Kalmegh
| Kalmegh | ||||||||||||
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Andrographis paniculata |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Andrographis paniculata | ||||||||||||
| ( Burm.f. ) Wall. ex Nees |
Kalmegh ( Andrographis paniculata (Burm. F.) Wall. Ex Nees , Syn .: Justicia paniculata Burm. F. ) Is a species of the acanthus family (Acanthaceae). Trivial names in other languages are Nepali कालमेघ kālamegha , also "King of Bitters".
It has been part of Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine for centuries . Kalmegh is an adaptogenic medicinal plant . In India it is also called "Indian Echinacea " because of its medicinal properties .
description
Andrographis paniculata is an upright, annual herbaceous plant with square, sharply winged stems in the upper part . The leaves are lanceolate with a wavy edge and a pale underside.
The small flowers are distant in axillary or terminal racemose or paniculate [inflorescences] with lanceolate bracts . The rose-red corolla is two-lipped, with two-toothed upper and two-lobed lower lips.
The capsule fruit is oblong-cylindrical and pointed at the ends. It contains numerous yellowish-brown seeds, the surface of which is rough due to dents. In India, this species blooms in November and December.
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 50.
Occurrence
The natural range of this species is India and Sri Lanka . It is a neophyte in Indochina, Malaysia, China, Mauritius, Central America and the Caribbean.
Effect / application
Traditional use: In Ayurvedic medicine, the plant is used to protect the liver and the respiratory tract. This should have antipyretic and possibly cleansing effects, which weaken the course of the disease and accelerate the resolution of the disease.
Study situation: More recent scientific studies on andrographis prove positive effects in the treatment of colds. Rhinoviruses therefore bind to the Receptor Intercellular Adhesion Molecule (ICAM-1) on the epithelium of the nasopharynx. Cells infected in this way release interleukin-8 (IL-8), which releases inflammatory mediators. The presence of kinins and prostaglandins (inflammation mediators) lead to the classic cold symptoms. The causes are the expansion of the vessels (swelling), greater permeability of the vessel walls (evacuation) and the increase in exocrine gland activity (flushing out). Andrographis is traditionally attributed to an anti-inflammatory effect. In cell models, an inhibition of the inflammation mediators lipoxygenase, prostaglandin E2, leukotrienes B2, interleukin-1β and others was demonstrated. The effects on cough, sputum, nasal complaints, headache, fever, sore throat, earache, fatigue and sleep disorders were tested in several studies and positive results were found. One of the most recent studies was published in Phytomedicine 17 (2010) 178-185. A 1995 study in Thailand could not prove any effect on inflammation of the lower urinary tract. Studies that dealt with the effect on bacterial diarrheal diseases, on the other hand, have shown positive effects.
Experimental pharmacology: In a study published in Thailand in 1990, no effect was found after a possible antibacterial effect with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In a study published in India in 1991, a non-specific immune response was determined in a mouse model by measuring the macrophage migration index, the phagocytosis of (14C) leucine-labeled E. coli and lymphocytes of the spleen. Another finding was that the effect of an extract was stronger than that of andrographolides or neoandrographolides alone. Further studies have dealt with the effect on HI viruses, malaria pathogens, diarrhea pathogens and liver protection.
Caution should be exercised during pregnancy, breastfeeding and known allergies to plants of the Acanthaceae family. Under no circumstances should preparations made from Andrographis be administered intravenously, as a certain potential for anaphylactic shock is to be feared with this administration. Possible synergistic effects with isoniaziden should also be considered.
Consumption of larger amounts can irritate the digestive system and cause discomfort.
Keywords:
- Strengthening the heart and liver
- against sinusitis
- against the hepatitis B virus
- anti-inflammatory
- blood purifying
- in acute and chronic infections
- with a weakened immune system
Individual evidence
- ^ Andrographis paniculata in the Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal
- ↑ Pankaj Oudhia: Bhuinimb or Andrographis paniculata ( Andrographis paniculata Nees.) In the NewCROP ™ Resource Online Program
- ^ Andrographis paniculata at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
- ^ A b Andrographis in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
