Unan i Kafemariyam, Kafe -aaishaa.
Folk Garbha-phool.
Action Used in difficult labour.
Andrographis panicultata Wall. ex Nees 49
Anchusa italica Retz.
Synonym A. azurea Mill.
Family Boraginaceae.
Habitat Indian gardens, and hills.
English Cow’s Tongue Plant.
Ayurvedic Gojihvikaa (considered as a vegetable, equated with Launaea asplenfolia Hook. f., Compositae, Asteraceae.) Unani Gaozabaan is a different drug.
Unani Gaozabaan. (Now equated with species of Boraginaceae, particularly Borago officinalis Linn. Imported Unani drug Gaozabaan consists of the leaves and nutlets of Anchusa strigosa Labill and Echium amoenum Fisch. and Mey.)
Action Stimulant, tonic, demulcent; used in bilious complaints, fever, cough, asthma; as diuretic in bladder and kidney stones. Oil—a rich source of vitamin E (0.72%), more than that of wheat-germ oil (0.18%). The nutlets show positive tests for alkaloids and tannins. The flowers yield anthocyanins and the leafy stems yield bornesitol.
Andrographis echioides Nees
Family Acanthaceae.
Habitat Warmer parts of India.
Folk Ranchimani (Maharashtra).
Action Febrifuge, diuretic.
The plant contains a flavone, echiodinin, and its glucoside, echioidin. EtOH (50%) extract of the plant exhibited diuretic activity in animal studies.
Andrographis panicultata
Wall. ex Nees
Family Acanthaceae.
Habitat Throughout India, from
Himachal Pradesh to Assam and
Mizoram, and all over southern
India.
