chaff-flower

Achyranthes aspera

Source: Wikimedia By Frank Vincentz

Source: Wikimedia By Frank Vincentz

NAME:  Achyranthes aspera

FAMILY: Amaranthaceae

COMMON NAMES: Devil's horsewhip, Rough-Chaff herb, chaff-flower

LOCAL NAMES: Aboro, Abora hakoorin-maciijii, Kutri, Nayurivi, Grootklits

USEFUL PART(s):  Leaves, roots

GENERAL USE(s):  

  • Use as fodder for some livestocks

  • The plant is useful in manuring and composting.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

  • Afghanistan

  • India

  • Malaysia

  • Zimbabwe

  • Tunisia

  • Uganda

  • Mexico

  • Spain

 WHY IS IT GREEN? 

Achyranthes aspera medicinal uses include:

  • Stomach disorders

  • Abortion

  • Diarrhea

  • Dysentery

  • Skin diseases

  • Malaria

  • Venereal diseases

  • Haemostatic

  • Cold

  • Kidney Disease

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT        

  • The plant helps in soil improvement

  • It is also a host of pest

  • Widespread weed especially in shaded pastures

OTHER IMPACT        

Some features of the plant are harmful to humans and animals

FURTHER READINGS

Asif, M., Jabeen, Q., Atif, M., Abdul Majid, A. M. S., & Qamar-Uz-Zaman, M. (2014). Diuretic activity of Achyranthes aspera Linn crude aqueous extract in albino rats. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 13(12), 2039–2045. https://doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v13i12.14

Gawande, D. Y., Druzhilovsky, D., Gupta, R. C., Poroikov, V., & Goel, R. K. (2017). Anticonvulsant activity and acute neurotoxic profile of Achyranthes aspera Linn. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 202, 97–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2017.03.018

Gnanaraj, W. E., Johnson, M., Mohanamathi, R. B., & Subramanian, K. M. (2012). In vitro clonal propagation of Achyranthes aspera L. and Achyranthes bidentata Blume using nodal explants. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 2(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60179-2

Khuda, F., Iqbal, Z., Khan, A., Zakiullah, Nasir, F., & Shah, Y. (2013). Anti-inflammatory activity of the topical preparation of Valeriana wallichii and Achyranthes aspera leaves. Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 26(3), 451–454.

Mukherjee, H., Ojha, D., Bag, P., Chandel, H. S., Bhattacharyya, S., Chatterjee, T. K., … Chattopadhyay, D. (2013). Anti-herpes virus activities of Achyranthes aspera: An Indian ethnomedicine, and its triterpene acid. Microbiological Research, 168(4), 238–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micres.2012.11.002

Rafiqkhan, M., & Saranya. (2013). Pharmacognostic profile and phytochemical investigation on the leaves of Achyranthes aspera. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 5(3), 368–370.

Rama, P., Vignesh, A., Lakshmanan, G., & Murugesan, K. (2013). IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ACHYRANTHES ASPERA LINN. International Journal of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 3(2), 2250–49.

Sen, M. K., Nasrin, S., Rahman, S., & Jamal, A. H. M. (2014). In vitro callus induction and plantlet regeneration of Achyranthes aspera L., a high value medicinal plant. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 4(1), 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(14)60206-9

Sharma, V., Chaudhary, U., Singh, R., & Agarwal, A. (2013). Achyranthes Aspera: Phytochemical Estimation. J. PharmTech Res. American Journal of PharmTech Research, 3(2).

Siripong, P., Duangporn, P., Takata, E., & Tsutsumi, Y. (2016). Phosphoric acid pretreatment of Achyranthes aspera and Sida acuta weed biomass to improve enzymatic hydrolysis. Bioresource Technology, 203, 303–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2015.12.037

Upadhya, V., Ankad, G. M., Pai, S. R., & Hegde, H. V. (2015). Comparative HPTLC analysis of stem and leaf of Achyranthes coynei with Achyranthes aspera. Plant Science Today, 2(1), 7–10. https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.2015.2.1.87