Role of Plants

1. Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex. Nees

Family   : Acanthaceae

Names :  Hindi              - Kaalmegha

                  Sanskrit           - Kalpanaatha

                  English              - The Creat

                  Bengali               - Kaalmegha

                  Marathi              - Olikiryata

                  Gujarati              - Lilu kriyaatu

                   Tamil                  - Nilavendu

                  Trade name    - Kaalmegha

Description: An erect branched annual herb, branches sharply four angled. Leaves lance-shaped. Flowers small, in large, spreading and sparse bunches. Flowers rose- coloured, about 1 cm long. Fruit capsular, 1.5-2 cm.

Distribution: The plant occurs throughout India, chiefly in the plains.

Parts used: Whole herb.

Chemical compounds: Bitter principle, kalmeghin flavone, essential oil etc.

Properties: Root and leaves are stomachic, tonic, antipyretic (lower fever), alterant, anthelmentic, febrifuge (Any drug which mitigates or removes fever) and cholagogue.

Forms of Use: Tincture, poultice (a soft medicated and usually heated mass applied to the body and kept in place with muslin etc. for relieving soreness and inflammation), juice.

Medicinal Uses

It is reported to be a powerful drug for liver and allied complaints. Decoction or infusion of the leaves gives good results in sluggish liver. It is a major constituent of Switraadi lepa, an effective drug for Vitilago, Kaalmegha navayas churna and Kaalmegha aasava.

Other Uses

Kaalmegha is a bitter tonic, it is useful in curing fever, worms, dysentery, general weakness and excessive gas formation in stomach and indigestion. Tribals of Bastar (M.P) pound the plant in mustard oil and apply on itching.

Doses

Infusion 10-15 m1; functions 3-5 ml. Juice of leaves and stems 1 to 4 ml.

2. Phyllanthus niruri, Auctlnon Linn.

Family           :            Euphorbiaceae

Names          :             Hindi           - Jar amla or Jangli amla

                                    Sanskrit       - Bhumyamlaki

                                    English         -Niruri

                                    Tamil           -Kizhkay neli

                                    Bengali        -Bhuinamla

                                   Kannada      -Kirunelli

                                  Trade name  -Bhuiaamla

Distribution: Throughout the northern parts of India.

Parts used: Whole herb.

Description: An annual weed 2ft high, leaves small, alternate, arranged in two rows, membranous, usually thin and glaucous under surface, elliplic, narrow at the base, stipules two. Flowers very small, monoecious, in pairs in the axils of leaves capsule, globose, slightly depressed at the top with six ridges.

Form of Use: Infusion, powder, juice, decoction (extraction of the essence of a substance by boiling in water).

Properties: Diuretic, astringent, cooling, laxative (helps in evacuation of -bowel) and bitter tonic.

Chemical Compounds: Alkaloids, bitter, compounds, lignans, flavones.

Medicinal Uses

(a) Liver and related diseases

1. It is found to be effective in the treatment of infective hepatitis without any side effects. It is useful in all liver and related troubles viz., malfunctioning of spleen, gall bladder, liver and pancreas to the extent that it is found to be hypoglycemic. It provides solo cure for jaundice and no other plant is needed.

2. The fresh root is given in jaundice and aqueous extract of leaves inactivate the hepatitis B.

3. A dosage of 50 mg/kg in 3 divided daily dosage has been claimed to be effective in the treatment of infective hepatitis. In majority of cases while disappearance of (1) jaundice hepatitis of tenderness and (2) bile salts and pigments from urine is observed after a week It takes two weeks more to clear almost all the symptoms following improvement in general condition and appetite.

4. The juice of P. niruri is famous remedy for all types of jaundice.

(b) Other Uses

Decoction of the herb is given for dropsical disorders, gonorrhoea (an inflammatory disease of the genitourinary passage), constipation, stomach ache, dyspepsia (difficulty in digestion) and dysentery. The juice of the plant is an efficacious dressing for offensive sores, mixed with some bland oil, the juice is used in ophthalmia (conjunctivitis or inflammation of eyes). The young leaves are useful in the milder forms of intermittent fevers; boiled in milk, they are given in dropsical disorders and urinary complaints.

A poultice of the leaves made with rice water is applied to ulcers or edematous swelling and is used for the treatment of itch and scabies and other skin diseases. The fresh roots with rice water is given in menorrhagia (excessively pro- fuse discharge of the menses, or their excessive prolongation) and in galactagogue (producing milk or increasing the secretion of it).

