Kalmegh, gentian, chirata, picrorhiza, and quassia are bitter plants used in herbal medicine. They contain various bitter glycosides and other chemical constituents. The plants are native to regions of Asia, Europe, and the West Indies. Traditionally, they have been used as bitter tonics to aid digestion, reduce fevers, and treat worms and malaria.

1. Bitter Glycosides

2. kalmegh
SYNONYM: Kalmegh, king of bitter, chiretta Hindi- kiryeti, marathi
– kadu, kirayata
B.S.: it consist of leaves or entire aerial part of Andrographis
Paniculata Nees
Family: Acanthaceae
Geographical Source: Southeast Asia, includes India, Sri Lanka,
Pakistan, etc
• Indonesia, cultivated in China, Thailand, east and west Indies,
Mauritius

3. Cultivation & Collection:
• It is propagated from seeds.
• in India it is cultivated in rainy season ( kharif crop).
• it can be cultivated in any soil containing organic
matters.
• planted at distance of 30 cm *15cm.
• no major insect and disease infection occurs to plant.
• at flowering stage after 90-120 days after cultivation ,it
is cut at base
• leaving 10-15 cm stem for plant regeneration.
• 50-60 days after first harvesting ,final harvest is
performed

4. • Morphology:
• colour- leaves are dark green, flowers are rose colour
• Odour- odourless
• Taste- intensly bitter
• Size- leaves 7cm*2.5cm, flowers 1.8 cm length
• Shape- leaves are lanceolate, petilolate with entire margin
and acuminate (Tapering gradually to a sharp point)apex.
• Venation is unicostate (only one primary or prominent rib,
midrib) reticulate(divide in such a way as to resemble a net
or network.)

5. • CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS:
• Bitter principles- andrographolide,( bicyclic
diterpenoid lactone)
• kalmeghin
• Andrographolide
• Uses:
• Bitter tonic, Anthelmintic, Febrifuge, astringent,
antityphoid, antibiotic, hepatoprotective
• Adultrant:
• Andrographis echioides

6. Gentian
• Synonym- Yellow Gentiana, radix gentianae, bitter
root, felwort
• B.S: It is dried partially fermented rhizome and root of
yellow gentian i.e Gentiana Lutea (king & yellow)
• Family: Gentianaceae
• G.S.: Central & south europe, Turkey, Asia

7. • Macroscopic characteristics
• colour- rhizomes are yellowish-brown
• Odour- peculiar( different)
• Taste- sweet taste followed by intense bitter
• Fracture- short and smooth in dried drug but tough and
flexible in moist drug
• Chemical constituents:
• Bitter glycoside – Gentiopicrin (gentiopicroside)
• Others- Amarogentin(bitter), amaroswerin,
gentioside, Gentinin, Gentisin( yellow colour
flavonoid), Gentisic acid,
• Gentianose(trisaccharide)
• Gentibiose(disaccharide)
• sucrose

8. • Chemical test
• under UV light gentian extract shows light blue Fluorescence
• Uses
• Bitter tonic & stomachic.
• Substituents:
1) G. Purpurea
2) Veretrum album
3) G. punctata
4) Rumex alpines
5) Indian gentian
• Adultrant:
• Frasera carolensis

9. Chirata
• Synonym- Indian gentian, indian
balmony, bitter stick
• B.S: It consist of the entire herb of
Swertia Chirata
• Family: Gentianaceae
• it contains not less than 1.3% bitter
constituent
• G.S.: India, Bhutan

10. • Morphology:
• Color: yellowish or purpulish brown
• Odour: odourless
• Taste: bitter
• Shape: cylindrical
• Size: 20-80 cm in length, 4-6 mm diameter
• Chemical constituents
• Chiritin,
• gentiopicrin,
• amarogentin,
• ophelic acid,
• gentinine,
• Gentiocrucine

11. • Uses
• Extramely bitter tonic,
• digestive,
• stimulant,
• lowers fever,
• Dyspepsia(indigestion)
• Antidiarrhoel
• Antimalerial
• Laxative & Asthama
• Adultrant:
• S. angustifolia,
• S. alata,
• S. trichoma

12. Picrorhiza (Indian Gentian)
Synonym- Kami, hindi- kuru or kutki,
marathi- kali, katuki
B.S.:
• It consist of dried rhizome of Picrorhiza
Kurroa royle ex benth
Family: Scrophulariaceae
G.S.: India

13. • Morphological characteristic
• Colour- greyish brown
• Odour- slightly unpleasant
• Taste- bitter
• Size: 1.5-6 cm long, 0.3-1.0 in diameter
• Extra features- cylindrical, straight or curved, wrinkled
longitudinally
• Chemical constituents
• Picrorhizin, kutkin, picroside-I,II,III,
• D- mannitol, vanillic acid,
• Kurrin, kutkiol,
• kutkisterolphenolic
• kutkoside
• phenolic glycosides- picein, androsin

14. • Uses
• Cathartic,
• Stomachic
• Antiperiodic( prevent recurrence of disease)
• Febrifuge
• antimalerial,
• Jaundice (hepatoprotactive)
• emetic
• antidote for dog bite
• abortifacient
• bitter tonic
• laxative

15. Quassia
• Synonym-
• Bitter wood, jamaica Quassia, bitter ash, picrasma,
• B.S.
• It is dried wood of stem of Aeschrion Excela
• (Picroena Excela, or Picrasma Excela)
• Family- Simarubaceae
• G.S.: West indies, jamica, guadelaupa,
martinique, Barbados, St. Vincent

16. • Morphological characteristics
• Colour- white but changes to yellow in air
• Odour- no
• taste- intense bitter
• Size: 30 cm in diameter
• Chemical constituents
• Quassin, isoqassin, neoquassin, volatile oil, scopoletin,
Cathin
• Uses:
• Bitter tonic, stomachic, vermicide,
• slight narcotic in small dose increase appetite
• Allied Drug:
• Quassia amara (calcium Oxalate crystal Absent)