Plumbago zeylanica (Hindi-Chitrak/Chitramol, Sanskrit-Chitra/Chitraka, Assamese-Boga agechita, Bengali-Safaid-sitarak, Oriya-Ogni, Marathi-Chitramul, Kannada-Chitramulika/Chitramula, Telugu-Chitramolam/Kodiveli, Tamil-Chita/Karimai/Chittiramoolam, Malayalam-Vellakoduveli, Punjabi-Chitra, Gujarati-Chitrakmula, Popular-White Leadwort/Plumbago/Chitraka)Plumbaginaceae. It is an evergreen, perennial plant with long and tuberous roots and straight stems growing upto 0.5-1.0 m. It grows throughout India especially in Bengal, UP, South India in moist places. It is distributed as a weed throughout the tropical and subtropical countries of the world. It is native to SE Asia. It is distributed throughout most of the tropics and subtropics growing from sea level upto 2000 m altitude. The leaves are simple, ovate, elliptical or oblong, 0.5-12 cm long, with a tapering base and often with a hairy margin. The flowers are white in elongate spikes and bloom round the year. Fruit is a oblong capsule, 4-5 mm long. Seeds are oblong, dark purplish and 4 mm long. It has been used in traditional medicine from thousands of years. It is very popular, especially in parts of Africa and Asia as a treatment for a range of skin problems and intestinal worms. In India, this herb holds an important place among medicinal herbs since ancient times. The herbal medicines such as Dabur Chitrak Haritaki, Medohar Guggulu, etc.,use the herb extracts in different amounts. It has antioxidant, antibacterial, anti inflammatory, antifungal, anticancer, abortifacient, antifertility, digestive, stimulant, wound healing, laxative, aphrodisiac, expectorant, rejuvenator, antitumor, diaphoretic, rubefacient, emnenagogue, antimalarial, antiviral, analgesic, tonic and appetizer activities. It is effectively used in the enlarged liver and spleen. It relieves the obstructed phlegm in chronic colds and coughs. Seed decoction is prescribed to reduce muscular pain. Juice from the roots is used as a tattoo pigment that can range from navy blue to black. Roots are used internally as an abortifacient in the early stages of pregnancy. The crushed leaves are applied as a poultice to treat leprosy, scabies, ringworms, dermatitis, acne, sores, ulcers of the leg, hemorrhoids, hookworms, rheumatism and headaches. Chewing the leaves or drinking a decoction is used as an emnenagogue, but may also act as an abortifacient in the early stages of pregnancy. The root infusion is taken orally to treat shortness of breath. Powdered root, bark or leaves are used to treat gonorrhea, syphilis and tuberculosis. High doses, taken internally, may cause death from respiratory failure and paralysis. The main phytoconstituents are plumbagin, napthaquinone, chitanone, zelanone, flavonoids, terpenoids and steroids.
– Mukherjee Bk
