Crude drug sample data base

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Crude drug name

Market namePunanwa mul
Formal namePunarnava
Other names　　　

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Punarnavaa mool (T), Gadapurna, Punarnaba (B), Sant, Raktapunarnava jar (H), Sanadika (K), Tavizhama, Talutama (M), Attamamidi (Te), Mukkurattai (Ta), Basarpru-burnam (Ti), Lalgaj pumi, Lal purnamava, Purnava, Sanupte (N), Pitasudu-sarana, Sarana (Sin)
English nameSpreading Hogweed
Original plant nameBoerhavia diffusa Linn. (= Boerhavia repens Linn.), Spreading Hogweed
Family nameNyctaginaceae
Used partClassificationPlant origin
Sub classification root
Production area informationIndia
Collection informationIndia, Dibrugarh, Assam, Shree Vishwanath Marwari Databye Aushadhalaya
Collection date1997/05/05
CollectorKatsuko Komatsu, et al.
TMPW No.17321

The capital city, provincial capital city or the representative　　
location of its administrative area is indicated.　　
Production area information
India
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27.4728327
94.91196209999998
Collection information
India,Dibrugarh, Assam
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Scientific information data base

Crude drug nameAyurvedic name or
Sanskrit name, English name		Punarnava, Spreading Hogweed
SynonymsVrscira, Dirghadala, Raktavrnta, Jatila, Kathillaka, Sunasika, Ksudravarsabhu, Raktapuspa, Vaisakha, Vikasa, Sinadika, Krura, Raktakanda, Varsaketu, Lohita, Raktapatrika, Vikasvara, Visaghni, Pravrsenya, Sarini, Sonapatra, Sona, Sammilitadruma
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Original plant nameBoerhavia diffusa Linn. (= Boerhavia repens Linn.)
Family nameNyctaginaceae
Used partRoot
Distribution areaA weed throughout India in waste places, along roadsides upto 2000m in the Himalayas, also cultivated to some extent in Bengal.
RemarksCommon.
Common usesRoots possess anticonvulsant, analgesic, diuretic, laxative, stomachic, expectorant and alterative properties. They are useful in asthma, oedema, anaemia/anemia, ascites, anasarca, scanty urine, jaundice, strangury, dropsy and internal inflammations. The drug is also reported to be efficacious in abdominal tumours/tumors and cancer. It is also credited with antibacterial and cardiotonic properties. An Ayurvedic drug is preparaed with this drug is reported to cure hypertension, angina and chloesterolaemia (high cholesterol).
Therapeutic usesPandu (anaemic/anemic conditions), Sopha (oedema), Anila (rheumatic disorder), Gara (a type of poison), Hrdroga (heart diseases), Kasa (cough), Uraksata (chest injury), Sula (colic), Raktapradara (uterine haemorrhage/hemorrhage), Svayathu (oedema), Arsa (piles), Vrana (wounds), Visa (poison), Udara (ascitic types)
Chemical constituentFatty acids
Tricont-24-en-1-oic acid (*C5).

Other aliphatic and related compounds
Boerhadiffusene (*C4)

Sterols
Boerhavisterol (*C4), beta-Sitosterol (*C5), Stigmasterol (*C10), Campesterol (*C10)

Steroid saponins & Sapogenins
Boerhavilanostenyl benzoate (*C4), Palmityl glycosyl sitosterol (*C10)

Lignin
Liriodendrin (*C13), Syringaresinol mono beta-D-glucoside (*C13)

Xanthones
Borhavine (*C2),

Flavones & Flavonols
Borhavone (*C1)

Phenol derivatives
Boeravinone A (*C3, *C10), Boeravinone B (*C3, *C10), Diffusarotenoid (*C4), Boeravinone C (*C7, *C11), Boeravinone D (*C8), Boeravinone E (*C8), Boeravinone F (*C8), Punarnavoside (*C9, *C12)

Alkaloids
Punernavine (*C6)

