Introduction About Punarnava:
Health Benefits of Punarnava – Punarnava (Hogweed) means ‘bring back to life’ or ‘renewal.’ Punarnava plant grows wild throughout the year in India and Brazil but dries during the summer. Punarnava leaves are small and fleshy, having small reddish-pink flowers and fruits in winter. Punarnava plant is bitter, has a cooling effect, and has very high medicinal value.
Punarnava plant has been used by indigenous and tribal people, and Ayurvedic or natural/herbal medicine in India. Punarnava roots are well-known for many purposes including liver, gallbladder, kidney, and urinary disorders. Punarnava roots and leaves are bitter, acts as laxative, diuretic, expectorant, rejuvenating, diaphoretic, etc.
Due to its multiple medicinal properties, Punarnava plant is used in severe conditions, also such as congestive cardiac problems, rheumatoid arthritis, anemia, etc.
Synonyms of Punarnava:
In other words, Punarnava can be named as Santhi, Moto satado, Ataki, Sanadika, Gonajali, Sothaghna, Shivatika, Katilla, Shophagini, etc.
Different Names of Punarnava:
Sanskrit: Kathilla, Sophaghni, Sothaghni, Varsabhu
Assamese: Ranga Punarnabha
Bengali: Rakta punarnava
English: Horse Purslene, Hog Weed
Gujrati: Dholisaturdi, Motosatodo
Hindi: Gadapurna, Lalpunarnava
Kannada: Sanadika, Kommeberu, Komma
Kashmiri: Vanjula Punarnava
Malayalam: Chuvanna Tazhutawa
Marathi: Ghetuli, Vasuchimuli, Satodimula, Punarnava, Khaparkhuti
Oriya: Lalapuiruni, Nalipuruni
Punjabi: ltcit (Ial), Khattan
Tamil: Mukurattai (Shihappu)
Telugu: Atikamamidi, Erra galijeru.
Classification of Punarnava:
Biological name: Boerhavia diffusa
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Nyctaginaceae
Genus: Boerhavia.
Description of Punarnava Plant:
Stem: Punarnava stem is greenish-purple, stiff, cylindrical in shape, swollen at nodes, minutely pubescent, prostrate divaricately branched, branches from the common stalk, often more than a meter long.
Root: Root is relatively long, well-developed, tortuous and cylindrical, the diameter is approx 0.2-1.5 cm, yellowish-brown colored, its surface is soft to touch but rough due to minute longitudinal striations, and it has no distinct odor, taste, has slightly bitter.
Leaves: Larger leaves are 25-37 mm long and smaller ones 12-18 mm long ovate-oblong, apex rounded or slightly pointed, the base is rounded, green and glabrous colored above, and whitish below, the margin is almost sub undulate, dorsal side pinkish in some instances, thick in texture, petioles nearly as long as the blade, slender.
Flowers: Punarnava flowers are very small, pink-colored, nearly sessile or shortly stalked, having 10-25 cm in small umbels, arranged on long slender stalks, 4-10 corymbs, axillaries and in terminal panicles, bracteoles, small, acute. The lower part is greenish, oblong, ribbed, and the upper part is pink, funnel-shaped, 3 mm long, tube 5 lobed, stamen 2-3.
Fruit: Fruit is having 6 mm long clavate, rounded, broadly, and bluntly 5 ribbed, viscidly glandular.
Stem: Punarnava shows the epidermal layer containing multicellular, and glandular trichome consisting of approximately 9-12 stalked cells and an ellipsoidal head. Punarnava cortex consists of endodermis indistinct, 1-2 layers of parenchyma, thick-walled scattered, isolated fibers, and stele consisting of many small vascular bundles.
Ayurvedic Properties of Punarnava:
Rasa: Madhura, Tikta, Kashaya
Guna: Ruksha
Virya: Ushna
Vipaka: Madhura
Karma: Anulomana, Sothahara, Mutrala
Therapeutic Uses: Shotha, and Pandu
Chemical Constituents of Punarnava:
Punarnava plant contains multiple chemical constituents, such as ß -sitosterol (Phytosterols), Liriodendrin (lignans), Punarnavine (Alkaloids), Punarnavoside (Rotenoids), Boerhavine (Xanthones) and Potassium nitrate (Salts).
Punarnava roots are rich in Aspartic Acid, Behenic Acid, Boerhaavic Acid, Boerhavone, rotenoidsboeravinones AI, BI, C2, D, E and F beside the new dihydroisofurenoxanthin, Alanine, Arachidic Acid, Campesterol, Daucosterol, XY-6-8-dimethyl, Galactose, Glutamic Acid, Glutamine, Glycerol, Glycine, Hentriacontane N, Heptadecyclic Acid, Histidine, Hypoxanthine-9-l-arabinofuranoside, Leucine, Liriodendrin, Methionine, Oleic Acid, Oxalic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Proline, hydroxyl Serine, Sitosterol Oleate, Sitosterol Palmitate, etc.
Classical Uses of Punarnava:
Health Benefits of Punarnava – Punarnava plant is rich in anti-inflammatory, diuretic, analgesic, laxative, anticonvulsant, expectorant, and carminative properties. Also, it acts as a Rasayana and provides multiple health benefits to an individual.
Regular use of punarnava helps increase serum protein levels and reduces urinary protein extraction and helps to overcome the symptoms of nephrotic syndrome.
