MEDICINAL PLANTS OF SIKKIM

 

 

Basic Information

 

 

             Species                       :                       Adhatoda visica Nees.

            Local Name                  :                       Asuru (Nep)

           Synonym                      :                       A. zeylanica Medicus

            Family                          :                       Acanthaceae

            Habitat                        :                       A dense evergreen perennial shrub. The plant

                                                                       is common throughout the plains and

                                                                                                                                   sub- Himalayan tracts up to 1200 m.

Distribution                :                        Distributed in almost throughout India,  particularly in plains of tropical parts.

Sikkim                         :                       Rhenock, Chisopani, Samsing and surrounding forest area.

Out side                      :                       Konkan, Western Ghats of Bombay and Madras Presidencies, Western coast of Madras Residency to

                                                          Travancore, Ceylon -Malaya, Australia, Bhutan.

Morphological information

Evergreen, gregarious perennial shrub, up to 1.5 m tall. Young parts tomentose. Leaves elliptic or elliptic - lanceolate, acuminate at apex. Flowers white, borne in dense spikes. Bracts ovate or obovate, sub acute, puberculous. Calyx deeply 5- lobed; lobes equal, lanceolate. Stamens glabrous; ovary and style base minutely hairy. Fruits 4- seeded capsules. Seeds glabrous tubercular verrucose.

 

Flowering       :

Fruiting           :

History           :

Parts               :           Whole plant, fruits, flowers, leaves and root

Status             :           Low risk, normally introduced in gardens.

 

Phytochemistry

Four new quinazoline alkaloids- vasicoline, adhatadine, vasicoline and anistotine  were isolated, vasidnone from inflorescence.

 

Agrocultivation

The cultivation can be done from seeds or cuttings. Application of sucrose

to the cuttings of A. zeylanica only in a foliated cutting showed stimulatory effect on rooting. Riboflavin proved to be most effective in rooting.

 

Ayurvedic

Leaves are used in many classical preparations of Ayurvedic medicine-some of the important formulations are Vasavleha, Vasakarishta, Vasaka- ghrita, Vasachandani tail, Vasakshar. Vasaka syrup is prepared with vasaka liquid extract 50 ml, glycerol, 10 ml, and syrup to 100 ml given for expectorant at the dose of 2-7 ml.Vasaka liquid prepared by perlocation (1:1) with alcohol (40%) used as expectorant at the dose of 1-2 ml.

Unani

The root is diuretic; useful in bronchitis,asthma,bilious vomiting,sore eyes,fever and gonorrhea.The leaves are emmenagogue;useful in gonorrhea. The flowers improve the circulation of the blood.Lessens strangury and jaundice. The fruit is useful in bronchitis.

Traditional

a) The leaf juice is also useful to cure diarrhoea, dysentery and glandular tumor and is given as emmenagogue.

b) The leaf powder is reported to be useful as poultice on rheumatic joints as counter irritant on inflammatory swellings.

c) The leaves are employed in different forms such as fresh juice, decoction, infusion powder, liquid extract or syrup for the treatment of bronchial infections and given in doses.

Others

The flowers and fruits are bitter, aromatic and antispasmodic. The fresh flowers are used in ophthalmia. It is recommended in the treatment of colds, coughs, asthma, phthisis, rheumatism, malaria and even diphtheria. It is also a valuable antiseptic, antilperiodic and anthelminitic.

 

 

Reference 

1. Anonymous. (1985). The Wealth of India (Vol.1 A). Publications and Information Directorate, CSIR, New Delhi. 76- 78.

2. Chatterjee, Asima; Satyesh Chandra Prakashi (1997). The Treatise on Indian Medicinal Plants (Vol. V). National Institute of Science Communication, New Delhi. 48- 53.

3. Kirtikar, K.R; B.D Basu (1994). Indian Medicinal Plants (Vol. III) Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh. 1899-1902.

4. Progress Report of the Project "Studies on Medicinal Plants of Sikkim" (1998 2001). State Council of Science and Technology for Sikkim.

5. Singh, Janardan, Ashok Sharma, Subash Chandra Singh Sushil Kumar (1999). Medicinal Plants for Bioprospection. Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow. 45- 48.