 |
| Latin Names |
English Name |
Sanskrit Names |
Hindi Names |
Boerhaavia diffusa
Linn. / Boerhaavia repens
Linn. (Nyctaginaceae)
|
Spreading
Hogweed |
Punarnava,
Shothagni
Rakta punarnava, |
Lal Punarnava,
Santh |
|
| Habitat |
It
occurs abundantly as a weed throughout India, up to an altitude
of 2,000 m in the Himalayas. It is also cultivated to some extent
in West Bengal.
|
|
|
| Morphology
Description (Habit) |
A diffusely
branched, pubescent or glabrous, prostrate herb. The rootstock
is stout, fusiform and woody; the stems are creeping, often
purplish, swollen at the nodes; the leaves are long-petioled,
ovate or oblong-cordate, entire or sinuate; the flowers are
red, pink or white, in small umbels; the fruits are ovate, oblong,
pubescent, five-ribbed, glandular anthocarps.
|
|
|
| Principal
Constituents |
The roots contain
alkaloids (0.05%), triacontanol hentriacontane, ß-sitosterol,
ursolic acid, 5,7-dihydroxy-3,4-dimethyoxy-6,8-dimethyl flavone, and
an unidentified ketone (m p 86°). The roots contain the rotenoid
boeravinones AI, BI, C2 , D, E and F besides the new dihydroisofurenoxanthin,
borhavine and an antifibrinolytic agent, punarnavoside. Two lignans,
liriodendrin and syringaresinol mono-ß-D-glucoside, have also
been reported in the roots1.
|
|
| Pharmacology |
The chloroform and
methanol extracts of the roots and aerial parts of B.diffusa exhibited
hepatoprotective activity against carbontetrachloride intoxication
in experimental rats. The rotenoid, steroid and flavone isolated from
the plant exhibited lowering of enzyme GOT2.B.diffusa exhibits
differential effects on the GABA levels in various regions of the
brain of experimental rats3.
The ethanol extract of B.diffusa (BDE) was administered daily in a
dose of 250mg/kg, body weight p.o., to pregnant albino female rats
during the entire period of gestation. BDE was found to be devoid
of any teratogenic effect as litter size and survival rate of fetuses
were the same as for the normal control group and no fetal anomaly
could be detected4.
|
|
| Indications |
The roots are credited with anti-convulsant,
analgesic, alzative, laxative, and expectorant properties. They also
have diuretic and hepatoprotective actions.
|
|
|