Wedelia calendulaceae Health Dictionary

Less. non-Rich.

Synonym: W chinensis Merrill.

Family: Compositae; Asteraceae.

Habitat: Bengal, Assam, Konkan, and Tamil Nadu.

Ayurvedic: Bhringaraaja (yellow- flowered var.), Pitabhringi, Pitabhringa-raaja, Avanti, Ke- sharaaja, Kesharaaga.

Siddha/Tamil: Manjal karisaalai, Potralai kaiyan tagarai, Patalai Kaiantakerai.

Action: Leaves—bechic; used in alopecia, juice used for dyeing hair and for promoting hair growth. Plant—deobstruent; used in menorrhagia and abdominal swellings, as a tonic for hepatic and splenic enlargement.

See Eclipta alba.

The expressed juice of the herb contained an oil-soluble black dye 11.2; tannin 220; saponin 500 (contradictory reports) and phytosterol 3.75 mg/100 g among other constituents. The leaves contain isoflavonoids.

The bisdesmosidic oleanolic acid saponins have been isolated from the fresh leaves. Significant hepatoprotec- tive activity has been found in the pro- saponin from ginsenoside Ro (chiku- setsusaponinV); and in coumestans, wedelolactone and demethyl wedelo- lactone, isolated from the methanol extract of the herb.

Wedelolactone has also been found to be a potent and selective 5-lipoxy- genase-inhibitor, the process being an oxygen radical scavenger mechanism.

Wedelolactone (0.05%), isolated from the leaves, is analogous in structure to coumestrol, an estrogen from Melilotus sp. (clover).

Family: Rubiaceae.

Habitat: Sub-Himalayan region, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Ayurvedic: Tilaka.

Folk: Tiliyaa (Bihar), Tilki, Mimri (Bengal).

Action: Bark—administered in urinary affections.