Doses

Infusion 10-20 mI.

Powder 1 to 2 g.

3. Picrorhiza kurroa, RoxIe ex Benth.

Family         :            Scrophul ariaceae

Name          :            Hindi      - Kutu kasohini

                                   Sanskrit                 - Katula

                                    English                  - Picrohiza root

                                   Bengali                  - Kataki

                                Gujarati                - Kadu

                                Marathi                - Kutaki

                              Trade name      - Karu; Kutari

Description: The herb is more or less hairy, with perennial woody, bitter rhizome 15 to 25 cm long clothed with dry leaf bases. Leaves spathulate serrate, 5 to 10 cm long, rather coriaceous with rounded tips, and the base is narrowed into winged sheathing petioles. Flowers small, in spikes, bracteate bracts-oblong or lanceolate, as long as the calyx. Sepals 5, lanceolate 6mm long, ciliate, flowers dimorphic. They are of two kinds: Some have a 8mm long filament, others have 2 cm long filaments. Fruits 1 to 3 cm long. The rhizomes of the plant are cylindrical with an average diameter of 2 cm.

Distribution: A perennial herb, found in alpine Himalayas from Kashmir to Sikkim at altitudes of 9000- 12000 ft.

Parts used: Dried rhizome.

Properties: Stomachic, laxative, cathartic (having a purging or relating to purgation), antiperiodic (acting against the periodic recurrence of a disease) i.e, antimalarial, cholagogue (promoting the flow of bile).

Chemical Compounds: Flavone, saponin, alkaloids, sterols.

Medicinal Uses

(a) Liver and related diseases

The root is also used in diseases of liver and spleen including jaundice and anaemia.

Its solo preparation picrolive alone works wonder for liver dysfunction and allied diseases.

In clinical studies on patients of infective hepatitis with jaundice, P. Kurroe was reported to have led to a rapid fall in serum bilirubin (a deep yellow coloured compound whose formation increases in jaundice) levels toward normal range and quicker clinical recovery with no side effects.

A more potent preparation may work in better way if all three plants A. paniculate.: P. niruri and P. kurroae are mixed together as herbal cure for all hepato-biliary dysfunctions.

(b) Other Uses

A study claimed that P. kurroa led to beneficial results in the management of bronchial asthma. The drug is also reported to produce marked reduction of serum cholesterol and coagulation time. Roots are used in dyspepsia and fever.

Dose

Powder as a tonic-1 to 1.5 g.

Other Useful Plants

Boerhavia diffusa (Punamava). Increases the liver ATP phosphodrolase activity and is useful in jaundice and inflammatory conditions.

Capparis spinosa (Kabra). Very useful as a biliary deobstructive, in liver disorder and enlarged spleen.

Cassia augustifolia (Sanai). It is also a liver stimulant and powerful laxative.

Cinchorium intybus (Kasni). Useful in liver, spleen enlargement and gall ailments.

Emblica officinallis (Amla). It has cooling effect on liver and is effective in jaundice.

Foeniculum vulgare (Soya). Useful in spleen trouble.

Fumaria officinalis (Pitpapra). Stops wandering of mind, good for the diseases of spleen, dyspepsia due to torpor of the liver.

Solanum nigrum (Makoi). Helpful in correcting acute and chronic enlargement of liver and useful in the cirrhosis.

Swertia chirata (Chiraita). Useful in liver trouble and allied complaints.

Taraxacum officinala (Kanphool). Has a specific action on cholecystitis (inflammation of the gall bladder) and is thought to have a lithontriptic action on hepatic calculi. It also increases the flow of bile.

Tephrosia purpurea (Surphonka). Useful in disorder of spleen and liver.

Terminalia chebula (Harr). Is also recommended in spleen and liver disorders.

People with torpid liver or sluggish biliary function are sometimes advised to undergo a special cure based on eating grapes. As it is understood that some ailments of liver can be corrected easily by taking sugar / glucose i.e. by drinking a glass of sharbat or two daily.

Medicines

Ayurvedic               -Liv-52, Stimuliv, Eladi Churna .

Un ani                     -Jawarish Amla, Kushta Jamrud, Kushta Faulad

Homeopathic        - Livotex, Chelidonium-30, 3 times daily.