Impatiens balsamina L. - Balsaminaceae - 凤仙花 feng xian hua (chin.), garden balsam, rose balsam, Balsamine, Gartenspringkraut

Annual plant, up to1m high, native to India, Myanmar, Southeast China; flowers white, pink, or purple.
„A common ornamental plant, widely cultivated in gardens and houses throughout China [native to SE Asia; cultivated worldwide]. The flowers and leaves are often used for coloring fingernails. The stem and seeds are used medicinally for promoting blood circulation and for relieving pain and sore throats.“
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200013288

„Impatiens balsamina L. has been used as indigenous medicine in Asia for the treatment of rheumatism, fractures and fingernail inflammation. In this study, we isolated anti-H. pylori compounds from this plant and investigated their anti- and bactericidal activity. Compounds of 2-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (MeONQ) and stigmasta-7,22-diene-3β-ol (spinasterol) were isolated from the pods and roots/stems/leaves of I. balsamina L., respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) for MeONQ were in the ranges of 0.156–0.625 and 0.313–0.625 μg mL−1, respectively, and in the ranges of 20–80 μg mL−1 both of MICs and MBCs for spinasterol against antibiotic (clarithromycin, metronidazole and levofloxacin) resistant H. pylori. Notably, the activity of MeONQ was equivalent to that of amoxicillin (AMX). The bactericidal H. pylori action of MeONQ was dose-dependent. Furthermore, the activity of MeONQ was not influenced by the environmental pH values (4–8) and demonstrated good thermal (121°C for 15 min) stability. MeONQ abounds in the I. balsamina L. pod at the level of 4.39% (w/w db). In conclusion, MeONQ exhibits strong potential to be developed as a candidate agent for the eradication of H. pylori infection.“
[In Vitro Activity of 2-methoxy-1, 4-naphthoquinone and Stigmasta-7, 22-diene-3β-ol from Impatiens balsamina L. against Multiple Antibiotic-Resistant Helicobacter pylori., Wang, Y. C., Li, W. Y., Wu, D. C., Wang, J. J., Wu, C. H., Liao, J. J., Lin, C. K., Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011] http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2011/704721/

Impatiens balsamina flowers, Author: Meneerke bloem,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Impatiens_balsaminaRHu.JPG
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