Botanical Name

Blepharis edulis (Forssk.) Pers.

Family

Acanthaceae.

Synonyms

Blepharis persica (Burm.f.) Kuntze., Blepharis obovata Chiov., Acanthodium delilii H.Buek, Acanthodium spicatum Delile , Acanthus delilei Spreng.

Regional Name

Hindi : Utangan , Sanskrit : Uttingana , Urdu : Utangan , Punjabi : Uttangan , Bengali : Ucchata , Gujrati : Utingun, Chopunivel , Kannada : Utangana , Malayalam : Utigana, Utungana , Marathi : Utangan , Oriya : Utingana , Tamil : Uttanjana , Telugu : Uttangan.

Part Used

Seed.

Description

Uttangan is a shrub, occurring in Punjab. Seed occurs as entire or broken, 0.4 to 0.6 cm long, 0.3 to 0.4 cm broad; heart shaped, rough due to network of coarse hairs; cream to light yellow, flat; when soaked in water, hairs swell and produce viscid mucilage; mucilagenous on chewing.

Phytoconstituents

The main Chemical constituents are Glycosides and Tannins. The seed contains Allantonin – 2.1%, Blepharin- a glucoside, Di allantonin, Blepharigenin, B- Sitosterol and D- Glucosoil.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa : Madhura, Tikta, Guna : Guru, Picchila, Snigdha, Virya : Usna , Vipaka : Madhura, Karma : Vrsya, Mutrala.

Ayurvedic Applications

Mutrakrcchra, Klaibya

Medicinal Uses

Uttangan seed are used to increase the sexual vigor in males (aphrodisiac). Uttangan is applied over bleeding piles, Urinary discharges, Leucoderma, Nasal haemorrhage, wounds to control and arrest bleeding. It is used in tuberculosis, hepatitis and skin infections with sun burns and fire.