Plant
The chief alkaloid present in the leaves of Malabar nut is a quinazoline alkaloid, vasicine; the yield of the alkaloid from different samples in India ranged from 0.541 to 1.105 per cent on dry basis. Vasicine is accompanied by l- vasicinone, deoxyvasicine and maiontone. Some minor alkaloids viz. Vasicol, adhatodinine and vasicinol also present. The roots of the plant contain vasicinolone, vasicol, peganine, hydroxy oxychalcone and glucosyl oxychalcone. The flowers of the plant contain b-sitosterol-D-glucoside, kaempferol, glyco
Vasaka is tall, dense, evergreen herbaceous shrub. Trunk of this shrub has numerous, long, opposite and ascending branches. This plant contains yellow colored bark. Leaves are lance shaped, oppositely arranged and smooth edged with short petioles. Leaves are bitter tasting and when dried color changes to dull brownish green. Leaves are rich in alkaloid compound vasicine. Inflorescence show dense, large and auxiliary spikes and flowers are usually white and purple in color. Fruits are pubescent with club shaped capsules.
General Information
Vasa, also known as Vasaka, is herb naturally known to be very effective in the management of respiratory problems like cough, asthma etc. It is also a potent anti - microbial agent and has many cooling properties as well.
Vasicine is one of the active extracts obtained from this plant which gives the herb its many medicinal properties.
For its remarkable action as a natural expectorant, vasa is found to be very effective in the management of many respiratory system disorders and may even bring relief for many patients of Tuberculosis.
Despite its great medicinal value, over dosage of its herbal extract may lead to many ill effects and therefore, it should only be used under medical supervision.
Vasicine is one of the many compounds extracted from this plant and is studied for its anti - microbial, anti - ulcer, hepatoprotective and anti - oxidant activity. Other chemicals present in this herb are Vascicinine, Luteolin, Tritriacontane, Carotene, Vasakin, Vasicinone, Vascicolone, Vasicolinone etc.
Habitat
It is a very common herbaceous plant in India and grows in most parts of the Indian subcontinent. It is also distributed throughout Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and china, as well in panama.
Classification
- Kingdom - Plantae
- Order - Lamiales
- Family - Acanthaceae
Names
- Sanskrit - Vasaka
- Latin name - Adhatoda vasica
- English - Malabar nut
- Hindi - Adusa, Arusha, Bansa
- Telugu - Vasa, Addasaramu, Adamkabu
- Tamil name – Adhathodai
- Marathi - Adulsa
- Gujarati name - Araduso, Adulso
- Kannada name - Adusogae, Adu muttada soppu
- Bengali name - Adusa, Bakash, Vasok
- Punjabi name - Vamsa, Bhekkar
- Nepali name - Asuro, Kalo, Vasak
- Oriya name - Basanga, Arusa, Basung
- Assamese name - Titabahak, Bahak
- Konkani name - Adusoge
- Persian name - Bansa
Ayurvedic Properties
Hindi / Sanskrit | English | ||
Rasa | Kashay, Tikta | Taste | Astringent, Bitter |
Guna | Laghu, Tikshna | Physical Property | Light, Sharp |
Virya | Sheet | Potency | Cold |
Vipaka | Katu | Metabolic Property (After Digestion) |
Pungent |
Effects On Doshas
It balances pitta and Kapha doshas.
Charak Samhita | Sushrut Samhita |
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Daruvadi gana |