Sacred lotus

Barthlott W, Neinhuis C (1997) Purity of the sacred lotus, or escape from contamination in biological surfaces. Planta 202 1-8... 

Jdelumbo nucifera (kanwal, sacred lotus) (Nymphaceae) tonic, aphrodisiac... 

Sacred lotus seed as used in traditional Chinese medicine is prepared by removing the seed embryo (PPRC 2005). 

Reference texts on traditional Chinese medicine do not indicate any cautions for the use of sacred lotus in pregnancy (Bensky et al. 2004 Chen and Chen 2004). 

Oral and intraperitoneally administered extracts of sacred lotus seed exhibited effects on the estrus cycle in rats and mice (Mazumder et al. 1992 Mutreju et al. 2008). 

An unreferenced statement in one published article asserts that sacred lotus seed is used as an antifertility agent by tribal women near Udaipur, India (Mutreju et al. 2008), but none of the classic texts on Indian materia medica indicate such usage (Chopra 1933 Dutt 1922 Kirtikar and Basu 1935 Nadkarni 1954). One contemporary ethnobo-tanical review reports that the seed is given in pregnancy (Singh et al. 2010). 

No information on the safety of sacred lotus in lactation was identified. While this review did not identify any concerns for use while nursing, safety has not been conclusively established. 

In rats orally administered 800 mg/kg of an ethanol extract of sacred lotus daily for 41 days, a decrease in the weights of the uterus, ovaries, and vagina was observed, along with a prolongation of the estrus cycle (Mutreju et al. 2008). 

In mice intraperitoneally administered 3 mg/kg of a petroleum ether extract of sacred lotus every other day for 15 days, arrest of the estrus cycle was observed along with a decrease in uterine weight (Mazumder et al. 1992). 

No information on the safety of sacred lotus in lactation was identified. 

The LD50 value of compounds from sacred lotus intravenously administered to mice is 34.9 mg/kg for liensinine, 26.0 mg/kg for neferine, and 20.0 mg/kg for the total alkaloids (Zhu 1998). 

Nelson DR, Schuler MA (2013) Cytochrome P450 genes from the sacred lotus genome. Tropical Plant Biol Res 6 138-151... 

By modifying the surfaces or choosing appropriate polyelectrolytes, both superhydrophobic (contact angle 150°)" " and superhydrophilic 6<5° in less than 0.5 sec)" surfaces can be created. In nature, there are matty superhydrophobic surfaces, such as the sacred lotus leaf, taro leaf, grass leaf and water strider s legs. The superhydrophobicity of these materials is mostly related to the hierarchical roughness, voids, channels and hydrophobic structure of the suifaces." Thus, superhydrophobic surfaces may be used for self-cleaning purposes on A1 alloy surfaces, which in turn reduces corrosion rates. 

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