Kakanasa Bhed

Sanskrit name

Kaknasa

Identification No.

SDACH/HG/168

Botanical name

Asclepias curassavica

Family name

Asclepiadaceae (Apocynaceae subfamily)

Vernacular names

Hindi: Kaknasa
English: Wild cotton
Tamil: Vellikkanthal
Malayalam: Kakkonam
Kannada: Kakkanasa

Synonyms (Bhav Prakash)

काकनासा तु काकाङ्गी काकतुण्डफला च सा ॥२४८॥काकनासा कषायोष्णा कटुका रसपाकयोः । कफघ्नी वामनी तिक्ता शोथार्शश्वित्रकुष्ठहृत् ॥२४९॥

Classification


Bhav Prakash: Mentioned in guduchyadi Varga

Habitat & Distribution

Found in tropical and subtropical regions of India, especially in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and parts of southern India. It grows in dry, arid zones and hedges.

Morphology

A twining or scrambling shrub with slender, wiry branches. Leaves are ovate-lanceolate, opposite. Flowers small, greenish-purple in axillary clusters. Fruits are slender, fusiform follicles with seeds having silky hairs.

Substitute / Adulterant

No major substitutes or adulterants documented. Sometimes confused with similar twining Asclepiadaceous plants.

Phytochemicals

Alkaloids, Triterpenoids, Flavonoids, Saponins, Glycosides

Raspanchaka

Rasa: Tikta, Kashaya
Guna: Laghu, Ruksha
Virya: Sheeta
Vipaka: Katu
Prabhava: Nasarogahara
Dosha shamakta: Pitta-Kapha hara

Karma (Rogaghnata)

Shwasahara (relieves asthma), Kaphaghna, Kandughna (anti-pruritic), Nasarogahara (beneficial in nasal disorders), Krimighna (anthelmintic)

Amayika Prayoga / Therapeutic Uses

External: Useful in skin diseases, nasal applications, and swelling
Internal: Used in cough, asthma, nasal congestion, and internal worm infestations

Part used

Root, leaves, and whole plant

Dose

Powder: 1–3 grams; Decoction: 20–50 ml

Yoga/Formulations

Used in Nasya oils, decoctions for cough and asthma, and formulations for skin and nasal diseases

IUCN Status

Not Evaluated (NE)

Research Updates

2020: Antimicrobial efficacy against skin pathogens (Journal of Ethnobotany)
2021: Anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of root extract (Phytomedicine Research)
2022: Phytochemical screening and antioxidant activity reported (Indian Journal of Natural Products)

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