Pharmacological effectPharmacological studies have demonstrated that Punarnava possesses diuretic and antiinflammatory properties, maximum activity being present in samples collected in the rainy season. A combination of these two activities makes punarnava a very useful drug for the treatment of inflammatory renal diseases and the common clinical problems like nephrotic syndrome. It is particularly useful as a maintenance drug. It is effective in cases of oedema and ascites resulting from early cirrhosis of the liver and chronic peritonitis. Hypoxanthine-9-L-arabinofuranoside present in the drug was found to lower serum uric acid levels in experimental animals as also in humans. It also produced depressor and negative chronotropic effects in experimental animals. Punarnavoside shows significant antifibrinolytic activity. The drug proved useful as a haematinic and growth promoter in children fed with milk fortified with it.
An ethanolic extract (50%) of the roots on oral administration was found to stop intra-uterine contraceptive device - induced bleeding in monkeys at 50mg/kg body weight. The chloroform and methanolic extracts of the root exhibited hepato-protective activity against carbon tetrachloride induced intoxication in rats. The antihepatotoxic activity is due to the presence of rotenoids. The diuretic action of the plant may be due to the presence of beta-ecdysone.

An anti-viral agent, active against spherical and tubular viruses was isolated from the roots including systemic resistance in plants. The drug Punarnava has been reported to increase serum potential level and reduce urinary protein extraction in clinical trials in patients with nephrotic syndrome.
Medical systemAyurveda (Traditional Indian medicine)
Traditional conceptRasa (Taste)Katu (Pungent), Kasaya (Astringent)
Virya (Potency)Usna (Hot)
Vipaka
(Post digestive taste)		Katu (Pungent)
Karma
(General action)		Dipani (digestive), Rasayana (rejuvenative)
Dosakarma
(Action on dosa)		Decreases Vata Kapha
Mala
(Action on excretory mechanism)		Sara (laxative)
Traditional usage1. Paste of Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa), Sunthi (dry ginger) and Musta (Cyperus rotundus) should be taken in dose of 10 gm with milk 640 ml for anaemia/anemia.

2. The vegetable of Punarnava is particularly efficacious in oedema.

3. Decoction or paste of the root of Punarnava mixed with Sunthi should be taken followed by intake of milk for a month.

4. Ghee cooked with decoction and paste of Punarnava alleviates oedema.

5. Guggulu taken with decoction of Punarnava, Devadaru (Cedrus deodara) and Sunthi alleviates oedema.

6. Punarnava, Guduci (Tinospora cordifolia) and Guggulu (Commiphora wightii) pounded in equal quantity alleviates oedema, intestinal colic, ascitic disorders and disorders of Kapha.

7. Decoction of Punarnava and Varuna (Crataeva nurvala) alleviates internal abscess.

8. Milk cooked with Punarnava should be taken for calculus.

9. Punarnava removes itching, discharge, corneal opacity, defects of vision and night blindness taken with milk, honey, ghee, oil and sour gruel respectively.

10. Pounded with roots of white Girikarnika (Clitoria ternatea) and Punarnava mixed with Barley powder and dissolved in water are filled in the eye. It removes corneal opacity.

11. Decoction of Punarnava, Devadaru and Murva (Marsdenia tenacissima) mixed with honey should be taken.

12. One who takes paste of fresh Punarnava with milk for fortnight, six months or a year is rejuvenated.

13. Red rice cooked with Punarnava powder, sugar, Juice of Draksa (grapes), milk and ghee should be taken by one suffering from haemoptysis/hemoptysis.

14. Milk boiled with Vrsciva (Boerhavia verticillata), Bilva and Punarnava along with water reduced to milk only alleviates all types of fever.

15. Decoction of Punarnava induces sleep.

16. Paste of Sati and Sunthi taken with decoction of Punarnava for a week alleviates rheumatic fever.

17. Root of Punarnava cooked with rice along with Kalasaka (Murraya koenigii), salt and Sunthi and mixed with ghee removes pain of intestinal tumour/tumor immediately.

18. Pain in vagina is relieved by putting juice of Punarnava into the vagina.
FormulationPunarnavadi kvatha, Punarnavasava, Punarnavamandura, Punarnavastaka, Punarnavadyarista, Punarnavadya taila
Related drugsTrianthema portulacastrum L.
CommentsAnother variety is called Sveta mula, Mandalapatraka, Svetapatra, Amlasaka, Vaisakha, Virecani, Kathilla, Mahavarsabhu, Vrsaketu, Sophaghni, Dirghapatrika, Prthvi, Sitavarsabhu. Yet another variety blue in colour according to Raja nighantu is Nila, Syama, Nilapunarnava, Krsnakhya, Nilavarsabhu, Nilini. White and red varieties are slightly different in quanlities.

