Boerhavia diffusa Sw.
Local name: Punarnava
English Name: Red
spiderling
Family:
Nyctaginaceae
Habitat: It is widely distributed throughout Bangladesh, India,
Asia, Africa, the Pacific, and southern United States.
Plant Description: It is a large diffuse
herb with long prostrate. Leaves are 1.25-5 cm long, thick, and
broadly ovate, usually white beneath. Flowers are usually small pink in color.
Plant parts used:
Leaves, Roots
Chemical constituents:
The active constituent
of the plant is a mixture of alkaloids ‘punarnavine’. The plant also contains
inorganic salts as potassium nitrate, potassium sulphate and chlorides, ursolic
acids, β-sitrosterol, fatty acids such as stearic acid, and xanthine
derivatives.
The roots contain
alkaloids (0.05%) triacontanol hentriacontane, β-sitosterol, ursolic acids
5,7-dihydroxy-3,4-dimethoxy-6, 8-dimethyl flavones, glucose, fructose, sucrose,
ecdysone and hypoxanthine-9-arabinoside.
Medicinal and Traditional Uses:
Punarnava is diuretic,
useful in nephrotic syndrome, chronic oedema and liver diseases. It is very
useful in skin disease like scabies. It is considered as a cure for guinea
worms. Punarnava is widely used to rejuvenate liver and detoxify it. It is
useful in jaundice or hepatitis. It is combined with other herbal ingredients used
for treating anemia.
