Chinese onion (Allium chinense), an evergreen vegetable: A brief review

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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Instytut Uprawy Nawożenia i Gleboznawstwa – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy w Puławach
Abstract
Description
The history of using medicinal herbs and plant dates back to the ancient times. Chinese onion (Allium chinense) is famous as a plant for both food and medicinal purposes. It is widely cultivated as a vegetable and native to China. Its bulbs are commonly processed into pickles and spices. The bulb is anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, hypoglycaemic, hyptensive, lithontripic, stomachic and tonic. It can be also used to prevent oral infection and tooth decay. The most important chemical constituents of the essential oil derived from Allium chinense are: dimethyl disulfide, diallyl sulfide, allyl isothiocyanate, methyl allyl disulfide, methyl propyl disulfide, ?-pinene, dimethyl trisulfide, ?-pinene, 1,3-dithiane, limonene, diallyl disulfide, linalool, methyl allyl trisulfide, methyl propyl trisulfide, dimethyl tetrasulfide, diallyl trisulfide, diallyl thiosulfinate, and allyl methyl tetrasulfide.
Keywords
Chinese onion, Rakkyo, traditional medicine, saponin, volatile oils
Citation
Polish Journal of Agronomy 2020, 42, 40–45