(D. Don) Burtt.
Synonym: S. purpurascens Wall. ex C. B. Clarke.
Family: Gentianaceae.
Habitat: From Konkan to Kerala at 1,500-2,000 m.
Ayurvedic: Shailaja, Kiraatatikta (related species).
Action: A substitute for S. chirayita. The whole plant contains a number of tetraoxygenated and pentaoxygenated xanthones.
(Roxb. ex Flem.) Karst.
Synonym: S. chirata (Wall.) C. B. Clarke.S. tongluensis Burkill. Gentiana chirayita Roxb. ex Flem. G. chirata Wall. Ophelia chirata Griseb.
Family: Gentianaceae.
Habitat: Temperate Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan and in Khasi Hills.
English: Chiretta.
Ayurvedic: Kiraata, Kairaata, Kiraataka, Kandatikta, Kiraatatikta, Kiraatatiktaka, Katutikta, Trin- nimba, Bhuunimba, Aranyatikta, Raamasenaka. Bhuunimba (also equated with Andrographis paniculata).
Unani: Chiraitaa.
Siddha: Nilavembu.
Action: Blood purifier and bitter tonic (The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India); used in skin diseases. Other properties: antiinflammatory (experimentally, the benzene extract was comparable with phenylbutazone and betamethasone in induced arthritis); hypoglycaemic (xanthone, swerchirin, lowers blood sugar), astringent, stomachic (in dyspepsia and diarrhoea); antimalarial (before the discovery of Peruvian bark), anthelmintic; antiasthmatic, bechic; and as a liver tonic (several active principles are hepatoprotective).
The herb contains oxygenated xan- thone derivatives, including decus- satin, mangiferin, swerchirin, swer- tianin, isobellidifolin; iridoids including chiratin, alkaloids including gen- tianine, gentiocrucine, enicoflavine and glycosyl flavones.Antitubercular activity has been claimed in xanthones. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)Green chiretta is equated with Andrographis paniculata Nees, Acantha- ceae.
Dosage: Whole plant—1-3 g powder; 20-30 g for decoction. (API, Vol. I.)... swertia chirayita
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