Swertia densifolia Health Dictionary

C. B. Clarke.

Synonym: S. angustifolia Buch.- Ham ex. D. Don var. pulchella Burkill.

Family: Gentianaceae.

Habitat: Sub-tropical Himalaya from Himachal Pradesh to Bhutan, the Khasi and Lushai Hills, Manipur at 300-1,800 m. Bihar and Peninsular India up to 1,800 m.

Ayurvedic: Kiraatatikta (related species).

Action: Febrifuge and bitter tonic.... swertia affinis

Buch.-Ham ex D. Don.

Family: Gentianaceae.

Habitat: Sub-tropical Himalaya from Kashmir to Bhutan.

Ayurvedic: Kiraata (sweet var.).

Folk: Pahaari Kiretta, Mithaa (sweet) Kiryaat.

Action: Used as a substitute for S. chirayita. (Inferior in bitter tonic properties.)

Aerial parts gave ursolic acid, xan- thones and beta-sitosterol. Several tetra-and pentaoxygenated xanthones have been isolated from the plant.... swertia angustifolia

(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

(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.... swertia ciliata

Burkill.

Synonym: S. corymbosa var. lawii C. B. Clarke.

Family: Gentianaceae.

Habitat: Western Ghats from Maharashtra to South Kanara at 1,200 m.

Ayurvedic: Kiraatatikta (related species).

Action: Used as a substitute for Swertia chirayita.

Whole plant gave a number of xan- thones. Erythrocentaurin has also been reported from the plant.... swertia lawii

Wall.

Synonym: Ophelia paniculata (Wall.) D. Don O. wallichii G. Don

Family: Gentianaceae.

Habitat: The Himalaya from Kashmir to Bhutan and in Lushai Hills in Mizoram at 1,500-2,400 m.

Action: Used as a substitute for Swertia chirayita.

The root gave xanthones (including swerchirin and bellidifolin); flavone- C-glycosides—swertisin and homoori- entin. The plant gave polyoxygenated xanthones and xanthone-O-glucosi- des; also a pentacyclic triterpenehed- eragenin. Aerial parts, in addition to xanthones, contain ursolic acid.... swertia paniculata