Love potion and asteracantha longifolia (kokilaksha)...

  seminal trace...Asteracantha longifolia.5:1 Extract...

   Basic Botanical Data Info of Asteracantha Longifolia:

 Latin name Asteracantha longifolia Nees.
 Family Acanthaceae
 Common name:Kuliakhara,Gokulkanta,Chulli,Kokilaksha,Ikshura,Ikshuraka,Hygrophila auriculata,Hygrophila spinosa,Asteracantha longifolia
 Botanical Name:Asteracantha Longifolia Nees

 Common Indian Names of Mokhla (Asteracantha sp.) Languages/Regions Names
 1) Gujarati Ekhara, Gokhran, Talamkhan
 2) Hindi Gokhal Kanta, Gokshura, Talamkhana
 3) Kanarese Kalavankabija, Kolavalike
 4) Marathi Talimakhana, Vikhara
 5) Sanskrit Ikshura, Kak-Kolilaksha, Srigalghant, Vajrakantaka

 Nomenclature:The plant name is available in the following languages. The number in the braket indicates different names of the same plant in that language.
 Language(s) Vernacular Names
 Arabic: talmakhjana.
 Hindi:gokhula-kanta, gokhulakanta, gokshura, gokshura, kailaya, kolsekajhar, tal-makhane-ka-per, tal-makhare-ka-per, talmakhana, talmakhana-ka-pair, tal-makhane-ka-per, tal-makhare-ka-per.
 Kannada: kalavankabija, kolavalike, kolavalike.
 Malayalam: bahel-sohulli, bahelshulli, vayal-chulli, vayalchulli, vayalculli.
 Marathi: talimakhana, vikhara.

 Sanskrit: atichhatra, bhikshu, chhatraka, culli, ikshugandha, ikshugandhaha, ikshura, ikshurah, ikshuraka, ikshuraka, ikshuvalika, iksura, iksuraka, iksurlaghanti, kakekshu, kandekshu, kokilaksha, kokilaksha, kokilakshi, kokilanayana, kshura, kshuraka, kulahaka, pichhila, pikekshana, shrigali, shrinkhali, shuklapushpa, shuraka, trikshura, vajra, vajrakantaka, vajrasthi, vayalkulli, virataru, a, kokilaksa, kokilaksa, kokilaksaka, kokilaksha.
 Tamil: neremulli, nirmalli, nirmulli, nirmulli, mulli, neermulliver, nirmulli, nirumalli, neermulli, nirmulli.
 Telugu: gobbi, neerugobbi, neerugubbi, nirguvi-veru, nirugobbi, niruguviveru.
 Tibetan: ko ki la ksa ka, ko ki la ksa ka, ksu-ra, ko ki la ksa ka.
 Urdu: tal makhana, talmakhana.

 

 Basic Botanical Data Info of Asteracantha Longifolia:
 Plant Description of Asteracantha Longifolia:Kokilaksha
 Phytochemical and Composition:Kokilaksha
 Anti-nociceptive activity of Hygrophila auriculata (Schum) Heine:
 Love potions and asteracantha longifolia (kokilaksha) fruit ointment:
 Research Update:asteracantha longifolia


   Plant Description of Asteracantha Longifolia:Kokilaksha

 It is a robust, erect, annual herb. The stems are sub-quadrangular with thickened nodes; the leaves are oblanceolate, with a yellow spine in its axil; the flowers pale, purple blue, densely clustered in axils; the fruits are oblong, glabrous capsules, 4-8 seeded.
 Habitat:It grows throughout India.
 Principal Constituents:The seeds contain large amount of tenacious mucilage and potassium salts.


   Phytochemical and Composition:Kokilaksha

 Chemical Composition:Alkaloids, Phytosterol, Potassium Salt of Oxalic Acid, Diastase, Protease, Essential Oil
 Herbal Remedy for:Excessive bleeding, Kidney & Gall Stone, Jaundice, Insomnia, Harpiece.
 Indications Key Applications:The roots, leaves and seeds have been used in Indian systems of medicine as diuretics and also employed to cure jaundice, dropsy, rheumatism, anasarca and diseases of the urinogenital tract.


