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ACORUS CALAMUS LINN.): a VALUABLE MEDICINAL PLANT Kour Gagan Deep1*, Sharma AK2, Dash Sanghamitra3, Bal Nigamanand1 *1P.G

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ACORUS CALAMUS LINN.): a VALUABLE MEDICINAL PLANT Kour Gagan Deep1*, Sharma AK2, Dash Sanghamitra3, Bal Nigamanand1 *1P.G Int. J. Ayur. Pharma Research, 2014;2(8):1-11 ISSN: 2322 - 0910 International Journal of Ayurveda and Pharma Research Review Article VACHA (ACORUS CALAMUS LINN.): A VALUABLE MEDICINAL PLANT Kour Gagan deep1*, Sharma AK2, Dash Sanghamitra3, Bal Nigamanand1 *1P.G. Scholar, 2Lecturer, Dept. of Dravyaguna, Rishikul State Ayurvedic College, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. 3Lecturer, Dept. of Rachna Sharir, MLR Ayurvedic College and hospital, Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, India. Received on: 28/11/2014 Revised on: 18/12/2014 Accepted on: 26/12/2014 ABSTRACT Last few decades have again shown a notable resurgence of interest in medicinal plants. The reason behind is the increasing awareness about the limitations of the synthetic chemotherapeutic agents. Now herbal medicines and natural products are in big demand all over the world. One of the important medicinal plant used in Ayurveda traditional medicine to treat different ailments and maintain health condition is Vacha (Acorus calamus Linn.). It is a herbaceous perennial belonging to family Araceae. Vacha is one of the most renowned herbs of the ancient Vedic seer as a rejuvenative for the brain and nervous system. Vacha stimulates the power of self expression and intelligence. Rhizome of Acorus calamus Linn. Contain calamediol, essential oil, tanning substances and vitamin - C. These constituents are valuable in a vast range of diseases. Vacha has a special potency as a nervine tonic. It is a very vigorous brain tonic, because it shows results in a very short time. It increases the overall memory of the person and strengthens the nervous system. Vacha is prescribed to people who have amnesia. Improving the memory is a quest on which human beings have embarked centuries ago. In almost all civilizations, there have been attempts to discover the best herbs for brain enhancement with minimum side- effects. Perhaps, Ayurveda wins the race in this. All the herbs Ayurveda uses for its brain tonics have minimum side-effects and are quite safe for the human beings. Western science is now warming up to these herbs and is looking upon them as effective supplements for the human brain. It works well in digestive ailments like flatulence, loss of appetite, distaste, abdominal dull pain and worms. Vacha relieves the phlegm, eases cough and asthma. It is also useful to reduce fever. It is also highly useful for the treatment of epilepsy and other mental ailments. KEYWORDS: Vacha, Acorus calamus Linn., Sweet flag, Brain tonic, Rasayana, Cough. INTRODUCTION Vacha (Acorus calamus Linn.) rhizomes indigenous to Central Asia and eastern Europe. It synonymously called sweet flag, sweet roots are has been used since time immemorial by the also known by the common names Golomi, inhabitants of these continents. Acorus calamusis Ugragandha, Vekhanda and Bach. Vacha has a one of the most renowned herbs used for mental special place in Ayurveda as it is a main Medhya diseases and diseases of the nervous system. In drug, which has the property of improving the Sanskrit, Vacha literally means speaking.[3] It is memory power and intellect. Poor memory, full of various pharmacological constituents like lower retention and slow recall are common cineol, copaene, cyperenone, cyperol, problems in today’s stressful and competitive cyperolone, kobusone, mustakone, sugenol, b- world. Age, stress, emotions are conditions that sitosterol etc.[4] Vacha is helpful to treat epilepsy, may led to memory loss, amnesia, anxiety, high mental ailments, chronic diarrhea, dysentery, blood pressure, dementia and to more ominous bronchial catarrh, intermittent and tumors. It threat like schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s also has the insecticidal, antifungal, antibacterial, diseases.[1] Vacha, Acorus calamus Linn, is an tranquilizing, antidiarrhoeal, antidyslipidemic, uncommon but widespread, semi-aquatic plant neuroprotective, antioxidant, anticholinesterase, of aquatic habitats in temperate to sub spasmolytic, vascular modulator.[5] It is useful in temperate regions.[2] It is an aromatic herb, Available online at: http://ijapr.in Page 1 Kour Gagan deep et al. Vacha (Acorus Calamus Linn.): A Valuable Medicinal Plant preparation of some important formulations like BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION Vachadi churna, Vachadi ghrita, Vachavaleha etc. Vacha (Acorus calamus Linn.) is a tall, VERNACULAR NAMES perennial wetland monocot, 1-4 feet tall of the Vacha is commonly known as Araceae or Acoraceae family. It is an aromatic “Shadgrantha, Golomi, Ugragranthi, Sataparvika, marsh herb with creeping root stock. The Jatila” in Sanskrit, “Bach” in Hindi and Bengali, seemingly numerous plants seen above ground “Sweet flag” in English, “Agri-turki” in Persian, in a population probably arise from a single “Godavaj” in Gujarat, “Vaj” in Bombay, “Vekhand” plant connected by an extensive underground in Marathi, “Vasa” in Telugu, “Vashambu” in rhizome.