Botanical Name :Adhatoda vasica, Justicia adhatoda
Sanskrit name : Vasaka
English Name : Malabar nut
Family : Acanthaceae

Plant Parts Used : Leaves

Description of Adhatoda vasica:
It is a small evergreen, subherbacious bush. The Leaves are 10 to 16 cms in length, minutely pubescent and broadly lanceolate. The inflorescence is dense, short pedunculate, bractate and spike terminal. The corolla is large and white with lower lip streaked purple. The fruit is a 4-seeded small capsule.

Traditional uses: The plant is recommended for a variety of ailments such as bronchitis, asthma, fever, jaundice etc. The leaves & roots are efficacious in coughs, arthritis, diarrhoea & dysentery and have the best haemostatic quality. Leaves are anti-inflammatory, analgesic, effective in skin disorders, cardiotonic. This is one of the most potent anti tuberculosis drug. Vasicine is also reported for its anthelmintic and weak hypotensive activity.

Phytochemistry: The major bioactive constituent of Adhatoda vasica is a pyrralazoquinoline alkaloid – vasicine. The other alkaloids include vasicol, adhatonine, vasicinone, vasicinol, vasicinolone etc. The other constituents include aliphatic hydroketones viz., 37-hydroxyhexateracont-1-en-15-one and 37-hydroxy hentetracontan-19-one; common phytosterols viz., a-sitosterol and its D-glucose.

Pharmacology: Adhatoda vasica has been evaluated for various pharmacological activities. Adhatoda vasica has been found to be potent bronchodilator and expectorant.  Adhatoda vasica is also reported to have abortifacient, uterotonic, antimycobaterial, wound healing, hypotensive, myocardial depressant and hypoglycemic activity.

Marker constituents: Vasicine & Vasicinone.

Main uses: Bronchodilator, expectorant, uterotonic.

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