Amaranthus caudatus Linn.
Family Amaranthaceae.
Habitat Grown as vegetable in northern India.
English Love-Lies-Bleeding, Tassel Flower.
Ayurvedic Raam-daanaa (grain). Siddha/Tamil Pungikeerai, Sirukeerai.
Folk Chuko.
Action Blood-purifier, diuretic; used in piles, strangury, dropsy and anasarca; tea has been used
for relieving pulmonary conditions; also given in scrofula and applied to scrofulous sores. Antimicrobial peptides have been isolated from seeds.
In Western herbal medicine, LoveLies-Bleeding is equated with Amaranthus hypochondriacus, and is used for ulcers, diarrhoea, as well as inflammation of the mouth and throat.
Preliminary evidence suggests that Amaranth seed can reduce total cholesterol and LDL, while increasing HDL, but Amaranth muffins failed to reduce cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic adults beyond the reduction achieved by low-fat diet. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)
Amaranth us spinosus Linn.
Family Amaranthaceae.
Habitat Cultivated fields, waste places and along roadsides.
42 Amaranth us tricolor Linn.
English Spiny Amaranth, Thorny Amaranth, Spiny Pigweed.
Ayurvedic Tanduliya, Tandulaka, Meghnaad, Megharava, Vishaghn, Alpamaarish.
Siddha/Tamil Mullukkeerai.
Folk Katili-chaulai.
Action Galactogenic, laxative, emollient, spasmolytic, diuretic. Pollen extract—used for allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis. Root— used in menorrhoea.
Plant contains sterols. Leaves and stems contain alpha-spinasterol and hentriacontane. Leaves also contain amino acids with high content of lysine.
Dosage Whole plant—10—20 ml juice; 400—800 mg powder. (CCRAS.)
Amaranthus tricolor Linn.
Synonym A. gangeticus Linn.
A. melancholicus Linn.
