ADHATODA VASICA
(VASA)
Botanical Name: Adhatoda vasica, Justicia adhatoda
Family: Acanthaceae
Common names: Adatodai, Arusa, Vasaka, Adulsa, Adathoda, Adalodakam, Adusoge, Lions Muzzle, Stallions Tooth
Vernacular names:
Hindi- Adusa, English- Malabar Nut, Punjabi- Vamsa, Marathi- Adulsa, Telugu- Addasaramu, Tamil- Eidhabad, Bengali- Bakas, Gujarati- Araduso
Synonyms: Atarusa, Bhisagatma, Vasika, Vrsa, Simhasya, Simhi
Classcal Categorization :
Caraka: Tikta skandha
Susruta: –
Vagbhata: Durvadigana
General Discription:
Adhatoda is a well known herb which have been used extensively in Ayurvedic Medicine for over 2000 years,mainly for respiratory disorders. It is also used for bleeding disorders and febrile illness.
Properties:
Rasa: Tikta, Kashaya
Guna: Ruksha, Laghu
Veerya: Shita
Vipaka: Kattu
Karma: Kapha-Pittahara, Hrdya, Svarya
Origin:
A small evergreen, sub-herbacious bush which grows commonly in open plains, especially in the lower Himalayas (up to 1300 meters above sea level), India, Sri Lanka, Burma and Malaysia. This plant is also cultivated in other tropical areas. It grows well in low moisture areas and dry soils.
Botanical description:
Adhatoda vasica is a small, evergreen, dense shrub with elliptic or lanceolate, acuminate leaves.
Flowers- are white in colour with streaked purple lower lip., deeply five lobed, stamens gre glabrous.
Fruits- four seeded small capsules.
Seeds- are glabrous.
The flowers and fruits of Vasa appear during Februray- May.
Parts Used: Leaves, Roots, Flowers and Stem bark are used for medicinal purposes.
Major Chemical Constituents:
The chief principle present in Vasa is the quinazoline alkaloid, Vasicine. This herb also contains several other alkaloids such as vasicinine, b-sitosterol, kaempferol, vasicinolone, vasicol, peganine etc.
Pharamacology:
The alakalois vasicine has bronchodilatory and antihistaminic properties. The Uterotonic stimulant activity and moderate hypotensive activity of the alkaloids have also been reported. The leaves are a rich source of vitamin C and carotene and yield an essential oil.Vasicine also exhibited strong respiratory stimulant activity and cardiac-depressant effect.
Indications:
Swasa (chronic bronchitis, asthma)
Kasa (cold, sore throat, cough, whooping cough)
Jwara
Chardi
Prameha
Kshaya (tuberculosis)
Pandu
Raktpitta
Pyorrhoea and in bleeding gums(local application)
Therapeutic uses:
Vasa is a Expectorant (an agent that promotes the discharge of mucous and secretions from the respiratory passages)
Bronchodilator, Antiasthmatic
An Antispasmodic (an agent which relieves or eases muscular spasms, cramps or convulsions)
Antitussive (an agent that relieves coughing)
Oxytocic (an agent that stimulates contraction of the uterine muscle, facilitating or speeding up childbirth)
Uterotonic (an agent that tones, strengthens and invigorates the uterus or the entire organism giving a feeling of well-being)
It acts as a sedative, a bronchial antiseptic and is used in treating other lung and bronchiole disorders.Adhatoda vasica has also been used to speed delivery during childbirth.
The flowers of vasa are Kapha-pitta hara thus these are useful in treating various respiratory disorders. It is used to control bleeding conditions like menorrhagia (excessive menstrual bleeding), postpartum (after childbirth) hemorrhage and assists uterine involution.
The hypotensive activity of the alkaloids present in this herb are useful in lowering blood pressure and other pulmonary diseases. It also is useful in Dyspepsia, intermittent fever, typhus fever and also in local bleeding due to peptic ulcer and piles (hemorrhoids).
Large doses may cause
Diarrhoea
Irritation of the alimentary canal
Vomiting, in some people.
Dosage:
0.5-1.5g/day dried root
1-3mL/day fluid extract
Imporatant Preparations:
Vasavlehya : 6-12 g b.d.
Vasarishta : 15 ml t.i.d.
Vasasvarasa : 10-20 ml b.d.
Vasadigutika : 250-500 mg t.i.d.
Vasaghrita : 6-12 g b.d.
Vasakhanda : 6-12 g b.d