Nika Health Dictionary

C. B. Clarke.

Family: Compositae; Asteraceae.

Habitat: Punjab, Upper Gangetic plains, Gujarat, Rajasthan.

Ayurvedic: Raasnaa, Rasanaa, Raas- nikaa, Rasaa, Yuktaa, Yuktrasaa, Suvahaa, Elaaparni.

Folk: Vaaya-surai (Uttar Pradesh), Raayasan.

Action: Aerial parts—smooth muscle relaxant. Stem—antiinflammatory. Pluchea lanceolata is the source of Raasnaa in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Vanda roxburghii is used as Raasnaa in Bengal. Throughout South India, Alpinia galanga is accepted as Raasnaa.

The stem and leaves contain morete- nol, moretenol acetate, neolupenol, oc- tacosanoic, hexacosanoic and tetra- cosanoic acid, tetracosanol, hexaco- sanol, triacontanol, stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol-D-glucoside.

The petroleum extract of the stem and leaves and the chloroform-soluble portion of the methanolic extract exhibited 31.9% and 54.5% antioedema activity, respectively. The triterpenes, moretenol acetate, moretenol and ne- olupenol exhibited 55.2,32,8 and 39.7% anti-inflammatory activity respectively as against ibuprofen as standard exhibiting 65.5% activity.... pluchea lanceolata

(American) Form of Nika, meaning “displaying her true image” Quanikah, Quanica, Quanicka, Quanyka, Quanikka, Quaniqua, Quanykka, Quanique, Queenika, Quaniki, Quanyki, Quaneeka, Quaneaka... quanika