Ayurveda

1. ACANTHACEAE FAMILY
DETAILED DRUGS NON-DETAILED
DRUG
• VASA KOKILAKSHA
• SAIREYAK
• KAALMEGHA

2. KAALMEGHA
Botanical Name- Andrographis
paniculata
Hindi Name- कालमेघ, कल्पनाथ
English Name- The creat
Sanskrit name- Karanja
Urdu name- Bhooinimo
Tamil name- Nilavembu
Malayalam name- Nelavemu
Gujarati name- Kariyat,Kariyathu, Litu
Kannada name- Nelabevu

3. Synonyms:
• कालमेघ (means “Dark cloud”- the blackish tinge on the leaf
added the name Kalamegha)
• भूननम्ब(It is considered as a small variety of Neem with similar
properties)
• यवनिक्ता (for bitter taste)
• कल्पनाथ
• करियािु
• नििैयिा

4. • Erect, annual-
biennial, bitter
tasting herb, ½-1
m in height,
profusely
branched;
branches and
twigs 4-angled,
green when
fresh,blackish on
drying.

5. • Leaves simple,
opposite, glabrous ,
entire, lanceolate or
ovate-lanceolate,
apex acute, tapering
at base into a short
petiole.

6. • Inflorescence of terminal and
axillary racemes and panicles
generally attaining a pyramid
shape.
• Flowers shortly pedicelled, pedicel
glandular – pubescent; calyx of 5-
partite, lanceolate sepals about 0.3
cm long and glandular –
pubescent; corolla pubescent
outside, white with purple blotch
and streaks, about 1 cm long, 2-
lipped, the lower lip reflexed, 3-
lobed, upper lip oblong, notched at
the tip; stamens 2, anthers

7. • Seeds 8-12 in number
supported by about 0.15 cm
in size, glabrous, brownish,
rugose, sub- qudrate with a
peculier fold.

8. • Fruit an oblong compressed and
grooved capsule, narrowed and acute at
both ends, breaking lengthwise from
above

10. Distribution:
• Andrographis paniculata found throughout India in moist –
deciduous, dry-deciduous forests and scrub jungles, especially
in West Bengal. Generally it is found in gardens, rural areas &
waste places.It is also found in Central India, Kerala, Assam,
Andra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal & other provinces in
India.The plant is also found as weed in Mango and other
orchards even in coastal districts.
• It is distributed in all the countries of South Asia including Sri
Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and in China.

11. Ras panchak :
रस - निक्त
गुण- लघु, रुक्ष
वीर्य- उष्ण
ववपाक- कटु

12. Pharmacological Action :
दोष = कफ-नित्त हि
धातु= उत्तम िक्तशोधक, दीिन
मल = नित्तसािक, िेिन, स्वेदल
अन्य= यक
ृ ििोग, निनम,क
ु ष्ठ, ज्वि

13. Indications:
- यक
ृ िनवकाि - ज्वि
- अम्लनित्त - आमददाह
-नित्तनवकाि - निमी
- क
ु ष्ठ - शोथ
- एलर्जी - हृदिोग

14. Therapeutic uses:
• स्किन एलर्जी= The leaves along with Haridra (curcuma longa) is mixed with
water and applied over the skin
• ज्वर= The leaves and stem bark are collected and made into decoction and
it cures fever.
• प्रमेह= Kwatha/decoction prepared from whole plant is given internally.
• र्क
ृ त ववकार= Decoction of Kalamegha leaf is given orally in case of all kinds
of liver disorders.
• शोथ= The leaves of Kalamegha have anti inflammatory properties. The
extracts collected by squeezing the leaves are used internally to reduce mild
inflammatory changes happened due to sports injuries.
• व्रण= Boil Kalamegha in water and wash wound with this water helps in
healing.

15. Chemical composition :
• Kalmeghin
• Andrographolid
• Andrographin
• Neoandrographolide
• Paniculides
• Apeginin etc.

16. Part used :
• Leaves
• Whole plant
Preparation and dosage :
Powder= 1-3 g
Juice= 5-10 ml
Decoction=40-80 ml

17. Specific formulations
• भूननम्बानद कषाय
• कालमेघ नवायस लौह
• कालमेघ सत्व(घन वटी)
• कालमेघ ििल(स्विस)
• कालमेघासव

19. कालमेघस्तु भूननम्बो यवाकािफलस्तथा ।
सुनिक्तः लघुरूक्षोष्णः कफनित्तनवनाशनः ।।
दीिनः स्वेदनो ज्ञेयः क
ृ नमघ्नः नित्तसािकः ।
यक
ृ द्रोगे निमौ क
ु ष्ठे ज्विे िासौ प्रशस्यिे ।।
(नप्रव्र.शमाा, द्रव्यगुण)