   Anti-nociceptive activity of Hygrophila auriculata (Schum) Heine:

 Hygrophila auriculata (Schum) Heine (syn) Asteracantha longifolia Nees, Acanthaceae was described in ayurvedic literature as Ikshura, Ikshugandha, and Kokilasha. The plant was extensively used in traditional system of medicine for various ailments like rheumatism, inflammation, jaundice, hepatic obstruction, pain, etc. The aqueous extract of aerial parts (HAA) and root(HAR) were screened for its anti-nociceptive property using both chemical and thermal methods of nociception in mice. In chemical method acetic acid writhing test and in thermal methods hot plate and tail flick tests were performed. Both the extracts at doses 100 and 200 mg/kg/p.o inhibited the abdominal constrictions induced by acetic acid and also increased the pain threshold of mice towards the thermal source in a dose dependent manner. The activity exhibited by the extracts was comparable to that of the standard drug aspirin (100 mg/kg/p.o). From the results it was concluded that both extracts exhibited anti-nociceptive activity by central and peripheral mechanism(s).

  Introduction:

 Asteracantha known as Mokhla kanta, is one of the common wasteland weeds in Chhattisgarh. In different Indian languages it is known as Ekharo, Gokhran, Talamkhan (Gujerati), Gokhal Kanta, Gokshura, Talamkhana (Hindi), Kalavanlbija, kolavalike(Canarese),Talimkhana, Vikhara (Marathi), Ikshura,kakkokilaksha,Srigalghant, Vajrokantaka (Sanskrit), Asteracantha longifolia (syn.Hygrophila spinosa) is a stout herb with fasciculate, erect and subquadrangular stem, Leaves are sessile and whorled in verticels of 6 at each node. All leaves are with straight sharp yellow spine in its axil. Flowers are in whorls of 8 (in 4 pairs) at each node. The colour of flower is purple blue (Aghrakar, 1991). During the floristic surveys by the team of Society For Parthenium Management (SOPAM) flowered variety of this useful weed was observed. The occurrence of this rare varity in Chhattisgarh and many parts of India has not been reported in available scientific literatures. Hence, this is a new record of occurrence of white variety of Asteracantha longifolia. To find out the occurrence of this rare variety in different parts of newly born state Chhattisgarh and also to list out the traditional medicinal knowledge about this useful weed, a detailed ethnobotacinal survey was conducted during 2001-2002.

  Material and Methods:

 The detailed ethno-botanical survey was conducted in the Chhattisgarh region. The study was done in selected districts i.e.Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Bastar and Sarguja, From each selected district, two blocks and from each selected block, a random sample of four villages was taken. A proportionate sample of villagers from each selected village was taken to give a total sample size of 1000 respondents. The data were collected with the help of personal interviews according to a well-prepared interview schedule. For knowledge of medicinal uses of Asteracantha, the help of reference literature of Ayurvedic, Homoeopathic, Yunani, Allopathic and other systems of medicine was utilized. The weed was collected during intensive visits to the targeted villages at intervals of 15 days. Visual assessments were made both on crop fields and wastelands.

  Results and Discussion:

 The survey revealed that Asteracantha specially the white flowered variety of Asteracantha is one of the most frequently used herbs in Chhattisgarh for the treatments of many common ailments. In general, the roots, leaves and seeds of common Astracantha are used for the preparation of drug but in Chhattisgarh whole plant is mostly used. The study revealed that the natives of Chhattisgarh are having rich traditional medicinal knowledge about this useful weed. In all selected district, significantly higher frequency was observed in Raipur and Durg districts. In Rajnandgaon and Dhamtari districts rare occurrence was observed. It was noted that the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh prefer white flowered variety of Asteracantha as compared to blue purple flowered variety. According to them, white flowered variety is having higher medicinal properties. The scientific studies for confirmation of these observations by traditional healers, have yet not been conducted in any part of the world. The survey suggested that there is a strong need to conduct studies on this important aspect. Significantly high density of this weed was noted in swampy places. In paddy growing areas, farmers use this weed as first aid measure to stop bleeding from injured parts. According to traditional healers of areas where white flowered variety of Asteracantha occur, the white flowered variety is more effective not only in bleeding but also in healing the wound quickly. In areas where this white variety not occur, the traditional healers are dependent on the areas where it occurs in abundance. The traditional healers of these areas purchase this weed during growing season, dry it and use it round the year. The medicinal properties of this white flowered variety have also not been documented in available scientific literatures. The studies on botany of both of these varieties revealed that morphologically both of the species are identical. Only difference is of the colour of flowers. The detailed studies on different important aspects are in progress.


