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Botanical Name :
Evolvulus alsinoides
Sanskrit Name:
Vishnugrandi, Vishnukrantha
English Name :
Slender Dwarf Morning Glory
Family : Convolvulaceae (Morning Glory
Family)
Description of
Evolvulus alsinoides:
A perennial herb with a small woody and
branched rootstock. Its branches are annual, numerous, more than
30 cm long, often prostrate, slender and wiry with long hairs.
Leaves are small, entire, elliptic to oblong, obtuse, apiculate,
base acute and densely hairy. Petiole is minute or nearly
absent. Bracts are linear and persistent. Flowers are blue,
solitary and rarely 2 from a bract. Peduncle is long and
axillary. Calyx 4 is lobed, lanceolate and the tip acute.
Capsule is globose and 4 valved. Seeds are 4 and glabrous.
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Principal Constituents:
Betaine and a water-soluble base are identified. Extract shows
positive results for sterols other than phenols, tannins,
carbohydrates, proteins and aminoacids. Evoline, an alkaloid can
also be identified from the whole plant.
Pharmacology:
A water-soluble fraction has its
effect on pithed frog heart and on isolated rabbit intestinal
loop. It also decreased the heart rate and force of cardiac
arrest in diastole. The herb constitutes one of the
ingredients of the herbal sychotropic preparation BR-16A (Mentat)
useful in the management of nervous disorders. Prolonged
administration of Mentat did not exhibit any adverse effects.
Mentat has been found to possess non-tropic action and
facilitates learning and memory in studies in mice. It is a
valuable adjuvant to commonly used antiepileptic drugs. Mentat
is a safe non-analgesic herbal reparation, which can be used in
the treatment of opiate addiction. It is also effective in
combating withdrawal reaction to chronic administration of
ethanol. A decoction of the herb is given as blood purifier.
Indication:
It is a bitter tonic, febrifuge and vermifuge and used in
dysentery. Cigarettes made of leaves are smoked in chronic and
bronchitis and asthma. It is used as anthelmintic and anti-phlogistic.
It is also used with hair oil for promoting growth of hair.
Herbal Extract packing:
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