Justicia adhatoda Vasaka Malabar Nut

Plant Profile

Botany

Binomial nomenclature

Justicia adhatoda

Scientific Name and Description

Justicia adhatoda L.

Herb Family

Acanthaceae

Plant type

Shrub

Plant Synonyms

Adhatoda vasica NEES
Adhatoda zeylanica MEDIK.
Adeloda serrata Raf.
Adhatoda pubescens Moench
Adhatoda vasica Nees
Dianthera latifolia Salisb.
Ecbolium adhatoda (L.) Kuntze
Gendarussa adhadota (L.) Steud.

Plant Names - Common - Regional - Vernacular

English	adhatoda
Hindi	adalsa, adarsa, adosa, adulasa, adulaso, adusa, arusa, arusha, arusu, asgand, bans, bansa, basa, basak, basauti, bashing, basinga, basingu, basute, basuti, rus, rusa, vasak, vasaka
Kannada	aadsoge, aadu muttada gida, aadu soge, aadu sokada gida, aadusouge, adasoge-sappu, addalasa, addasara, adsale, adumuttada, adusege, adusogae, adusoge, aduthoda, aedamuthandi, alasoge, alyoge, atarusha, atusoge, baelagurige, baesaala, byalada, edmuttanditappu, edumuttanditappu, yedumuttanditappu
Malayalam	adalodagam, adel-odagam, ata-lotakam, ataloetakam, atalotakam, attalotakam
Marathi	adaso, adoolsa, adoosa, adulsa, adulsi, adulso, adusa, arusa, bakas, baksa, vasuka
Sanskrit	adarushah, amalaka, arus, arusak, atarusa, atarusah, atarusaka, atarusha, attarusha, bashika, bhisahkmata, bhishagmata, bhishangmata, kanthiravi, kasanotpatana, matrisinhi, mrigendrani, nasa, panchamukhi, raktappittaghni, raktavasa, ramrupaka, rasadani, simhamukhi, simhasya, simhavadana, simhi, simhika, sinhamukhi, sinhanana, sinhaparni, sinhapatri, sinhasya, sinhi, sinhika, sitakarni, uroos, vaidyamata, vaidyamatruvrikshaha, vaidyasinhi, vaji, vajidanta, vajidantaka, vajidantakahaatarusha, vajidanti, vansa, vasa, vasaka, vasakah, vasha, vasica, vasika, vrisha, vrishasinhamukhi, vrsa, vrsah, vrsaka
Tamil	aadaathoda, aadaathodai, acalai, adadodi, adathodai, adatoda, adatodai, adatodey elley, adhatodai, akacattamarai, akalatarai, antarati tamarai, atadotai, atatotai, atatotai ilai, atatotai ver, atatotailacai, atatotaiver, ati, attacaram, attakacam, attakani, attakanicceti, attucam, atutota ilai, atutotai, calamaram, calavirutcam, camaracam , carati , cati, catikacceti, catikam, cimmamuki, cimmamukil, cimmuki, cinkakacceti, cinkakam, cinkam, cinkaparani, curacamani, cuvatu, elankacam, irattapittacceti, irattapittakkini, irattapittam, irattapittappuntu, irattapittavakkini, karanai , karanaippavattai, kattumurungai, kattumurunkai, kavirakacceti, kavirakam, nakankacceti, nakankam, nalotakam, namavaruti, netumpa, nintavilai, pamatuva, pamatuvacceti, pavatai, peruntotai, peruntotaicceti, pittacilettumavakkini, pulutinkutori, purkuli, purkulikacceti, tankilimulam, tatiyattattai, totai, tuvanati, vaca, vacakacuracam, vacakam, vacanti, vachai, vaittiyamata, vatakicceti, vetpavattai, vetpavattaicceti, virusam, yakotevatam, yarancam
Telugu	adasare, adamkabu, adampaka, adasaram, adda saramu, adda-sarap, addasaram, addasaramu, addasarapaku, atarushamu, kaatumurungai, vachai
Tibetan	ba sa ka, ba-sa, ba-sa-ka, bri-sa
Urdu	adoosa, arusa, arusa (bansa), bansa ke pattay, burg arusa, burg bansa, burg-i-arusa
Commom names	Vasaka, Malabar Nut, adulsa

Plants Medicinal Value

Medicinal Systems

Ayurved

Unani

Siddha

Homoeopathy

Folk

Sowa Rigpa

Pharmacological profile

Phytochemicals

Vasicine

Tannins

Herb usable parts

Stem

Bark

Leaves

Flowers

Whole plant

Ethanomedical Uses

Ethnopharmacology use

Fresh juice 1 decoction, infusion and powder are extensively used as an expectorant, sedative and anthelmintic.
The drug 'vasaka' is often taken in the form of juice extracted from its leaves mixed wi th ginger or honey.
Both, leaf powder and decoction effective in bronchitis, severe asthma, tuberculosis, cough, diarrhoea and dysentery.
Paste and juice of fresh leaves is beneficial in healing wounds and in skin diseases.
The root and stem bark has the same medicinal uses as the leaves.
The flowers are used to treat tuberculosis.

Source: Medicinal Plants in the Indian Arid Zone, March 2005, Director Central Arid Zone Research Institute Jodhpur 342 003

Justicia adhatoda L

Habit - Shrub

Parts used - Whole plant

Application - Expectorant; insecticidal; wormicidal; tuberculosis; bronchitis; veneral diseases; cough; asthma; snakebite; asthma; fits; fever; antipyretic; antibacterial

Treatment - General

References - Chopda et al. 2009, Ramya et al. 2009, Subramanian and Ramakrishnan 2011