Vasaka: More than a Weed

 

Flowers of Vasaka/ Malabar nut 

Nature has bestowed mankind with many miraculous and magical herbs to take care of various health issues. One such magical plant is Vasaka or Adusa, known as Malabar nut in English. Botanically, it is known as Justicia adhatoda (Family- Acanthaceae). The generic name is derived from the name of 18^th century Scottish botanist and horticulturist James Justice and the specific epithet is derived from Tamil (adatodai) and Sinhalese (adathoda) names for this plant. It is widely distributed from Afghanistan to Indo-China, growing primarily in seasonally dry tropical habitats. Vasaka plants find extensive use in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Sowa Rigpa systems of medicines practiced in India. In Himachal Pradesh, it is known as Basuti or Bansti. There is a popular pahari saying in H.P.:

Jithee Banah, Basuti, Varya                                       जिथी बना, बसूटी, वरया,

Uthee Aadmi Bemaut Kadi Ni Marya                              ऊथी आदमी बेमौत कदी नी मरया

(Meaning: Where the chaste tree (Vitex negundo; Nirgundi), Malabar nut (Justicia adhatoda; Adusa, Vasaka), and sweet flag (Acorus calamus; Vach) occur, no one can die of diseases)

Morphology

Vasaka Shrub

Malabar nut is a shrub growing up to 4 m tall. The branches are thick, woody, and 4-angled. Leaves are simple, petiolate, and puberulent; leaf blade ovate to elliptic-ovate, abaxially puberulent, adaxially densely tomentose when young. The inflorescence is a terminal or axillary spike with white flowers looking like the head of a lion (also known as Sinhparni in Hindi due to this characteristic). Flowers are up to 3 cm long, nearly sessile, with broadly-elliptic, leafy, and pubescent bracts and elliptic-oblong to lanceolate bracteoles. The calyx is 5-lobed, lobes linear-lanceolate, acute, puberulous, and imbricate. Corolla is white or pale-white, tube 1.2-1.5 cm long, pubescent outside, throat villous, limb 2-lipped, upper lip erect, shortly bifid, lower lip with 3 elliptic, obtuse lobes. Stamens 2, anthers oblong. Fruit stipitate, broadly clavate, and 4-seeded capsule. The seeds are flat and circular in outline. Flowering takes place from February to June.

Freshly collected flowers for tea and preservation

Chemical Constituents

Mostly, leaves and roots are used medicinally. However, flowers can also be used if available. The medicinal properties are attributed to the presence of quinazoline alkaloids. Six major quinazoline alkaloids isolated from leaves are vasicine (also known as peganine; up to 1%.), vasicoline, vasicolinone, vasicinone, adhatodine and anisotine. Adhatodic acid is also present in considerable quantity. Other phytoconstituents found in the leaves are anisotinine, betaine, vasakin, vasicinine and vasicinol.

Chemical structure of Vasacine (also known as peganine)

Chemical structure of Vasicinone

Inflorescence of Vasaka

Medicinal Uses

Vasaka leaves and roots have been widely used for treating common health problems in India such as cough, cold and bronchial asthma for centuries. Some of the medicinal uses are listed below:

Vasaka flowers tea

1. For Cough: Leaf extract has an excellent mucolytic property and is used in cough to clear the lungs. It is an integral part of Ayurvedic cough syrups. An allopathic cough syrup, bromhexine, was originally prepared from this plant (now synthetic analogue is used) and was a drug of choice in Europe. In guinea pigs, it exhibits activity similar to codeine.
   
   Cough Syrup containing vasaka as a major constituent
   (Photo source: Amazon India)
2. Bronchodilator: The use of leaf extract opens the blocked bronchioles due to its strong anti-inflammatory and mucolytic activity. Vasicinone and vasicine are responsible for this activity and are responsible for relief from asthma.
3. Antitubercular Activity: The plant extract is reported to be useful in tuberculosis. Phytochemical vasicine is effective in suppressing the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
4. Useful in Gastric Ulcers: Leaf powder shows considerable gastric antiulcer activity in rats.
5.  Hepatoprotective: A significant hepatoprotective effect of aqueous leaf extract has been reported in rats.
6. Protection Against Oxidative Stress: Leaf extract has a protective effect against oxidative stress induced by free radicals and other oxidizing agents. Vasicine is suggested to be responsible for its antioxidant activity.
7. Remedy for Pyorrhoea: Massaging inflamed gums with leaf extract or powder reduces inflammation and bleeding and cures pyorrhoea. Earlier, people used to chew its stems as country brushes to take care of oral health. 
8.  Anti-Inflammatory Activity: Quinazoline alkaloids vasicine, and vasicinone exhibit potent anti-inflammatory activity.
9. Haemostatic Property: Leaf extract is reported to stop bleeding from cuts and wounds.

 

Petals preserved in honey for use in cough

Caution

Vasicine has been reported to exhibit abortifacient activity. Users are advised to consult a medical practitioner before using the plant as medicine.

Toxicity

Not reported in the literature.