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| Latin Names |
English Name |
Sanskrit Names |
Hindi Name |
| Bacopa
monnieri (Linn.) Wettst. /
Herpestis monnieria (Linn.)
H.B. & K. Scrophulariaceae |
Thyme-Leaved
Gratiola |
Brahmi,
Nira-brahmi |
Brahmi |
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| Habitat |
Commonly growing in marshy
places throughout India, ascending to an altitude of 1,320 m.
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| Morphology
Description (Habit) |
A small, creeping
herb, its stems are obtuse-angular; the leaves are short-petioled,
cuneate to obovate; the capsules are ovoid. It can be easily
grown in damp areas and can be propagated using seeds or vegetatively.
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| Principal
Constituents |
The herb contains
the alkaloids brahmine, herpestine, and a mixture of three bases.
It also contains the saponins, monnierin ; hersaponin, bacoside A
and bacoside B. Other constituents present in the plant are D-mannitol,
betulic acid, ß- sitosterol, stigmasterol and its esters, heptacosane,
octacosane, nonacosane, triacontane, hentriacontane, dotriacontane,
nicotine, 3-formyl-4-hydroxy-2H-pyran, luteolin and its 7-glucoside.
The presence of a-alamine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and serine
is also reported1.
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| Pharmacology |
The saponin, hersaponin,
is reported to possess cardiotonic, sedative and spasmodic properties.
It produced a mild inhibitory effect on the respiration of rat brain
tissue which was partially reduced by LSD-25 and potentiated by 5-HT.
It was also found, as in the case of reserpine, to deplete nor-adrenaline
and 5-HT content of the rat brain. An alcoholic extract of the plant,
in a dose of 50mg/kg, produced a tranquilizing effect on albino rats
and dogs but the action was weaker than that produced by chlorpromazine.
An ethanolic extract (50%) of the plant exhibited anticancer activity
against the Walker carcinosarcoma 256 in rats. The administration
of an aqueous suspension of an alcoholic extract (40mg/kg, p.o.) for
three or more days is reported to improve the performance of rats
in various learning situations2.
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| Indications |
The entire plant constitutes the
well-known drug Brahmi. It is astringent, bitter and cooling, and,
is reported to improve the intellect. It is used in indigenous systems
of medicine for the treatment of asthma, hoarseness, insanity, epilepsy
and as a potent nerve tonic, cardiotonic and diuretic. A clinical
report showed that this drug is an anti-anxiety agent having adaptogenic
effect. It exhibits a barbiturate hypnosis-potentiating effect in
albino rats. The leaves are also useful as a diuretic and aperient.
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