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Some plants are recognised for their presence of essential oils and distinctive aroma. Such aromatic plants are nature’s fragrant treasures and have been used in religious rituals, herbal
medicine, and personal care since ancient times. One such aromatic plant is sweet
flag, botanically known as Acorus calamus L. from the Acoraceae
family of flowering plants. It has a pleasant and sweet aroma and a bitter and pungent
taste. Sweet flag has been valued since ancient times for its medicinal,
aromatic, and spiritual properties. It finds a prominent place in many
traditional systems of medicine, such as Ayurveda, Unani, and Chinese medicine.
Sweet flag has been used as a flavouring agent in dishes and drinks in Europe
and North America for centuries. However, the use of sweet flag has been banned in the USA
due to health concerns of β-asarone, one of its phytochemicals. β-asarone has
been reported to be carcinogenic in animal studies. Many
lyrical proverbs on the significance of plants can be heard in our rural villages.
One of the famous proverbs about sweet flag in Himachal Pradesh is:
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).
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Common Names |
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Sweet Flag, Calamus, Flagroot, Sweet cane, Sweet grass, Sweetroot,
Sweet rush Hindi: Bach, Ghorbach, Safed bach Sanskrit: Vacha, Bach, Bhadra, Vach Marathi: Vekhand Tamil: Vashambu, pullai-valathi Malayalam: vaembu, vashampa Kannada: Baje, Vacha, Athibaje, Kavana, Dagaḍe,
Naaruberu Bengali: Bach, Ghorabach Assamese: Bach (Source: eFloraofIndia) |
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
Sweet flag is a semi-aquatic,
perennial aromatic herb that grows to a height of 1–1.5 meters in marshy
places and in wetlands. The herbaceous plant has a thick, creeping, yellowish-brown,
aromatic and branched rhizome covered with leaf bases. The aromatic rhizome is whitish
from inside and has a characteristic sweet and spicy fragrance. The leaves are
long, narrow, and sword-shaped, resembling those of the cattail plant. They are
shiny green, erect, and have a wavy margin with a prominent midrib. Flowers are
aggregated in an inflorescence known as a spadix. Flowers are small,
greenish-yellow flowers. Fruit and seed formation are rare in sweet flag. It
usually reproduces vegetatively through its rhizomes.
DISTRIBUTION
Sweet flag is native to
India, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, growing in moist, marshy places in sub-temperate
to sub-tropical climates. However, it was introduced to many countries of the
world, where it has become naturalised now. In India, it commonly grows in the
Himalayan foothills, Assam, other northeastern states, as well as in parts of
southern India.
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS
Many phytochemicals
have been reported in sweet flag. The most common ones are β-Asarone, α-Asarone
(major constituent of the essential oil responsible for its aroma and
pharmacological activity), Acorin (a bitter glycoside with tonic properties), Eugenol,
Calamenol, Calamendiol, Calamol (responsible for the fragrance), Tannins,
Saponins, and mucilage. β-asarone has been reported to be potentially
carcinogenic in large doses in animal studies, leading to restrictions on the
use of sweet flag oil in food and beverages in European countries and a ban in the USA.
MEDICINAL USES
i. Neurological Disorders
Vacha (sweet flag) is used to
improve memory, treat epilepsy, insomnia, hysteria, and enhance speech in
Ayurveda.
ii. Prevention of Cognitive Decline
Modern experimental studies have proved that sweet
flag is able to prevent cognitive decline in humans.
iii. Skin and Wound Healing
The rhizome paste of sweet flag is applied
externally to heal skin eruptions and wounds in traditional medicine.
iv. Respiratory Ailments
Vacha is a good expectorant
and is used to treat cough, bronchitis, and asthma by the folk healers.
v. Digestive Aid
The rhizome of sweet flag is used as a
carminative, stomachic, and antispasmodic to relieve indigestion, flatulence,
and colic in ethnomedicine.
vi. As an Anthelmintic
Decoction of the rhizome of sweet flag is used to
expel intestinal worms.
vii. Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory
The rhizome of sweet flag has been reported to
possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
viii. Antimicrobial and Antifungal Activity
Sweet flag has been reported to possess antimicrobial
and antifungal activity
ix. Analgesic and Sedative properties
The rhizome of sweet flag has been reported to
possess analgesic and sedative properties.
3. INDUSTRIAL USES
i. Use in Perfumery: The essential oil of sweet flag
is used in perfumes, soaps, and cosmetics for its sweet and spicy aroma.
ii. Flavouring Agent in Food and Beverages: Sweet flag has been used as a flavouring
agent in alcoholic beverages and some food items historically. However, it has
been restricted now due to safety concerns of β-asarone.
iii. Insect Repellent: Dried rhizomes of sweet flag can be used to repel insects and rodents.
4. RELIGIOUS & CULTURAL USES
Sweet flag is used as a purifying herb in many rituals in India.
TOXICITY AND SAFETY CONCERNS
Although sweet flag has
long been used medicinally for ages, β-asarone has been reported to be carcinogenic
(cancer-causing) and hepatotoxic (damages the liver) in laboratory animals. American
and European regulatory agencies have prohibited the use of β-asarone-rich
calamus oil in food products. Diploid Indian varieties have been reported to contain
little or no β-asarone and are still used in traditional medicine.
CONCLUSION
Acorus calamus is an ancient herb of
immense ethnobotanical importance. Revered as Vacha in Ayurvedic texts,
it embodies the synergy between aroma, intellect, and healing. While its
traditional uses are numerous, recent experimental studies require caution
regarding its dosage and preparation due to potential toxicity in animal models.
It holds a promising role in the fields of neurology, phytotherapy, and natural
product chemistry after toxicity evaluation through various methods.
