Althernanthra sessilis: Classification, Distribution, Characteristics, Chemical Constituents, and Uses
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Alternanthera
Species: Alternanthera sessilis
Vernacular Names: Gudrisag, Chanchi, Haicha, Sachishak, Kanchari
Introduction
Alternanthera sessilis (L.) DC. In Maharashtra, it’s known as Kateri or Kanchari. It’s a perennial or annual prostate herb. Approximately sixteen species are found in the tropics and subtropics of India’s hotter regions. Seeds are used to reproduce the plant. Bitter, astringent, acrid, cooling, constipating, and febrifuge, the plant is bitter, astringent, acrid, cooling, constipating, and febrifuge. It helps with kapha and pitta vitiation, burning sensations, diarrhoea, skin disease, and fever. It’s a medicinal substance that can be used to treat inflammation and arthritis. Aerial portions were shown to have strong hypoglycemic and antibacterial properties. Southeast Asia eats young shoots and leaves as a vegetable. Leaves have significant antioxidant capabilities in general, thus they are recommended to be included in our regular diet to protect us from widespread chronic diseases. It is a South Odisa edible leafy vegetable that has a significant number of readily available nutrients. Its frequent consumption can help with a variety of health issues, including a lot of malnutrition and even curing dangerous diseases like cancer.
Distribution
The herb is used to treat gonorrhea, sperm count, and leucorrhea in Bangladesh’s Noakhali district. The herbs are utilized by folk medical practitioners to cure acute pain in numerous areas of Bangladesh’s Faridapur and Rajbari districts. The herb is used to treat bleeding dysentery by tribals in India’s Bargarh area. The herb is used to cure ulcers, cuts, and wounds by many people in India’s Uttra Khannada area. Headaches, hepatitis, and asthama are treated with the herb by the Irula tribals of Kalavai, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India.
Characteristics
1. Alternanthera sessilis Linn. (Amaranthaceae) is an annual or perennial prostrate plant with numerous spreading branches bearing short petioled simple leaves and little white flowers that can be found across the hotter parts of India, reaching altitudes of 1200m.
2. Seeds are disseminated by wind and water, and the plant spreads by roots at stem nodes. Southeast Asia eats young shoots and leaves as a vegetable.
3. It grows as a weed in tropical rice fields, as well as other cereal crops, sugarcane, and bananas. Even though it is a weed, it has numerous uses.
4. The leaves are simple, opposite, petiolate or sessile, broadly lanceolate or spatulate to practically linear, 0.6-5 cm long and 0.3-1 cm wide, and are 0.6-5 cm long and 0.3-1 cm wide.
5. They have whole, glabrous, or pilose (thin, fine, articulate hairs) borders and are attenuated at the base and sharp blunt at the apex.
6. Perianth segments are equal in length, acute, 1.5-2.5 mm long with a short point; inflorescences are dense, sessile, silvery-white clusters of compressed spikes on the leaf axils.
7. Bracteoles are oblong-oval, 1-1.5 mm long, may be acute, and not deeply lacerated; bracts are ovate, concave, 0.3-1 mm long, and persistent. Sepals are 2-3 mm long, white or purplish, glossy with a green base, glabrous or with a few long hairs, glabrous or with a few long hairs, and a strong midrib.
8. The fruits are indehiscent, consisting of a little flattened obcordate or obovate utricle that encloses the seed and are 2-2.5 mm long.
9. Seeds are dark-brown to black in colour, disc-shaped, and lustrous, with a diameter of roughly 0.8-1 mm. They’re sensitive to light.
Chemical Constituents
Alternanthera contain hydrocarbons, esters, and sterols such as stigmasterol, campesterol, ß-sitosterol, a-and ßspinasterol, a-stigmasteanol, and sterol palmitates; it also contains 24-methylenecycloartanol and cycloeucalenol. Leaf saponins have been isolated. Lupeol can be found in the roots. Protein and iron can be found in young shoots. It also has 5-a -stigmasta-7- enol in it.
Uses
1. Eye illnesses, cuts, wounds, snakebite antidote, and skin ailments are all treated with leaves.
2. Alternanthera sessilis is well known for its wound-healing abilities. Hepatoprotective action has also been demonstrated in the aerial sections of the plant.
3. Histopathological tests demonstrated degenerative and necrotic alterations in the liver and kidney of Swiss mice induced by large dosages of Alternanthera sessilis water extract.
4. The ethanolic extract of Alternanthera sessilis Linn. has been shown to exhibit antibacterial activity against bacteria such as Bacillus polymexia, Salmonella typhii, Candida albicans, and others in studies. A decoction is suggested as a herbal treatment for wounds, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, cough, bronchitis, diarrhoea, and other therapeutic, protective, or promoter uses.Its root can be used to treat irritated sores.
5. Althernanthra sessilis is a native medication used to treat hepatitis, tight chest, bronchitis, asthma, and other lung problems. As an antihypertensive, the leaves and shoots are cooked and drank.