Justicia adhatoda
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Justicia adhatoda 1.jpg
|status = LC
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|taxon = Justicia adhatoda
|authority = L.
|synonyms =
{{Species list
|Adeloda serrata|Raf.
|Adhatoda pubescens|Moench
|Adhatoda vasica|Nees
|Adhatoda zeylanica|Medik.
|Dianthera latifolia|Salisb.
|Ecbolium adhatoda|(L.) Kuntze
|Gendarussa adhadota|(L.) Steud.
}}
}}
Justicia adhatoda commonly known in English as Malabar nut, adulsa, adhatoda, vasa, vasaka,{{ Cite encyclopedia | title = Common Names for Malabar Nut (Justicia adhatoda) | encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of Life | url = http://eol.org/pages/596715/names/common_names | accessdate=3 January 2013 }}{{cite journal|last1=Aslam|first1=Mohd|last2=Rais|first2=Sumbul|last3=Alam|first3=Masood|last4=Pugazhendi|first4=Arulazhagan|title=Adsorption of Hg(II) from Aqueous Solution Using Adulsa (Justicia adhatoda) Leaves Powder: Kinetic and Equilibrium Studies|journal=Journal of Chemistry|volume=2013|year=2013|pages=1–11|issn=2090-9063|doi=10.1155/2013/174807|doi-access=free}} is native to Asia.{{ Cite encyclopedia | title = Facts about for Malabar Nut which are not known (Justicia adhatoda) | encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of Life | url = http://eol.org/pages/596715/details | accessdate=3 January 2013 }} Adathoda means 'untouched by goats' in Tamil. The name derives from the fact that animals like goats do not eat this plant due to its extreme bitter taste.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}
The plant's native range is Afghanistan, the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka), Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. It has been introduced elsewhere.{{cite web |title=Justicia adhatoda L. |work=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:50237-1 |accessdate=2022-06-16 }}
It is used as a traditional medicinal plant.{{cite Banglapedia |article=Flora |author=M Iqbal Zuberi}}
Description
Justicia adhatoda is a shrub with 10-20 lance-shaped leaves 8-9 centimeters in length by four wide. They are oppositely arranged, smooth-edged, and borne on short petioles.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} When dry they are of a dull brownish-green colour. They are bitter-tasting. When a leaf is cleared with chloral hydrate and examined microscopically the oval stomata can be seen. They are surrounded by two crescent-shaped cells at right angles to the ostiole. The epidermis bears simple one- to three-celled warty hairs, and small glandular hairs. Cystoliths occur beneath the epidermis of the underside of the blade.Kumar, M., Dandapat, S., Kumar, A. and Sinha, M.P. Anti-typhoid activity of Adhatoda vasica and Vitex negundo Persian Gulf Crop Protection, 2013; 2(3): 64-75 http://corpprotection.ir/files_site/paperlist/Journal2-3-130906213336.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529085815/http://corpprotection.ir/files_site/paperlist/Journal2-3-130906213336.pdf |date=2015-05-29 }}
The trunk has many long opposite ascending branches, where the bark is yellowish in color. Flowers are usually white and the inflorescence shows large, dense, axillary spikes. Fruits are pubescent, and are with club-shaped capsules.
Chemical composition
The leaves of Justicia adhatoda contains phytochemicals such as alkaloids, tannins, saponins, phenolics and flavonoids.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} The most important is vasicine, a quinazoline alkaloid. The vasicine yield of the herbage has been measured as 0.541 to 1.1% by dry weight. Bromhexine, a serine protease inhibitor with mucolytic properties available over-the-counter in Europe, was developed from research on Justicia adhatoda.{{Cite journal|doi = 10.1186/s40248-017-0088-1|title = A reappraisal of the mucoactive activity and clinical efficacy of bromhexine|year = 2017|last1 = Zanasi|first1 = Alessandro|last2 = Mazzolini|first2 = Massimiliano|last3 = Kantar|first3 = Ahmad|journal = Multidisciplinary Respiratory Medicine|volume = 12|page = 7|pmid = 28331610|pmc = 5359817 | doi-access=free }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons}}
{{Wiktionary|malabar nut}}
- [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=110&taxon_id=220006995 Flora of Nepal: Justicia adhatoda]
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q61022811|from2=Q926757}}
Category:Flora of the Indian subcontinent
Category:Plants described in 1753
Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus