Botanical Name : Coleus amboinicus
Family : Lamiaceae Â
Identification No.: SDACH/HG/045
Introduction :
Latin name: Colens = Gk, koleos = a sheath (refering to the way the base of the stamens are combined); amboinicus ambo – pulpit = a raised platform.
In folk it is using for kidney stone.
Names in different Indian languages :
English : Indian Borage
Hindi : Patta ajavayin, patharcur
Kannada : Karpurahalli
Malayalam : Panikkurka, kannikurkka
Sanskrit : Parna-yavaani,
Tamil : Karpoorvalli
Telugu : sugandhavalkam
Synonyms :
Pashanbhedi, karpura valli, sugandhavalkala
Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.
Coleus amboinicus Lour.
Varieties & adulterants – (CV – controversy, AD – adulterants) :
Mexican mint – Coleus amboinicus
Coleus vettiveroides
Morphology :
A perennial, hairy shrub, very fragrant and with bristly hair. Trunk is 30 cm. to 1 mtrs. high and delicate.
Leaves – simple, 6cm. long, ovate, dentate, thick with pungent smell.
Flowers – small, violet, flowering at the end of winter and fruiting in summer.
Distribution & Habitat :
all over India, native to Malaya.
Chemical constituents :
thymol ,carvacrol and camphor,oxalacetic acid, flavonoid, cirsimaritin , betasitosterol.
Properties :
Guna: laghu ruksha,;
Rasa: katu, tikta;
Virya: ushna;
Vipaka-katu
Karma : carminative, digestive,astingent,cooling,diuretic, antimicrobial, antifungal, anthelmintic, antiviral, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory,
Indication :
fever, skin disease, cough, piles, leucorrhoea,vomiting, dysentery,gout, burning sensation,dyspepsia,cephalgia, worm infection
Part used : Whole plant
Dosage :
Leaf juice 10-15 ml
Powder 2-4 g
Decoction 50-100 ml
Amayika Prayoga/Therapeutic Uses:
- External – Anti inflammatory and Analgesic. External application is indicated in Headache and Animal
- poisoning.
- Nervous System – Indicated in conditions like tremor, intoxication etc.
- Digestive system – Improve taste, Carminative, digestive, Liver stimulant, Absorbent. Indicated in Liver diseases, Anorexia, Loss of appetite, Constipation, Abdominal cramp, Diarrhea, Malabsorption syndrome, Helminthiasis etc. It is one of the best medicines to prevent diarrhea and vomiting.
- Circulatory System – Cardiac stimulant.
- Respiratory System – Indicated in chronic cough, hiccough, breathing difficulty etc.
- Excretory System -Indicated in renal calculi and Dysuria.
IUCN Status: Not evaluated (NE)
Research updates (past 5 years):
1. A 2021 study showed antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of Coleus amboinicus leaf extract.
2. A 2022 study evaluated its efficacy in reducing symptoms of bronchial asthma in children.
3. A 2020 in vitro analysis confirmed significant anti-inflammatory potential of the essential oil.
