with phenylbutazone and betamethasone in induced arthritis); hypoglycaemic (xanthone, swerchirin, lowers blood sugar), astringent, stomachic (in dyspepsia and diarrhoea); antimalarial (before the discovery of Peruvian bark), anthelmintic; antiasthmatic, bechic; and as a liver tonic (several active principles are hepatoprotective).
The herb contains oxygenated xanthone derivatives, including decussatin, mangiferin, swerchirin, swertianin, isobellidifolin; iridoids including chiratin, alkaloids including gentianine, gentiocrucine, enicoflavine and glycosyl flavones.
Antitubercular activity has been claimed in xanthones. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)
Green chiretta is equated with Andrographis paniculata Nees, Acanthaceae.
Dosage Whole plant—1—3 g powder; 20—30 g for decoction. (API, Vol. I.)
Swertia ciliata (D. Don) Burtt.
Synonym S. purpurascens Wail. ex C. B. Clarke.
Family Gentianaceae.
Habitat From Konkan to Kerala at
1,500—2,000 m.
Ayurvedic Shailaja, Kiraatatikta (related species).
Swietenia mahagoni Jacq. 633
Action A substitute for S. Swertia paniculata Wall.
chirayita. The whole plant contains
a number of tetraoxygenated and Synonym Ophelia pan iculata
pentaoxygenated xanthones. (Wall.) D. Don
0. wallichii G. Don
Family Gentianaceae.
Swertia densifolia Habitat The Himalaya from
(Griseb.) Kashyapa. Kashmir to Bhutan and in Lushai
Synonym S. decussata Nimmo ex Hills in Mizoram at 1,500—2,400 m.
Grah. Action Used as a substitute for
Ophelia multflora Dalz. Swertia chirayita.
Family Gentianaceae. The root gave xanthones (including
Habitat From Konkan to Kerala at swerchirin and bellidifolin); flavone 1,500—2,00 m. C-glycosides—swertisin and homoori Ayurvedi Shailaja, Kiraatatikta entin. The plant gave
