''Andrographis paniculata'', commonly known as creat or green chiretta, is an annual

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition ...

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 ...

, 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 d ...

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 sur ...

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

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the sh ...

s or

panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is ...

s. 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 the ...

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, through ...

) *''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 Standard Chinese ()—in linguistics Standard Northern Mandarin or Standard Beijing Mandarin, in common speech simply Mandarin, better qualified as Standard Mandarin, Modern Standard Mandarin or Standard Mandarin Chinese—is a modern standa ...

) *''roi des amers'' (French) *''sambiloto'' in

Indonesian language Indonesian ( ) is the official language, official and national language of Indonesia. It is a standard language, standardized variety (linguistics), variety of Malay language, Malay, an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language that has be ...

*''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 repor ...

, 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 th ...

of India, ''A. paniculata'' has also been used for

jaundice Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving abnormal heme met ...

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 m ...

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 quickl ...

outbreak in December 2020, the country's health ministry 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 pri ...

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 The cytochrome complex, or cyt ''c'', is a small hemeprotein found loosely associated with the inner membrane of the mitochondrion. It belongs to the cytochrome c family of proteins and plays a major role in cell apoptosis. Cytochrome c is hig ...

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 Andrographolide is a labdane diterpenoid that has been isolated from the stem and leaves of ''Andrographis paniculata''. Andrographolide is an extremely bitter substance. Andrographolide has been studied for its effects on cell signaling, immu ...

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