Andrographis Paniculata

ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA

Andrographis PaniculataAndrographis Paniculata is also known as ‘Green Chiretta’ or ‘Creat’ in English; ‘Kalmegh’ in Hindi and Bhunimba in Sanskrit.

It has been used for many years as a house-hold relieve for intermittent fevers and jaundice. More than half of all herbal preparations used to relieve liver ailments contain this herb.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA

Andrographis Paniculata plant grows in forests and plains throughout India, especially South-India and other Tropical Asian regions. It thrives in moist and shady places.

It stands erect with dark-green stems and can reach up to one meter in height. It has long, glabrous leaves and whitish to pale-pink flowers with purple or brownish blotches. The tree bears oblong, yellowish-brown capsules containing many seeds.

The plant as a whole, and its roots and leaves separately are utilized in herbal preparations. These herbal remedies are available in capsule, oil, and decoction and tablet forms.

THERAPEUTIC USE OF ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA

Andrographis is often used to serve as bacteria killing agent, astringent, fever reducer, painkiller and management for worms. Andrographis Paniculata is also used in an ayurvedic preparation called, ‘switradilepa’ which is used in the management of vitiligo.

SOME THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA ARE:

  • Andrographis Paniculata has been used for many years to relieve jaundice and liver disorders.
  • An infusion of the leaves is used for debility and dyspepsia.
  • Tincture of its roots is used as a stimulant and tonic.
  • Its macerated leaves combined with its juice along with other carminative substances like clove, cinnamon and cardamom are manufactured as pills and administered for stomach ailments or gripe in infants.

The roots and leaves are also used as febrifuge, alterative, antiseptic, astringent, antipyretic, antispasmodic, stomachic and arthelmintic anodyne.

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION

Andrographis Paniculata contains many components which are responsible for its therapeutic properties like:

  • Diterpenes: The main component of Andrographis Paniculata is ‘Diterpenes’. One of its main ingredients is Andrographolide and its various derivatives. It also contains andropanoside, andrographiside, panicolin and andrographin. .
  • Flavonoids: Andrographis Paniculata contains many types of flavonoids. .

CARE OF AILMENTS

Therapeutic effectiveness of Andrographis Paniculata has been established after conducting numerous experimentations. Managements for various disorders using Andrographis Paniculata attributable to activities of its components are:

  • Antiviral activity: Dry extract of A.Paniculata is effective in relieving sinusitis and common cold by shortening the duration and decreasing symptoms associated with the condition.
  • Anthelmintic activity: Alcoholic extract from the plant showed activity against Asaris lumbricoides in humans.
  • Anti-diarrheal activity: Experimentation in animals showed that alcoholic extract displayed tremendous activity against diarrhea induced by the E-coli enterotoxins.
  • Anti-malarial activity: Administration of the plant extract lessened parasitic levels depending on the dosage administered.
  • Anti-platelet aggregation activity: Crude extract of the plant inhibited platelet aggregation making them suitable for relieving thrombotic diseases.
  • Antipyretic activity: Experiment on rats conducted by administering juice of the plant orally normalized induced pyrexia conditions proving its efficacy.
  • Antiatherosclerotic activity: Experiments proved that the component, A-Paniculata reduced atherosclerotic-artery-stenosis and restenosis rates.
  • Cardiovascular activity: Experimentation in anaesthetized rats by inducing extracts of A-Paniculata significantly reduced mean arterial blood-pressure.
  • Induction of cell-differentiation: Methanolic extracts from aerial portions of the plant demonstrated potent cell-differentiation inducing activity on cancerous cells in rats.
  • Hepatoprotective activity: A decoction prepared from the plant administered to infectious hepatitis patients showed considerable symptomatic relief with a significant reduction in serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphates, thymol turbidity, SGPT, SGOT and serum globulin part of protein.
  • Hypoglycaemic activity: Water extract averted induced hyper-glycaemia by oral ingestion of glucose by preventing glucose absorption from the gut.
  • Hypotensive activity: Aqueous extract showed a dose-dependent hypotensive effect on systolic blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats.
  • Immuno-modulator activity: Ethanolic extracts and certain isolated compounds induced considerable stimulation of antibodies and non-specific immune responses.
  • Filaricidal activity: Aqueous decoction prepared from the leaves destroyed microbes causing filaria. Injecting the decoction in infected dogs significantly reduced microfilariae levels in its blood.

Some ailments which are relieved using extract from the plant as a whole or separately from its leaves and roots are:

  • Diarrhea.
  • Dhatoora poisoning.
  • Worms from abdomen and eyes.
  • Liver fluke.
  • Holes in hard palate.
  • Glossitis.
  • Constipation.
  • Tuberculosis.
  • Contagious abortion.
  • Pneumonia.
  • Placenta retention.
  • Scabies.
  • Tetanus.

Plant extracts are also used in traditional medicine to relieve malaria, dysentery, gastritis, rabies, pneumonia, enteritis, cholera and pyelonephritis.

SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONARY TIPS WHILE USING ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA

This herb is generally regarded safe for human use. However, it has to be administered either separately or alongside standard management after consultation with an approved practitioner.

PLANET AYURVEDA PRODUCTS

Planet Ayurveda products that use the herb Andrographis Paniculata are:

It is always advisable to consult a medical practitioner before consuming any of the herbs and herbal supplements. We at Planet Ayurveda prescribe medicines and herbal supplements based on the principles of Ayurveda. We use only vegetarian and natural ingredients to manufacture our products. And we proudly claim that we do not believe in testing our products on animals. You can choose a healthy lifestyle by opting for Planet Ayurveda products.