BACOPA MONNIERI

Common name: Brahmi, Water Hyssop, Indian pennywort • Assamese: Brahmi • Bengali: Brahmi-sak • Gujarati: Jalanevari • Hindi: ब्राह्मी Brahmi • Kannada: Brahmi, Jalabrahmi • Manipuri: Brahmi-sak •Marathi: Brahmi • Nepali: मेधा गिरी Medha giree • Sanskrit: brahmi, gundala, indravalli, jalasaya • Tamil: நீர்ப்pராமி Nirbrahmi • Telugu: Sambrani chettu, Neeri sambraani mokka

Botanical name: Bacopa monnieri   

Family: Scrophulariaceae (Dog flower family)

Synonyms: Bramia indica, Bacopa monnieria, Herpestis monnieri

Introduction: Brahmi is a perennial, creeping herb whose habitat includes wetlands and muddy shores. The leaves of this plant are succulent and relatively thick. Leaves are oblanceolate and are arranged oppositely on the stem. Small flowers are borne in leaf axils. Flower stalk is 0.5-3.5 cm long. Bracteoles are 2, linear, below calyx. Sepals are 5, about 5 mm. Lower and upper sepals are ovate-lanceolate, lateral 2 sepals are lanceshaped to linear. Flowers are blue, purple, or white, 8-10 mm, obscurely 2-lipped. Capsule are narrowly ovoid, enveloped in persistent sepal-cup, tip pointed. Seeds are yellow-brown, ellipsoid, truncate at one end, longitudinally channeled.

Geographical distribution

The herb occurs throughout India in moist or wet

places.

Chemical composition

The herb contains brahmine and an alkaloid herpestine.

Medicinal uses:   Famed in Ayurvedic medicine, brahmi has antioxidant properties. It has been reported to reduce oxidation of fats in the blood stream, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. It has been used for centuries to help benefit epilepsy, memory capacity, increase concentration, and reduce stress-induced anxiety. It is listed as a nootropic, a drug that enhances cognitive ability. According to Ayurveda, it is bitter, pungent, heating, emetic, laxative and useful in bad ulcers, tumours, ascites, enlargement of spleen, indigestion, inflammations, leprosy, anaemia, biliousness etc. According to Unani system of medicine, it is bitter, aphrodisiac, good in scabies, leucoderma, syphilis etc. It is promising blood purifier and useful in diarrhea and fevers. The herb is a febrifuge and nervine and cardiac tonic, it is given in insanity, epilepsy, fever. A hot poultice of the plant is useful in acute bronchitis, cough and chest diseases of children.Dried leaves are an efficacious remedy for debility, nervous breakdown and other low dynamic conditions.

Folk medicinal uses

The leaf juice, in doses of a teaspoonful, is given to children in catarrh, bronchitis and diarrhoea. Fried leaves are eaten for relief of hoarseness of voice. The leaves are given in stoppage of urine accompanied by obstinate costiveness. Externally the leaf juice is applied to swellings, a good liniment for rheumatism is a mixture of the juice and petroleum. In the treatment of cough and cold, 10 gm. paste of the plant is given three times a day for 5 days.

Preparations

Brahmi-ghrita of Bengal.

Flowers : August-October Fruits : November-December