SILPHION
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Context: A Mediterranean medicinal plant considered a cure-all that mysteriously vanished 2,000 years ago may still be around, a recent study claimed. A researcher from Istanbul University found a plant species in 2021 at three locations in Anatolia — modern-day Turkey — that resembled the ancient plant silphion.
Details:
- The resin of the silphion was extensively used as a spice, perfume, aphrodisiac, contraceptive and medicine.
- It occupied an important place in the export economy of ancient Cyrene, an old Greek and later Roman colony near north-eastern Libya
- The contemporary species Ferula drudeana matched the description of the ancient plant that bore yellow flowers.
- Silphion was used to treat various health problems, including goiter, sciatica (nerve pain), toothache, intestinal disorders, hormonal disorders, epilepsy, tetanus, polyps (abnormal growth of tissues) and malignant tumours, according to studies.
- Its stalks were eaten as a vegetable, while the roots were consumed raw.
- The plant was also used to preserve lentils, historical records showed.
- Overharvesting may have driven the plant into extinction, many researchers believed. Human-induced environmental changes could have been involved.
- Widespread deforestation and desertification made Cyrenaica (modern-day eastern Libya) may have led to Silphium's disappearance.
- These plants may need cold and moist conditions for seed germination. This is because the plants related to silphion, such as Ferula drudeanaand Ferula asafoetida, also need similar environmental conditions for seeds to germinate.
- Depictions of silphion on coins suggest that the leaves were arranged opposite each other. This is rarely observed with the other Ferulaspecies, except the Ferula drudeana
- Further analysis showed that Ferula drudeanacontains compounds showing anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and antioxidant properties. This supports the idea that the plant’s medicinal properties are consistent with historical records of silphion.
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