   Love potions and asteracantha longifolia (kokilaksha) fruit ointment :

  The miscellaneous experiments and recipes (love potions) are as follows:

 If a man mixes the powder of the milk hedge plant, and the Kantaka plant with the excrement of a monkey and the powdered root of the lanjalika plant, and throws this mixture on a woman, she will not love anybody else afterwards.

 If a man thickens the juice of the fruits of the cassia fistula, and the eugenia jambolana by mixing them with the powder of the soma plant, the vernonia anthelmintica, the eclipta prostata, and the lohopa-jihirka, and applies this composition to the yoni of a woman, and then has sexual intercourse with her, his love for her will be destroyed.

 The same effect is produced if a man has connection with a woman who has bathed in the buttermilk of a she-buffalo mixed with the powders of the gopalika plant, the banu-padika plant and the yellow amaranth.

 An ointment made of the flowers of the nauclea cadamba, the hog plum, and the eugenia jambolana, and used by a woman, causes her to be disliked by her husband.

 Garlands made of the above flowers, when worn by the woman, produce the same effect.

 An ointment made of the fruit of the asteracantha longifolia (kokilaksha) will contract the yoni of a Hastini or Elephant woman, and this contraction lasts for one night.

 An ointment made by pounding the roots of the nelumbrium speciosum, and of the blue lotus, and the powder of the plant physalis flexuosa mixed with ghee and honey, will enlarge the yoni of the Mrigi or Deer woman.

 An ointment made of the fruit of the emblica myrabolans soaked in the milky juice of the milk hedge plant, of the soma plant, the calotropis gigantea, and the juice of the fruit of the vernonia anthelmintica, will make the hair white.


 The juice of the roots of the madayantaka plant, the yellow amaranth, the anjanika plant, the clitoria ternateea, and the shlakshnaparin plant, used as a lotion, will make the hair grow.

 An ointment made by boiling the above roots in oil, and rubbed in, will make the hair black, and will also gradually restore hair that has fallen off.

 If lac is saturated seven times in the sweat of the testicle of a white horse, and applied to a red lip, the lip will become white.

 The colour of the lips can be regained by means of the madayantika and other plants mentioned above.

 A woman who hears a man playing on a reed pipe which has been dressed with the juices of the bahupadika plant, the tabernamontana coronaria, the costus speciosus or arabicus, the pinus deodora, the euphorbia antiquorum, the vajra and the Kantaka plant, becomes his slave.

 If food be mixed with the fruit of the thorn apple (dathura) it causes intoxication.

 If water be mixed with oil and the ashes of any kind of grass except the kusha grass, it becomes the colour of milk.

 If yellow myrabolans, the hog plum, the shrawana plant, and the priyangu plant be all pounded together, and applied to iron pots, these pots become red.

 If a lamp, trimmed with oil extracted from the shrawana and priyangu plants, its wick being made of cloth and the slough of the skins of snakes, is lighted, and long pieces of wood placed near it, those pieces of wood will resemble so many snakes.

 Drinking the milk of a white cow who has a white calf at her foot is auspicious, produces fame, and preserves life.

 The blessings of venerable Brahmans, well propitiated, have the same effect.


  Scientific References:

  1.Love potion and asteracantha longifolia (kokilaksha)...