Abstract

REVIEW OF ANDROGRAPHIS PANICULATA (BURM.F)

Dr. Nutan Sharma*, Dr. Omprakash Sharma and Dr. Naresh Garg

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Abstract

Andrographis paniculata [Burm. F] Nees is a potent drug used in Ayurveda, Siddha and Homoeopathy in many formulations and is effective in the treatment of various diseases like malaria, diabetes, viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, etc. For the long-term use in these conditions, establishment of safety of any given intervention is crucial. Hence in the present review the various journals, e-books, monographs, books, data base on medicinal plant, etc. from 1986 to 2010 and Ayurvedic classical text/ earliest literature on Indian Medicine like Charaka Samhita (400-500 A.D.), Sushruta Samhita (400-500 A.D.), Nighantus (500-1600 A.D.), etc. were searched manually and electronically for extracting the complete information about the plant. The particulars of pharmacological activities, drug interactions and contraindications were extracted from the published preclinical and clinical study reports focusing on the keywords, i.e. reported adverse effects and safety profile of the plant. Finally, the therapeutic safety of the plant extracts was concluded. The literature showed that in some preclinical animal studies, due to the bitter taste when the herb was given in very high dose it caused gastric discomfort, vomiting, loss of appetite, etc. However there are no adverse effects reported clinically when the plant is administered in human beings.

Keywords: Adverse event reports, Andrographis paniculata, contraindications, drug interactions, pharmacology, safety profile.