They are a result of phagocytosis â the process by which A. proteus engulfs its prey. A food vacuole is basically a storage unit of food for the amoeba and is formed only when the amoeba has engulfed its prey completely â then digestive enzymes are released into the vacuole.
The dried root and rhizome are the source of the medicinally useful products. Ipecac has been widely used in syrup form as a potent and effective emetic. Ipecac powder had been used to induce sweating at the onset of influenza, and small amounts of the extract have been incorporated into cough syrups as expectorants.
Expectorants are drugs that loosen and clear mucus and phlegm from the respiratory tract. The drug described here, guaifenesin, is a common ingredient in cough medicines. It is classified as an expectorant, a medicine that helps clear mucus and other secretions from the respiratory tract. However, some debate exists about how effectively guaifenesin does this. In addition, some cough medicines contain other ingredients that may cancel out guaifenesin's effects. Cough suppressants such as codeine, for example, work against guaifenesin because they discourage coughing up the secretions that the expectorant loosens.