Botanical Name

Asteracantha longifolia Nees.

Family

Acanthaceae.

Synonyms

Asteracantha auriculata Nees, Barleria longifolia L., Hygrophila spinosa T. Anderson, Hygrophila auriculata (Schumach.) Heine, Asteracantha macracantha Hochst. ex A.Rich.

Regional Name

Hindi : Talmakhana, Sanskrit : Iksura, Iksuraka, Kokilaksi, Culli Urdu : Talmakhana, Gujrati : Talmakhana Kannada : Kolavankae, Nirmulli, Kolavalike, Malayalam : Nirchulli, Vayalchulli, Marathi : Talimakhana Oriya : Koillekha, Tamil : Nirmulle, Telugu : Nirugobbi, Nite, Gobbi.

Part Used

Seed.

Description

Talmkhana is a spiny, stout, annual herb, growing to a height of 3-5 feet. It is found in waterlogged places throughout the country. Seeds are Ovate, flat or compressed, truncate at the base, 2-3 mm long and 1-2 mm wide, white, hairy but appearing smooth, when soaked in water immediately get coated with mucilage, light yellowish-brown; taste, slightly bitter and odour not distinct.

Phytoconstituents

Seed contains yellow semi-drying oil, enzymes like Diastase, Lipase, Protease and an Alkaloid. It also contains linoleic acid (11%), palmitic acid (8%) and stearic acid (0.6%), Asterol I-IV, Asteracanthine and asteracanthinine (alkaloids), Lupeol at 0.044%, β-sitosterol (0.031%).

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa : Madhura, Guna : Picchila, Snigdha, Virya : Sita, Vipaka : Madhura, Karma : Balya, Kaphahara, Santarpana, Vrsya, Ruchya.

Ayurvedic Applications

Sotha, Vatarakta, Pittasmari.

Medicinal Uses

It is used in the treatment of general debility, jaundice, Diarrhoea, Constipation, Gonorrhea, Dysentery, Anuria, distention of abdomen, swelling,  hepatomegaly and bloating of the abdomen, difficulty in urination and impotency.