Ageratum conyzoides Health Dictionary

Linn.

Family: Asteraceae, Compositae.

Habitat: Throughout India, up to an altitude of 1,800 m.

English: Goat Weed, White Weed.

Ayurvedic: Dochunty, Uchunti, Sahadevi (related sp.).

Action: Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, styptic.

The leaf is reported to contain stig- masterol (59.9%) and beta-sitosterol (26.7%) as major component of sterol faction. The dried flowering plant contains the pyrrolizidine alkaloids, lycop- samine and echinatine.

An aqueous extract of leaves is reported to show haemostatic activity. The plant extract exhibited muscle relaxant activity experimentally. The ethanolic extract (95%) of roots possesses anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

The aqueous extract of leaves exhibits antifungal and crude plant extract antibacterial properties.