure. This remedy is sometimes observed to cure BP permanently.
Kapikachhu herb is a very efficient nerve tonic and aphrodisiac, it increases the testosterone level. L-Dopa is a major constituent of Kapikachhu herb which is capable of increasing the production of dopamine in the brain, improving ones mood, reproductive health and co-ordination. It is used as part of the Ayurvedic therapy to heal from Parkinson's and in a formula for prostate problems.
It is taken for maintenance of reproductive vitality. For this purpose it is combined with ashwagandha and gokshura. Animal studies and long-term traditional use confirm mucuna’s powerful effects of normalizing sexual dysfunction and erectile problems and reversing oxidative stress causing reduced sperm count, motility, and viability. Shukla, Kamla Kant, et al. “< i> Mucuna pruriens improves male fertility by its action on the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal axis.” Fertility and Sterility, 92.6 (2009): 1934-1940.PDF available at: PDF copy of Mucuna pruriens trial