Linn.Family: Nyctaginaceae.
Habitat: North-West Himalayas, Bengal and Manipur.
English: Four-O'Clock Plant, Marvel of Peru.Ayurvedic: Trisandhi.Unani: Gul-abbaas.Siddha/Tamil: Andhimalligai.Action: Leaf—used for treating uterine discharge; as poultice for abscesses and boils; fresh juice is applied to body in urticaria, also for inflammations and bruises. Tuber— used as a poultice on carbuncles. Root—mild purgative, spasmolytic.
The tuberous roots were erroneously thought to be the source of jalap.The plant is used for its antitumour and virus-inhibitory activity.The plant contains triterpenes, al- pha-amyrin and its acetate. Mirabilis Antiviral Protein (MAP) was isolated from the tuberous roots. MAP also showed antiproliferative effect on tumour cells. (MAP is abortifacient.)Two Mirabilis jalapa antimicrobial proteins, Mj-AMP-1 and Mj-AMP-2, isolated from seeds, showed broad spectrum antifungal actvity involving a number of pathogenic fungi.Miraxanthins I, II, III and IV, indi- caxanthin and vulgaxanthin have been isolated from flowers.
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