Botanical Name

Achyranthes Aspera

Family

Amaranthaceae

Sanskrit

Apamargah, Mayoorah,

Markatapippalee, Durgrahah

English

Prickly Chaff-Flower Plant

Hindi

Circita

Kannada

Uttaranee

Malayalam

Vankadaladi

Telugu

Apamargamu, Uttaranene.

Tamil

Nayurvi

Marathi

Aghada, Pandhara Agahada.

Apamarga is widely used as medicinal purposes especially as diuretics and even used for obstetrics and gynecology purposes and it are having symptomatic healing effect in malaria fever.

Distribution

It Is Distributed Throughout The Tropical World.

Parts Used

Seed, Leaf, Roots. Whole Plant Or Panchanga.

Dose

Swarasa 10 To 20 Ml. Kshara 1⁄2 To 2 Grams.

Chemical Constituents

Ecdysone, ecdysterone, inokosterone, oleanic acid and glycoside from roots, saponin a and b from seeds alongwith hentriacontane, achyranthine and betaine from the whole plant. Contains triterpenoid saponins with oleanolic acid.

Ayurvedic Properties

Quality (Guna)

Laghu, Ruksha, Tikshan.

Taste (Rasa)

Katu, Tikt.

Metabolism (Vipaka)

Katu

Potency (Virya)

Ushna

Impact (Prabhava)

Yakrit

Pharmacological Action

  • Apamarga plants are having abortificant activity as n-butanol extract is having contraceptive efficiency in researchs.
  • As apamarga has diuretic property that helps to treat urinary calculi and urinary tract infections.
  • Spasmolytic effect of apamarga is helpful for certain painful conditions.
  • Hypoglycaemic property of apamarga is helpful in controlling diabetes.
  • Antimicrobicidal and antifungal properties of apamarga are helpful in treating skin ailments.
  • Vasodilator property and cardiac depressant, cardiac stimulant, properties of apamarga is helpful in treating various cardiac ailments.

Therapeutic Uses

  • Plant pacifies vitiated vata, kapha, asthma, bronchitis, flatulence, painful inflammations, vomiting, skin diseases, renal and vesical calculi.
  • A special medicine is prepared out of whole plant burnt ash called as panchanga kshara which is having diuretic properties, and also healing and disinfectant activity, and even pacifies pain.
  • Freshly pounded leaves of apamarga leaves are helpful to prevent ulcers externally.
  • Medicated oil prepared with the help of apamarga extracts are useful for preventing earpain. Apamarga extracts are also helpful in nasya (one of the panchakarma). Apamarga preparations are also helpful in anorectal disorders.
  • Apamarga is indicated in ascitis, gastrointestinal disorders, hepatosple enomegaly conditions.
  • As apamarga extracts are having spasmolytic activities it is helpful in treating abdominal disorders.
  • As apamarga is having antibiotic property, it is helpful in treating liver disorders.
  • Blood Purifier.
  • Cough.
  • Birth Related Disorders.

Some Of The Common Formulations

  • Apamarga kshara.
  • Agasthya haritaki rasyana.
  • Abhaya lavan.
  • Misraka sneha.
  • Maha panchagavya gritha.
  • Maha vishgarbha tailam