Mikania cordata Health Dictionary

(Burm.) B. L. Robinson.

Synonym: M. micrantha Kunth. M. scandans Hook. f. non-Willd.

Family: Asteraceae; Compositae.

Habitat: West Bengal, eastern Assam, as a weed in tea gardens; sal and other forests and waste lands. Distributed in tropical America, Africa and Asia.

Folk: Mikaaniaa.

Action: Root—anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, adaptogenic.

Stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol and sesquiterpene dilactones, mikanolide, dihydromikanolide, deoxymikanolide and scandenolide have been isolated from the weed.

The root extract exhibited anti-inflammatory activity; reduced carra- geenan-induced paw oedema in experimental rats.

The methanolic extract of the root showed CNS deperssant action. It showed reduction in spontaneous motility, hypothermia, potentiation of pentobarbitone sleeping time, analgesia, suppression of aggressive behaviour and antagonism to amphetamine toxicity on experimental animals.

The methanolic extract of the root exhibited adaptogenic activity against a variety of stress-induced effects in albino rats.

The chemoprotective, anticarcino- genic and hepatoprotective effect of the methanolic extract of the root were also evaluated in animal studies. Chemical carcinogens were reduced in the liver of rats treated with the plant extract. The root extract induced recovery from carbon tetrachloride-induced damage to liver tissues in mice.