[33] Tamil, “Vayambu” in Malayalam, “Baje” in RHIZOME: The root system consists of shallow, Kannada, “Ekhanda” in Konkan, “Vacha, Bacch” branching rhizomes that are stout and knobby. in Unani, “Bojho” in Nepali and “Shobu” in Tufts of basal leaves occur at intervals along Japanese. [6],[7] these rhizomes while coarse fibrous roots The plant Acorus calamus Linn. is known develop below. The plant multiplies by its as Vacha and Swaralu because it is a potent drug rhizomes. Rhizome is long indefinite branched, used for improving voice. Vacha is a semi- smooth, pinkish or pale green. Internally the aquatic herb having reddish brown (Aruna), rhizome is whitish pink in color and pleasantly hairy (Golomi, Lomashi, Jatila) and intense aromatic, smelling of citrus, although it has a smelling (Ugragandha) rhizome which has many bitter taste. nodes (Sadagrantha, Sataparvika). Vacha is LEAVES: The basal leaves are erect and sword highly beneficial in reducing body weight shaped, resembling Iris leaves. They are (Karshani), arousing consciousness (Bodhniya, flattened and smooth along the margins. The Smarniya), relieving colic (Shulaghni) and leaves are few and distichously alternate whose destroying organisms (Bhutanashani, size is between 0.7 and 1.7 cm wide with Rakshoghni). Vacha is regarded generally as average of 1 cm. The sympoidal leaf of Acorus auspicious (Mangalya) [8],[9] calamus is shorter than that of the vegetative CLASSICAL REFERENCE leaves. The leaf has a single prominent midvein Acharya Charaka has categorized Vacha and then on both sides slightly raised secondary in Lekhaniya[10], Arshoghna[11], Triptighna[12], veins and many, fine tertiary veins. The margin Asthapnopaga[13], Shirovirechana[14], is curly edged or undulate. Botanists distinguish Sanjnasthapana[15], Sitaprashamana between the Acorus species by the number of Mahakashaya[16]. Charaka enumerated Haimvati prominent leaf veins as Acorus calamus Linn. has [34] (Shweta Vacha) under Mulini Varga[17]. only one. In Sushruta samhita, Vacha has been FLOWERS: Plants are very rarely flower or set found in Pippalyadi[18], Mustadi[19] and Vachadi fruit, but when they do, the flowers are 3 to 8 cm gana[20]. long cylindrical in shape, greenish brown and covered in a multitude of rounded spikes. The Acharya Vagbhatta has included the inflorescence consists of a leaf-like spathe and a plant Vacha in Mustadi[21], Vachadi[22], spike-like spadix, produced from the middle of Vatsakadi[23], Haridradi[24], Chardana[25] and the spathe, that is densely covered with yellow Niruhana varga[26]. and green flowers. The spadix, at the time of VARIETIES OF VACHA expansion, can reach a length between 4.9 and Bhavamishra quoted 5 different varieties 8.9 cm. Flowers blossom in early to late summer of Vacha in his Nighantu as Vacha[27] (Acorus depending on the latitude. [28] calamus Linn.), Parasika vacha (Iris germanica FRUITS: The fruits are found to be small and [29] Linn.), Mahabhari Vacha (Alpinia galangal berry like with few seeds.[35] Willd.), Sthulagranthi[30] (Zingiber zerumbet DISTRIBUTION Rosc.ex. Smith) and Dvipantra vacha[31] (Smilax china Linn). Acorus calamus is a native of both North America and Eurasia. However some authorities Thakur Bulwant Singhji reported that regard it as an introduced species that was Paris polyphylla Sm, a white rhizome is sold in originally native to India, Central Asia and Dehradun as Safed Vacha. He identified it as the Eastern Europe.[36] It is cultivated throughout “Dudha vacha” and it is the Nepali variety.[32] India in the marshy tracts of Kashmir, Shirmaur (Himachal Pradesh), Manipur, and in Nagahills and in the Koratagere taluka of Karnataka state Available online at: http://ijapr.in Page 2 Int. J. Ayur. Pharma Research, 2014;2(8):1-11 ISSN: 2322 - 0910 in peninsular India. The second fortnight of June PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITY is the best time for planting. It is a hard plant Methanolic extract of Acorus calamus found to grow in tropical and subtropical showed analgesic effect on the rat in a study climates.[37] done through the Writhing response and rat CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS caudal immersion method while the The dried rhizome of Acorus calamus anticonvulsant effect was studied through contain the yellow aromatic volatile oils having the Pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures asarone as a main constituent which contains method. The studies showed that Acorus the small quantity of sesquiterpenes and its calamus roots have significant anti- alcohols; the rhizome also contains the choline, inflammatory and anticonvulsant activity.[41] flavone, acoradin, galangin, acolamone, The anti spasmodic and antidiarrhoeal isocolamone and aerial parts of
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