Habitat
In damp places in Bengal, U.P., eastern and southern parts of India.

Morphology Description (Habit)
A delicate, slender sedge. The plant produces deep brown tubers with aromatic odor.

Principal Constituents
Steam distillation of the tubers yields 0.075-0.080% of an essential oil (Basu, loc. cit.).

 
Pharmacology
Intravenous administration of hydro-methanolic extract of C.scariosus (3-10mg/kg) produced hypotensive and bradycardiac effects. These effects remained unaltered in atropinized animals indicating that cardiovascular effects of the plant extract are not mediated through activation of muscarinic receptors. In the in vitro studies, it suppressed the spontaneous contractions of guinea-pig paired atria, rat uterus and rabbit jejunum in a concentration-dependent (0.1-1mg/ml) manner. It also inhibited histamine or acetylcholine-induced contractions of guinea-pig ileum indicating non-specific spasmolytic action. In rabbit aorta, it inhibited norepinephrine (10 micro M) as well as K+ (80mN)-induced contractions at similar concentrations (0.1-1mg/ml). C.scariosus has been reported to contain Ca2+ channelblocker-like constituent(s), which explained hypotensive effect observed in vivo and the general spasmolytic activity of plant explains its folkloric use in diarrhea¹.

The oil of C.scariosus roots was found to have potent anti-inflammatory activity in a dose of 100mg/kg intraperitonially in rats against carrageenan-induced edema, adjuvant arthritis and cotton pellet-induced inflammation. The activity of the extract was comparable with phenylbutazone 100mg/kg orally and hydrocortisone acetate 5mg/kg, intraperitonially. The activity was found to be comparable to that of hydrocortisone acetate².

Indications
The tubers are credited with astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, dessicant, cordial and stomachic properties. A decoction of the tuber is used for washing hair, treating gonorrhea and syphilis. It is also given in diarrhea and for general weakness.

1. Gilani, A.H. et. al., Archives of Pharmacol Research, 1994, v., 17(3), 145-149.
2. Gupta, S.K. et. al., Ind. J. Pharmac., 1971, 3, 11; Ind. J. Exptl. Biol., 1972, 10, 41.