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| Latin Name |
English Name |
Sanskrit Name |
Convolvulus microphyllus
Sieb. ex Spreng. /
Convolvulus pluricaulis
Choisy (Convolvulaceae)
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Bindweed |
Shankhapushpi |
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| Habitat |
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It grows in the plains
of northern India.
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| Morphology
Description (Habit) |
The plant is a fulvous
hairy herb. The leaves are linear to oblong, small and sub-sessile.
1-3 flowers occur together which are axillary and pedicelled. The
sepals are linear to lanceolate and hairy.
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| Principal
Constituents |
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The plant contains alkaloids convolvine, convolamine, phyllabine,
convolidine, confoline, convoline, subhirsine, convosine, and convolvidine
along with scopoline and ß-sitosterol1.
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| Pharmacology |
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The ethanolic (50%) extract of the plant reduces total serum cholesterol,
triglycerides, phospholipids and non-esterified fatty- acids after
30 days of oral administration in hyperlipidemic rats. Besides,
high-density lipoprotein was significantly raised in the animals.
The ethanolic extract of the plant when administered to rats through
gastric intubation at different time intervals showed enhanced neuropeptide
synthesis of the brain. It induces an increase in brain protein
content, thus increasing acquisition efficiency2.
The alcoholic extract of the whole plant depressed the amphibian
and mammalian myocardiums. The negative inotropic action was not
a sustained one. The extract had a spasmolytic activity on the smooth
muscles viz., isolated rabbit ileum, isolated rat uterus and the
intact intestine of dog. The dog's tracheal muscle behaved differently
and exhibited potentiation of the acetylcholine response3.
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| Clinical
Studies |
Clinical studies
were conducted on 25 cases of arterial hypertension with the decoction
of the drug. A gradual fall in blood pressure along with relief in
the symptoms was observed4.
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| Indications |
The plant is reported to be a
prominent memory-improving drug. It is used as a psycho-stimulant
and tranquilizer. It is reported to reduce mental tension. The ethanolic
extract of the plant reduces total serum cholesterol, triglycerides,
phospholipids and non-esterified fatty- acids.
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| Product
Range |
Abana (HeartCare), Anxocare.
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| References |
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- Dandekar et. al., J Ethnopharmacol, 1992, 35, 285; Sinha
et. al., Indian Med, 1989, 1 (3), 1; Kakrani & Saluja,
Fitoterapia, 1993, 64, 463; Alam et. al., ibid, 1990, 61,
240.
- Sinha et. al., Indian Med, 1989, 1 (3), 1.
- Barar and Sharma, Ind. J. Med. Res., 1965, 53, 871.
- Chaturvedi et. al., J. Res. Ind. Med, 1966, 1, 57.
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