This is included in Vayasthapana, Kasahara, Svedopaga, Anuvasanopaga gana of Caraka and Vidarigandhadi of Susruta.
ReferencesReference book　

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[2] Indian Medicinal Plants - A Compendium of 500 species, Varier, P.S., Orient Longman Ltd. Chennai (Madras)
Vol. 1 (Repr.1996), pp 281-285.

Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants, 1956. Chopra, R.N., Nayar, S.L. and Chopra, I.C., Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, New Delhi. - New Edition (1996) National Institute Science Communication; Supplement
p 39.

Illustrated Manual of Herbal Drugs Used in Ayurveda, 1996. Sarin, Y.K., Council of Scientific & Industrial Research and Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi
p 84.

Ayurvedic Drugs and Their Plant Sources, 1994. Sivarajan, V.V. and Balachandran, I., Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
pp 387-390.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol I, Ed. I, 1989. Govt. of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Dept. of Health, New Delhi
pp 95-96.

Plants in Ayurveda (A Compendium of Botanical and Sanskrit Names), 1997. Abdul Kareem, M., Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions, Bangalore
251.

Dravyagunavijnana, Vols. 1-5, reprint 1998. Sharma, P.V., Chowkhambha Bharati Academy, Varanasi
Vol. 2, p 630.

Classical uses of Medicinal Plants, 1996. Sharma, P.V., Chaukhambha Visvabharati, Varanasi
p 248.

Research paper*C1 Gupta, D. R. and Ahmad, B.; Ind. J. Chem., 23B, 682 (1984).
*C2 Ahmad, B. and Yu, C. -P., Phytochemistry, 31, 4382-84 (1992).
*C3 Kadota, S., Lami, N., Tezuka, Y. and Kikuchi, T.; Chem. Pharm. Bull., 36, 834-36 (1988).
*C4 Gupta, J. and Ali, M.; Indian J. Chem., Sect. B: Org. Chem. Incl. Med. Chem., 37B, 912-17 (1998).
*C5 Srivastava, R. and Shukla, Y. N.; Indian Drugs, 35, 103-4 (1998).
*C6 Wahi, A. K., Agrawal, V. K. and Gupta, R. C.; Natl. Acad. Sci. Lett. (India), 20, 119-23 (1997).
*C7 Kadota, S., Lami, N., Tezuka, Y. and Kikuchi, T.; Chem. Pharm. Bull., 36, 2289-92 (1988).
*C8 Lami, N., Kadota, S., and Kikuchi, T.; Chem. Pharm. Bull., 39, 1863-65 (1991).
*C9 Jain, G. K. and Khanna, N. M.; Indian J. Chem., Sect. B, 28B, 163-66 (1989).
*C10 Kadota, S., Lami, N., Tezuka, Y. and Kikuchi, T.; Chem. Pharm. Bull., 37, 3214-20 (1989).
*C11 Lami, N., Kadota, S., Tezuka, Y. and Kikuchi, T.; Chem. Pharm. Bull., 38, 1558-62 (1990).
*C12 Seth, R. K., Khanna, M., Chaudhary, M., Singh, S. and Sarin, J. P. S.; Indian Drugs, 23, 583-84 (1986).
*C13 Lami, N., Kadota, S., Kikuchi, T. and Momose, Y.; Chem. Pharm. Bull., 39, 1551-55 (1991).
RemarksThe herb is a constituent of a new herbal composition - Herbo rheumal - which shows antiinflammatory and analgesic properties comparable with that of placebo and ibuprofen. The plant is also an ingredient of a herbal eye drop preparation which has been reported to be more efficacious in patients suffering with viral keratitis. Fruit decoction has been recommended as a cure for arthritis.

The market samples of Punarnava are often adulterated with Trianthema portulacastrum L. (also often referred to as Sveta punarnava) which has led to controversy as to the correct identity of Punarnava. It has now been proved that the two plants are the sources of two different Ayurvedic drugs Punarnava and Varsabhu possibly with similar therapeutic effects.
Last renewal date2023/12/26
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