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.
Expectorant Herbs : Loosen Chest Congestion. Expectorants help loosen congestion in the lungs by reducing the thickness of mucus, making coughing more productive and clearing the lungs. Expectorant herbs are very important in the treatment of coughs, congestion and bronchitis, to the extent that the term is sometimes incorrectly applied to any cough medicine. A.