Andrographis paniculata (BURM.F.)WALLICH EX NEES

Family : Acanthaceae

Synonym(s) : Andrographis subspathulata C.B. Clarke, Justica paniculata Burm. f.

English Name : The Creat

Origin : India and Srilanka

Description

It is an erect annual herb. Stem is dark green, quadrangular with longitudinal furrows and wings on the angles of the younger parts and slightly enlarged at the nodes. The leaves are glabrous, dark green, arranged opposite decussate, lanceolate and pinnate. The flowers are small, in lax spreading axillary and terminal racemes or panicles. The capsules are linear-oblong and acute at both ends. The seeds are numerous, sub-quadrate and yellowish brown in colour.

Habitat

Forests and wetlands of Madhya and Uttar Pradesh and southern India; also in Sri Lanka, Java, the West Indies and Mauritius.

Parts Used : Plant, leaf and shoot

Herb Effects

Astringent, anodyne, tonic, alexipharmic, tonic, febrifuge, stomachic, cholagogue, stimulant, aperient, antityphoid, antifungal, protects liver, antidiabetic and cholinergic (plant); lowers blood pressure (leaf); antibacterial (shoot).

Active Ingredients

Andrographolide, neoandrographolide (plant); homoandrographolide, andrographosterol and andrographone (leaf).

Medicinal Use

Fever, stomach problems, diarrhea, dysentery and indigestion (plant decoction); auto-immune disorders, HIV/AIDS, heart disease, insect bites, cholera, diabetes, malaria, tuberculosis, rabies and snakebite.

Dosage

400 mg, 3 times a day.

Contraindication

Although andrographis has been found to be safe in humans, animal studies suggest it may impair fertility.

Reference

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