''Andrographis paniculata'', commonly known as creat or green chiretta, is an annual herbaceous plant in the family

Acanthaceae Acanthaceae is a family (the acanthus family) of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species. Most are tropical herbs, shrubs, or twining vines; some are epiphytes. Only a few species are distributed in tem ...

, native to India and Sri Lanka. It is widely cultivated in Southern and Southeastern Asia, where it has been believed to be a treatment for bacterial

infection An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dis ...

s and some diseases. Mostly the leaves and

root In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the su ...

s have been used for such purposes; the whole plant is also used, in some cases.

Description

The plant grows as an erect herb to a height of in moist, shady places. The slender stem is dark green, square in cross-section with longitudinal furrows and wings along the angles. The lance-shaped leaves have hairless blades measuring up to long by . The small flowers are pink, solitary, arranged in lax spreading racemes or panicles. The fruit is a capsule around long and a few millimeters wide. It contains many yellow-brown seeds. The seeds are subquadrate, rugose and glabrous. The flowering time is September to December.

Distribution

The species is distributed in tropical Asian countries, often in isolated patches. It can be found in a variety of habitats, such as plains, hillsides, coastlines, and disturbed and cultivated areas such as roadsides and farms. Native populations of ''A. paniculata'' are spread throughout south India and Sri Lanka which perhaps represent the center of origin and diversity of the species. The herb is an

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

in northern parts of India, Java, Malaysia, Indonesia, the West Indies, and elsewhere in the Americas. The species also occurs in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand, Brunei, Singapore, and other parts of Asia where it may or may not be native. The plant is cultivated in many areas, as well. Unlike other species of the genus, ''A. paniculata'' is of common occurrence in most places in India, including the plains and hilly areas up to , which accounts for its wide use. In India the major source of plant is procured from its wild habitat. The plant is categorised as Low Risk or of Least Concern by the IUCN. Under the trade name ''Kalmegh'', on average of the plant is traded in India.

Cultivation

The plant does best in a sunny location. The seeds are sown during May and June (northern hemisphere). The seedlings are transplanted at a distance of .

Vernacular names

*''creat'' (English) *''green chiretta'' (English) *''king of bitter''. *''phtuhs' (smau)'' (''phtuhs="explosion", ''smau''="grass", referring to sound of its ripe fruit opening,

Khmer language Khmer (; , ) is an Austroasiatic language spoken by the Khmer people, and the official and national language of Cambodia. Khmer has been influenced considerably by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious registers, throug ...

) *''prâmat' mnu:hs (smau)'' (="human gall grass", probably alluding to its folk-medical use,

) *ฟ้าทะลายโจร ( RTGS: ''fa thalai chon'') ('heaven breaks down the bandit', Thai language) *穿心莲, ''chuan xin lian'' ( Standard Chinese) *''roi des amers'' (French) *''sambiloto'' in

Indonesian language Indonesian ( ) is the official and national language of Indonesia. It is a standardized variety of Malay, an Austronesian language that has been used as a lingua franca in the multilingual Indonesian archipelago for centuries. Indonesia ...

*''hempedu bumi'' (Malaysia) *''kalmegh'' (Bengali)

Uses

Alternative medicine

Traditional Use

''A. paniculata'' has been used in

Siddha ''Siddha'' (Sanskrit: '; "perfected one") is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of physical as well as spiritual ...

and

Ayurvedic medicine Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population rep ...

, and is promoted as a dietary supplement for cancer prevention and cure. There is no evidence that it helps prevent or cure cancer. In the

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

of India, ''A. paniculata'' has also been used for jaundice therapy. ''A. paniculata'' has also traditionally been used in India and China for the common cold and influenza. A 2017 (pre COVID-19)

meta-analysis A meta-analysis is a statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies. Meta-analyses can be performed when there are multiple scientific studies addressing the same question, with each individual study reporting me ...

evaluating ''Andrographis paniculata'' for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) indicated possible support for its efficacy and safety, but cautioned that the trials reviewed were of poor quality and thus not conclusive.

COVID-19

Amid Thailand's

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

outbreak in December 2020, the country's

health ministry A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their o ...

approved the usage of the plant extract for a pilot alternative treatment program. In July 2021, the

Cabinet of Thailand The cabinet of Thailand or, formally, the Council of Ministers of Thailand ( th, คณะรัฐมนตรี; is a body composed of thirty-five of the most senior members of the government of the Kingdom of Thailand. The cabinet is the prim ...

approved the use of green chiretta to treat asymptomatic COVID patients after the Thai Corrections Department said the drug was beneficial in prison inmates. Claims as to its efficacy as a COVID therapeutic are contentious and in dispute.

Safety Concerns

A 2012 review found that ''A. paniculata'' extracts could inhibit expression of several cytochrome C enzymes and thus interfere with metabolism of other pharmaceuticals. A 2019 review finds that ''A. paniculata'' compounds have poor solubility and relatively low potency, and that a semi-synthetic injectable derivative can cause sometimes life-threatening allergic reactions.

Food

In Cambodia the dried root macerated in alcohol is consumed as an aperitive, while the seeds make a black jelly called ''chahuoy khmau''.

Chemistry

Andrographolide is the major constituent extracted from the leaves of the plant and is a bicyclic diterpenoid

lactone Lactones are cyclic carboxylic esters, containing a 1-oxacycloalkan-2-one structure (), or analogues having unsaturation or heteroatoms replacing one or more carbon atoms of the ring. Lactones are formed by intramolecular esterification of the co ...

. This bitter principle was isolated in pure form by Gorter in 1911. Systematic studies on chemistry of ''A. paniculata'' have been carried out. Some known constituents are: *14-Deoxy-11-dehydroandrographolide, Plant *14-Deoxy-11-oxoandrographolide, Plant *5-Hydroxy-7,8,2',3'-Tetramethoxyflavone, Plant *5-Hydroxy-7,8,2'-Trimethoxyflavone, Tissue Culture *Andrographine, Root *Andrographolide, Plant *Neoandrographolide, Plant *Panicoline, Root *Paniculide-A, Plant *Paniculide-B, Plant *Paniculide-C, Plant

References

External links

''Andrographis'' (www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au)Dr. Duke's Database
* Contains a detailed monograph on ''Andrographis paniculatus'' (Bhunimba) as well as a discussion of health benefits and usage in clinical practice. Available online at https://web.archive.org/web/20110519163542/http://www.toddcaldecott.com/index.php/herbs/learning-herbs/390-bhunimba *
Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees
Medicinal Plant Images Database (School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University)
穿心蓮, Common Andrographis Herb, Chuan Xin Lian
Chinese Medicine Specimen Database (School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University)

Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews {{Taxonbar, from=Q1551608 Acanthaceae Edible plants Flora of the Indian subcontinent Medicinal plants of Asia Plants used in Ayurveda Taxa named by Nicolaas Laurens Burman