When it is used in the form of poultice, it effectively works in edema and other inflammatory conditions.
Punarnava leaf juice is used for eye disorders such as cataracts, blepharitis, and chronic conjunctivitis as a topical application. Its unique properties, effectively work in heart disorders, joint disorders, anemia, etc.
Medicinal Uses of Punarnava Plant:
Health Benefits of Punarnava – Punarnava occupied a reputed position of having valuable medicinal properties. It’s astringent, pungent, and bitter taste helps manage jaundice, splenomegaly, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, etc.
Medicinal usage on various parts of punarnava is mentioned-below:
Leaves: Punarnava leaves are effectively worked in edema, and provide relief from acute to chronic joint disorders. The juice of punarnava leaf is used in the eyes for topical application.
Seeds: Seeds works as an expectorant, carminative, blood purifier, useful in scabies, lumbago, etc.
Roots: Punarnava roots act as diuretic, and laxative, thus eliminating harmful toxins from the whole body. The root juice is used to manage urinary disorders, rheumatism, liver disorders, abdominal pain, etc.
Alternatively, it is used in the following conditions:
In Urinary tract infections:
Punarnava plant has antibacterial, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory properties that effectively work in all the urinary tract disorders. It clears the infection, reduces inflammation, pain, and other associated symptoms.
In Rheumatoid Arthritis:
Due to its diuretic properties, it works effectively in the elimination of harmful toxins and provides relief from the joint pain and inflammation of the muscles.
Beneficial for Liver:
Uses of Punarnava is used to revitalize the liver organ and eliminates excess toxins from it. It helps restore health, stamina, vitality, and fights liver hepatitis, jaundice, anemia, sluggish liver, etc.
Obesity:
The herb stimulates the removal of excess fluid and waste products from the body by promoting urination without potassium loss. Thus, due to its diuretic and laxative properties, it helps in weight loss and prevents a person from different ailments.
In Diabetes:
The extract of punarnava leaf is quite beneficial for diabetes because it considerably decreases blood glucose levels and, in turn, increases plasma insulin levels in the body.
In Eye Diseases:
Uses of Punarnava helps alleviate eye diseases, like conjunctivitis, night blindness, etc.
In Impotence:
Punarnava seeds are beneficial in the rejuvenation of the male reproductive system. It is well-known to increase libido, quality, and quantity of semen, and overcome male health disorders.
Stomach Disorders:
The herb strengthens and improves the functioning of digestive disorders and provides relief from abdominal pain, indigestion, hyperacidity, spasm, etc.
Anemia:
Punarnava effectively works in general weakness, improves digestive power, the functioning of the liver organ, encourages the formation of the red blood cells, and overcome the symptoms associated with anemia.
Ascites:
Due to its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and diuretic properties, it eliminates excess fluid from the body and provides relief from ascites, abdominal pain, heaviness, bloating, etc.
Classical Products of Punarnava
By the Ayurvedic Acharyas, the following formulations are made from this medicinal plant:
Punarnavasava
Punarnavadi Mandura
Punarnavasataka
Punarnavambu
Punarnava Guggulu
Punarnavasak Kwath / Churna
Sukumar Ghrita
Sothaghna Lepa
Ayurvedic Formulation of Punarnava:
Health Benefits of Punarnava – Punarnava is an amazing herb loaded with multiple health benefits. It is widely used due to its different properties and can help manage weight, useful in liver, pancreas, and spleen, and kidney disorders.
A person can find an authenticated, pure, result-oriented, Extract-based formulation from ‘DEEP AYURVEDA COMPANY’, famous for its pure and Extract-based products. The company is run from the last 14-15 years by an Experienced Doctors team, and the guidance of Chief Consultant formulates the products after following Ayurvedic guidelines.
The products are genuine, pure, free from side-effects, chemicals, steroids, preservatives, etc. The products are developed after many clinical trials and are safe to use by an individual.
Brief Description of Ayurvedic Products Are Given Below:
Punarnava capsule is a single product for multiple disorders. It contains 100% extract of punarnava that helps rejuvenate the liver, detoxifies the kidney and liver organ, manages weight-related issues, effectively works in jaundice, hepatitis, and is used for all the renal problems, balances blood glucose levels, creatinine level, uric acid level, etc.
It is a classical formulation that is used by Ayurvedic Acharyas, and it includes punarnava, vidang, shunthi, trivrit, pippali, haridra, bahera, amla, katuki, etc, works effectively in jaundice, edema, enlargement of spleen and liver, skin disorders, worm infection, respiratory -related problems, joint -related disorders, etc.
Punarnava kshar is used widely in renal calculus, urinary tract related problems, endometritis in females, abdominal disorders, pain, bloating, heaviness, indigestion, edema, etc.
This is an amazing classical formulation widely used in gout, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica pain, renal calculus, cystitis, urethritis, dysuria, anuria, etc.
This is a blend of multiple herbs like punarnava, patola, guduchi, devdaru, shunthi, kutki, etc, that effectively works in generalized edema, respiratory -related problems, digestion -related problems, gout, arthritis, etc.
This is a combination of multiple herbs such as shvet punarnava, rakt punarnava, bala, atibala, chitrakmool, kantakri, vasa, giloy, etc, that helps in removal of excess toxins from the whole body and help in the normalization of liver, spleen, and pancreas.
For more detail on ‘Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa)’ one can also visit the nearest clinic of Ayurveda or take online consultation.