Punarnava(Rakta)

BOTANICAL NAME: Boerhaavia diffusa

FAMILY: Nyctaginaceae

ENGLISH NAME: Hog Weed

CLASSICAL CLASSIFICATION:

Charaka: Vaya Sthapana, Kasahara, Anuvasanopaga, SvedopagaVidarigandhadi Gana

Sushruta: Vidarigandhadi Gana

Bhavaprakash: Guduchyadi varga

COMMON NAME:

Hindi name- Gadapurna, Lalpunarnava

Kannada name- Sanadika, Komme, Kommeberu

Gujarati name- Dholisaturdi, Motosatodo

Punjabi name- Itsit(lal), Khattan

REFERENCE: BHAVAPRAKASH SAMHITA with link e Nighantu:

https://niimh.nic.in/ebooks/e-Nighantu/bhavaprakashanighantu/?mod=read

रक्तपुनर्नवा-
पुनर्नवापरा रक्ता रक्तपुष्पा शिलाटिका |
शोथघ्नः क्षुद्रवर्षाभूर्वृषकेतुः कपिल्लकः ||१९९||
पुनर्नवारुणा तिक्ता कटुपाका हिमा लघुः |
वातला ग्राहिणी श्लेष्मपित्तरक्तविनाशिनी ||२००||

HABITAT: All over India.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION:

Annual herb,Stem- greenish purple, stiff, slender, cylindrical, swollen at nodes, minutely pubescent or nearly glabrous.Root is well developed, fairy long, somewhat tortuous, cylindrical, 0.2-1.5 cm in diameter; yellowish brown to brown coloured, surface soft to touch. It Tastes slightly bitter.Leaves are opposite in unequal pairs, larger ones 25-37 mm long and smaller ones 12-18 mm,long ovate-oblong, apex rounded or slightly pointed.Flowers are very small, pink color.Fruits are one seeded nut

MAJOR CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: Hentriacontane, B-sitosterol, Oxalicacid, D- glucose, Punarnavoside, Punarnavine-1, Punarnavine-2 Boeravinones A,B,C etc, T. Portulacastrum- Trianthemine and ecdysterone. It also contains two rotenoids- Boeravinones G and H, b-Sitosterol, a-2-sitosterol, palmitic acid, ester of b-sitosterol, tetracosanoic, hexacosanoic, stearic, arachidic acid, ursolic acid, Hentriacontane, b-Ecdysone, triacontanol

THERAPEUTIC USES:

• Bronchial asthma: Dried leaves are used in dhoomapana (smoking) in treatment of bronchial asthma.
• Inflammation – Leaves paste is applied on the affected area.
• Ascites & generalized oedema – Pulp of Plant with Ginger
• Hepatitis – Punarnava taila is used
• Jaundice – Powder of the leaves and roots .

INDICATIONS:

Kasa Cough , Hridroga Cardiac disorders, Urakshata Chest injury , Arsha Haemorrhoids , Vranahara wound healing ,Garvisha Chronic toxic conditions ,Udara roga Ascites

USEFUL PART: Roots, Stem, Leaves

DOSAGE: 20-30g of the drug for decoction

AYURVEDIC FORMULATION:

1. Punarnavadi mandura
2. Sukumara ghrita
3. Punarnavasava
4. Punarnavastaka kwatha.