Punarnava

Punarnava

Punarnava – Boerhavia diffusa Benefits, Dose, Side Effects

Punarnava – Boerhavia diffusa is one of the very important anti inflammatory medicinal herbs. It is well known for its diuretic and swelling reducing activities.

Botanical Name- Boerhavia diffusa Linn. (Boerhavia repens Linn). It is also sometimes written as Berhaavia diffusa.

Family- NYCTAGINACEAE

Vernacular Names

Telugu Name- Atikamamidi

Common name – English Name- Spreading Hogweed, Red Hogweed, horse purslane, pigweed, Red spiderling, Tarvine

Tamil Name- Mukaratte- Kirai

Punjabi Name- Itsit

Marathi Name- Ghetuli

Assamese name – pananua

Bengali name punarnova

Chinese name: 黄细心 huang xi xin

French name (Fr. Guiana): ipecacuanha de Cayenne

Gujarati name: સાતૉડી satodi

Hindi name: गधा कंद gadha-cand, Gadahpurna, Gadah bindo

Kannada name: komme

Konkani name: पुनर्नवा punarnava

Malayalam name: talutama, tavilama

Marathi name: घेटोळी ghetoli, घेटूळ ghetula, पुनर्नवा punarnava, वसू vasu

Nepalese name: पुनरनभा punarnava

Portuguese name (Brazil): agarra-pinto, celidônia, pega-pinto

Spanish name: hierba de cabro

Tamil name: மூக்குரட்டைக்கொடி mukkurttaikkoti, Mukaratee-Kirei

Telugu name: అటకమామిడి atakamamidi, పునర్నవ punar-nava

Urdu name: tukhm-i-ispast

(white variety is known as Horse Purslane in English and Gulijeru in Telugu)

Photo courtesy: Sheji Ramkumar

Sanskrit Synonyms –

Punarnava, Punarbhu – Punar means again Nava means new. The plant dies of in a year and with the same root, next year, it regrows. Hence the name. Also, Punarnava is an excellent anti aging herb. It makes the body new again, so the name Punarnava.

Katilla, Kathillaka, Shilatika, Varhsabhu, Jatila, Shivatika, Vruscheera,

Shophaghni, Shothaghni – Useful in relieving inflammation, swelling

Classical Categorization

Charaka –

Vayahsthapana – anti aging group of herbs

Kasahara – group of herbs useful against cough

Anuvasanopaga – Group of herbs useful in oil enema

Svedopaga – useful in sweating treatment

Sushruta-Vidarigandhadi Gana

Punarnava – Hogweed – Different varieties

Two types of Punarnava are explained.

Shweta – white variety (based on color of stem and flower) – also known as Varshabhu – Trianthema portulacastrum Linn (AIZOACEAE)

Rakta – red variety (based on color of stem and flower)- Boerhaavia diffusa.

In Raja nighantu another variety “Nila Punarnava” – Blue variety, is also described.

Distribution:

It is found in many places of Africa, North and South America, Myanmar, China, India.

Boerhavia diffusa Chemical Constituents

Hentriacontane, B-sitosterol, Oxalicacid, D- glucose, Punarnavoside, Punarnavine-1, Punarnavine-2 Boeravinones A,B,C etc

T. Portulacastrum- Trianthemine and ecdysterone.

It also contains two rotenoids – Boeravinones G and H

(Reference: Illustrated Dravyaguna Vijnana, Vol. II, by Dr JLN Shastry)

Punarnava medicinal Properties

Rasa (taste) – Madhura (sweet), Tikta (bitter), Kashaya (astringent)

Guna (qualities)- Laghu (lightness), Rooksha (dryness)

Vipaka- Katu – Undergoes pungent taste conversion after digestion.

Veerya- Ushna – Hot potency

Effect on Tridosha – Balances Kapha and Vata Dosha.

Bhavaprakasha – Rakta Punarnava as Sheeta Veerya -coolant

Part Used- Whole plant, root, and leaf

Dosage- fresh Juice 5-10 ml, powder 1-3 g. Decoction (Kashaya) – 50 – 100ml in divided dose, per day.

Rakta Punarnava – Boerhaavia diffusa medicinal uses

Shotha Nashana, Shophahara – Reduces swelling, anti inflammatory

Panduhara – Useful in anemia, early stage of liver disorders

Hrudrogajit – Useful in cardiac disorders.

Punarnava is an excellent diuretic. In cases of high blood pressure requiring diuretic action, punarnava is used.

Kasanut – useful in cough and cold

Kaphapaha – relieves sputum

Urakshata – useful in chest injury

Shulanut – useful in relieving pain, abdominal colic.

Raktapradaradoshaghna – Useful in heavy periods, menorrhagia

Kshara – slightly alkaline in nature, scraping, cutting qualities

Deepani – improves digestion strength

Ruchya – improves taste, useful in anorexia

Arsha – useful in Hemorrhoids

Vranahara – speeds up wound healing

Udarahara – Useful in ascites

Gara Visha – Useful in chronic toxic conditions

Because of its diuretic action, it can be used in relieving urinary retention, where structural anomaly is not the cause for the retention.

It is also quite useful in relieving water retention as in case of adverse effects of long term use of steroids.

Its seeds are used for the purpose of aphrodisiac treatment.

Its root decoction (Kashaya) is used in treating snake bites, rat bites etc.

Varshabhu – Shweta Punarnava – White variety – Trianthema portulacastrum Linn

Ushna – hot

Tikta – bitter

Kaphahara – relieves sputum

Most of the qualities are quite similar to the red variety.

Raja Nighantu has explained about Neela Punarnava (blue varient) with almost similar qualities and usage)

Boerhavia side effects

Because it acts as diuretic, it needs to be used with caution in patients with high BP and kidney disorders.

Safe to use during lactation period and in children. Medical supervision is required during pregnancy, to use it.

Research:

A quinolone alkaloid, lunamarine, isolated from Spreading hogweed has shown some in vitro anticancer activity.

Anti-microbial properties

Phytochemical screening

Pharmacology

Ayurvedic medicines with Punarnava Ingredient:

Punarnava Mandur Tablets – A very famous Iron based tablet with Punarnava as main ingredient, used in the treatment of Anemia, splenomegaly, piles, fever etc, it is especially used in children.

Punarnavadi Guggulu – used in the treatment of gout, sciatica, low back ache etc.

Narayan Oil – used in the treatment of many neuro- muscular and skeleto-muscular conditions, such as arthritis, neuralgia.

Sukumaram kashayam – Useful in constipation, menstrual pain

Amritaprasha Ghrita – Used for the treatment of burning sensation, fever, bleeding disorders, cough, etc