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E-HERBARIA
- Name : Apamarg
- English Name :Prickly chaff Flower
- Scientific Name :Achyranthes aspera
Habitat:
Apamarg consists of dried whole plant of Achyranthes aspera Linn. (Fam. Amaranthaceae); a stiff, erect, 0.3-0.9 m high herb, found commonly as a weed throughout India up to 900 m.1
Morphology Description (Habit):
Root - Cylindrical tap root, slightly ribbed, 0.1-1.0 cm in thickness, gradually tapering, rough due to presence of some root scars, secondary and tertiary roots present, yellowish-brown; odour, not distinct.
Stem - 0.3 - 0.5 cm in cut pieces, yellowish-brown, erect, branched, cylindrical, hairy, solid, hollow when dry.
Leaf - Simple, subsessile, exstipulate, opposite, decussate, wavy margin, obovate, slightly acuminate and pubescent due to the presence of thick coat of long simple hairs.
Flower - Arranged in inflorescence of long spikes, greenish-white, numerous, sessile, bracteate with two bracteoles, one spine lipped, bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous; perianth segments 5,free, membranous, contorted or quincuncial, stamens 5, opposite, the perianth lobes, connate forming a membranous tube-like structure, alternating with truncate and fimbriate staminodes, filament short; anther, two celled, dorsifixed; gynoecium bicarpellary, syncarpous; ovary superior, unilocular with single ovule; style, single; stigma, capitate.
Fruit - An indehiscent dry utricle enclosed within persistent, perianth and bracteoles,
Seed - Sub-cylindric, truncate at the apex, round at the base, endospermic, brown.1
Parts Used:
Whole Plant, Root
Phytochemistry:
Saponins
As per Ayurveda:
Rasa (Taste) : Pungent, bitter
Guna (Property) : Sharp
Veerya (Potency) : Hot
Vipaka (End Result) : Pungent
Pharmacological Actions:
As per Ayurveda, Apamarg is Vatakaphahara; its primary pharmacological actions are summarized as under:
Central Nervous System:
i. Exerts anxiolytic effect.2
Digestive System:
i. Exhibits significant gastroprotective activity, which may be due to presence of phyto-constituents like flavanoids, saponins and tannins.3
Endocrinal System:
i. Exerts antioxidant and antihyperglycemic activities.4
ii. Achyranthes aspera leaf extract is both prothyroidic and antiperoxidative in nature.5
Cardiovascular System:
i. The seeds have been observed to significantly suppress the increase in body, retroperitoneal adipose tissue, liver weights, and serum parameters, namely; total cholesterol, total triglyceride, and LDL-cholesterol level post high-fat diet. The anti obesity effects may be partly mediated through delaying the intestinal absorption of dietary fat by inhibiting pancreatic amylase and lipase activity.6
Urinary System:
i. Exerts renoprotective effect; helps prevent and reduce the growth of urinary calculi; maintains renal functions and reduces renal injury.7
Skin and Hair:
i. The leaves exhibit significant antifungal activity.8
ii. The leaves accelerate the process of wound healing.9
iii. Exerts anti-nociceptive activity.10
Others:
i. Possesses anti-HSV (herpes simplex virus) activity.11
Indications:
Urinary tract Calculi
Renal (Kidney) disorders
Seeds - Obesity
Leaves - Skin ulcers and infections
References:
1. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part-1, Vol-2.
2. Barua CC, Talukdar A, Begum SA, Borah P, Lahkar M. Anxiolytic activity of methanol leaf extract of Achyranthes aspera Linn in mice using experimental models of anxiety. Indian J Pharmacol. 2012 Jan;44(1):63-7.
3. Das AK, Bigoniya P, Verma NK, Rana AC. Gastroprotective effect of Achyranthes aspera Linn. leaf on rats. Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2012 Mar;5(3):197-201.
4. Talukder FZ, Khan KA, Uddin R, et al. In vitro free radical scavenging and anti-hyperglycemic activities of Achyranthes aspera extract in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Drug Discov Ther. 2012 Dec;6(6):298-305.
5. Tahiliani P, Kar A. Achyranthes aspera elevates thyroid hormone levels and decreases hepatic lipid peroxidation in male rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2000 Aug;71(3):527-32.
6. Rani N, Sharma SK, Vasudeva N. Assessment of Antiobesity Potential of Achyranthes aspera Linn. Seed. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:715912.
7. Aggarwal A, Singla SK, Gandhi M, Tandon C. Preventive and curative effects of Achyranthes aspera Linn. extract in experimentally induced nephrolithiasis. Indian J Exp Biol. 2012 Mar;50(3):201-8.
8. Kalaivanan C, Chandrasekaran M, Venkatesalu V. Screening of selected medicinal plants for in vitro antidermatophytic activity. J Mycol Med. 2013 Dec;23(4):247-54.
9. Fikru A, Makonnen E, Eguale T, et al. Evaluation of in vivo wound healing activity of methanol extract of Achyranthes aspera L. J Ethnopharmacol. 2012 Sep 28;143(2):469-74.
10. Barua CC, Talukdar A, Begum SA, et al. Antinociceptive activity of methanolic extract of leaves of Achyranthes aspera Linn. (Amaranthaceae) in animal models of nociception. Indian J Exp Biol. 2010 Aug;48(8):817-21.
11. Mukherjee H, Ojha D, Bag P, et al. Anti-herpes virus activities of Achyranthes aspera: an indian ethnomedicine, and its triterpene acid. Microbiol Res. 2013 May 6;168(4):238-44.