| Latin Names |
English Names |
Sanskrit Names |
Hindi Names |
Bacopa monnieri (Linn.) Wettst. / Herpestis
monnieria (Linn.) H.B. & K. Scrophulariaceae.
|
Thyme-Leaved Gratiola |
Brahmi,
Nira-brahmi |
Brahmi |
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 Habitat
Commonly growing in marshy places throughout India,
ascending to an altitude of 1,320 m.
Morphology Description (Habit)
A small, creeping herb, its stems are
obtuse-angular; the leaves are short-petioled, cuneate to
obovate; the capsules are ovoid. It can be easily grown in
damp areas and can be propagated using seeds or vegetatively.
Principal Constituents
The herb contains the alkaloids brahmine, herpestine, and a
mixture of three bases. It also contains the saponins,
monnierin ; hersaponin, bacoside A and bacoside B. Other |
constituents present in the plant are D-mannitol, betulic
acid, ß- sitosterol, stigmasterol and its esters,
heptacosane, octacosane, nonacosane, triacontane,
hentriacontane, dotriacontane, nicotine,
3-formyl-4-hydroxy-2H-pyran, luteolin and its 7-glucoside.
The presence of a-alamine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and
serine is also reported1.
Pharmacology
The saponin, hersaponin, is reported to possess cardiotonic,
sedative and spasmodic properties. It produced a mild
inhibitory effect on the respiration of rat brain tissue
which was partially reduced by LSD-25 and potentiated by
5-HT. It was also found, as in the case of reserpine, to
deplete nor-adrenaline and 5-HT content of the rat brain. An
alcoholic extract of the plant, in a dose of 50mg/kg,
produced a tranquilizing effect on albino rats and dogs but
the action was weaker than that produced by chlorpromazine.
An ethanolic extract (50%) of the plant exhibited anticancer
activity against the Walker carcinosarcoma 256 in rats. The
administration of an aqueous suspension of an alcoholic
extract (40mg/kg, p.o.) for three or more days is reported
to improve the performance of rats in various learning
situations2.
Indications
The entire plant constitutes the well-known drug Brahmi. It
is astringent, bitter and cooling, and, is reported to
improve the intellect. It is used in indigenous systems of
medicine for the treatment of asthma, hoarseness, insanity,
epilepsy and as a potent nerve tonic, cardiotonic and
diuretic. A clinical report showed that this drug is an
anti-anxiety agent having adaptogenic effect. It exhibits a
barbiturate hypnosis-potentiating effect in albino rats. The
leaves are also useful as a diuretic and aperient.
References
- Chopra et. al., ibid, 1967, 5, 84; Chatterjii et. al.,
ibid, 1963, 1, 212; 1965, 3, 24; Sastry et. al., Indian J
Pharm, 1959, 21, 303; Kulshreshtha & Rastogi,
Phytochemistry, 1973, 12, 2074; Chandel et. al., ibid,
1977, 16, 141; Kawai & Shibata, ibid, 1978, 17, 287;
Schulte et. al., ibid, 1972, 11, 2649; Brown & Chakravarti,
Bull Calcutta Sch trop Med, 1963, 11, 57
- Malhotra & Das, Indian J med Res, 1959, 47, 294;
Dhalla et. al., ibid, 1961, 49, 781; Ganguly & Malhotra,
ibid, 1967, 55, 473; Malhotra et. al., J Pharm Pharmacol,
1961,13, 447; Aithal & Sirsi, Indian J Pharm, 1961, 23, 2;
Bhakuni et. al., Indian J exp Biol, 1969, 7, 261; Singh &
Dhawan, J Ethnopharmacol, 1982, 5, 205
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